Monday Mixtape: Sept 24

It really excites me when my favorite artists, both from my childhood and at present, would release new material. So for this week, here's a mixtape of new and latest material from some of my favorite artists.

Some guidelines as you participate in the #mondaymixtape conversation:

1. Make a post with #mondaymixtape as your first tag
2. Post links to 5 songs you like
3. Tell us why you like them. Point out features that surprised you, stuff you learnt from the song, etc etc.

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1. Avril Lavigne - Head Above Water

After her indefinite hiatus, Avril Lavigne is back with this stunning ballad called "Head Above Water". I am beyond stoked, not just because Avril Lavigne is such a defining moment in my childhood, but because Avril wrote this to try to describe her battle with Lyme disease. It's such an inspiring song and I love how beautifully written it is ("I'm too young to fall asleep". Wow.). The buildup is so mindblowing that it almost made me cry. I am at a loss for words, the whole song is incredible! I can not wait for the whole album so I can get reminded again of why I have always been an Avril fan.

2. Good Charlotte - Actual Pain

Like Avril Lavigne, Good Charlotte is also one of those artists who shaped my childhood. And to find out that they have released a new album after 2 years is such a treat!! Actual Pain is the first single that Good Charlotte released off their latest album, and if you ask me, this is such a smart move. This song clearly shows that distinct sound that defined Good Charlotte all these years, but hints of influences from other genres are evident as well, as if to give us a glimpse of how solid the whole record is going to be. They released the album in September 14 and since then, I have been replaying the songs over and over, and all I can say is: Wow!

3. IV of Spades and Shanti Dope - Bata, Dahan Dahan/ Nadarang

Last year, Coke Studio Philippines has started this initiative of putting together two Filipino artists who have distinct sounds and come up with an original song as a product of their unique collaboration. The songs that resulted from these collaborations were such a hit that people clamored for a part 2, even suggesting other OPM artists to be included in the lineup. This year, they decided to do this initiative again, with a different set of artists from diverse backgrounds, coming together for something great to happen. For their first episode this year, Coke Studio featured IV of Spades, an indie disco-folk-alternative rock band, and Shanti Dope, an up-and-coming hip hop artist and rapper. At first glance, one may doubt if this would actually work. But, for fans of IV of Spades and Shanti Dope, the incredible talent of these two artists, both individually and when paired together, will definitely floor everyone. And, yes, they did just that, as evidenced by this incredible mash-up of IV of Spades' Bata, Dahan Dahan and Shanti Dope's Nadarang. The future is really bright for OPM! What, with these young people who are reinventing and redefining what Filipino music means, I dare you to tell me I'm wrong. Long live and thrive, OPM!

4. UNIQUE - Cha-Ching!

The first time I heard this, that opening guitar riff was almost too familiar that it immediately made me think of John Mayer's I Don't Trust Myself. However, further into the song, one will realize that it is a huge mistake to be comparing this song to that of John Mayer's. This song is proof of how much of a genius UNIQUE really is, not just lyrically and musically, especially since this song's music video is actually self-directed by UNIQUE. Talk about being good at everything! Although it will probably take a long time before people can talk about UNIQUE devoid of his former band IV of Spades (or that time may never come at all), this seems to be not a problem at all for UNIQUE. I like that he's actually making a name for himself, not as that guy who left the band, but this equally awesome artist who is treading unfamiliar waters despite now being solo...and being successful at it. To be honest, this isn't the first song that I've come to like when I listened to UNIQUE's debut album, Grandma. But this music video is so remarkably-done and very much on-point , I find myself ashamed that I only got to appreciate this song just recently. Oh well, better late than never!

5. Ben&Ben - Susi

"Susi" is a Filipino word that means "key" when translated to English. This song is included in the OST of the hit film Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (Goyo: The Young General), which tells the story of Gregorio "Goyo" del Pilar, one of the youngest generals who fought during the PH-US war. Although the song was already written way before the film (and so was not originally written for the film), I believe that the fact that the film's director personally chose Ben&Ben's Susi to be included in the film's OST and even directed the song's music video tells us a lot about how incredible the song is. The songwriter wrote a lengthy post about what the song is about. In a nutshell, the song was birthed out of the "crippling self-doubt" that the artist had because of the emotional weight that he was carrying that time and, upon reflection, he found that he had to "go back to the reason why (he) started before even thinking of giving up". I wish I were a better translator so I could translate the whole song in English so my non-Filipino readers could appreciate this song even more. Ben&Ben is one of the OPM artists who writes so beautifully both in English and Filipino and this simple but beautiful line "Ikaw pa rin ang susi sa pinto ng iyong tadhana" (You are still the key to the door of your destiny") is proof.