Label Volunteer, Callum Sayer, writes about his top 3 songs throughout lockdown and the summer.
On my LCR shows, I play a variety of music from across the years. From the hottest songs around, to those songs that take you back and elicit good memories, I have applied that ethos for my Spotify playlist. I have delved into my listening history and after consulting with the ‘songs I have had on repeat’ playlists, I have discovered which 3 songs I have had on repeat
GETTIN’ JIGGY WIT IT – WILL SMITH
Coming in at Number 3, this song, released in 1997, is a song that if played in a nightclub, you’d find me ditching my entourage and heading straight for the dance floor (oh how I miss the nightclubs). You get that hip hop-come-poppy vibe the moment the play button is pressed, and contrary to popular belief that the title is about NSFW action, it is merely just a reference to dancing in a nightclub and letting go of all the stresses of the week. During lockdown, I heard this song a lot on the radio, and during the summer when everything seemed to be going back to a vague sense of normality, it reminded me of a time when everything was open. To have that in the rear-view mirror gave me some reassurance that we may get back to that time, when we can go down to the nightclubs again in town or at the union, let go of the stresses of the week, and ‘get jiggy with it’.
BLINDING LIGHTS – THE WEEKND
One of the things that I make a point of when I present on LCR is that I like to play the songs that people know and love, and those songs that are popular right now. Blinding Lights by The Weeknd is one of those songs. Again, a feel-good poppy vibe that really took hold during lockdown as we sought out those songs that were upbeat and didn’t make reference to the doom and gloom circulating around the place. It also pays homage to one of my favourite decades of music, the 80s, with the synthesizing beat that pulsates throughout the song. And, like The Weeknd’s previous work, it exudes darkness and mystery, which is what songs should do, leaving the listener to draw their own conclusions about what the song is about. The reason why it comes in at 2 and not the top spot is simply because I don’t play it enough times, either on my playlists or on the radio, so I may do that in the future.
BAD DAY – DANIEL POWTER
All of us have those off days, and sadly all of us attempt to mask it. The reason why Daniel Powter’s Bad Day makes it to the top of the list is that the overarching theme is simply: ‘hey, you had a bad day, but you don’t need to hide that everything is okay’. Throughout lockdown, mental health was pushed slowly but surely to the top of the agenda, and now it is at the top of the agenda, especially given the enhanced restrictions that most of the Midlands and the north of England are living under. Now, whilst there may be a lot of songs out addressing bad days and the idea that it is okay not to be okay, this is wrapped up in a mid-tempo upbeat-type song that makes it okay to belt out when you have those off days.
Well, that’s my top 3 songs that I have had on repeat. If you think there’s a better top 3, do not hesitate to leave a comment below the article. And whilst you are at it, catch me on your Monday Good Morning Loughborough from 9am-12pm every Monday and ‘Sayer on Saturday’ between 12pm-3pm on LCR- Loughborough Campus Radio!
Header designed by Frankie Stevens – Head of Design
Article Edited by Matthew Rousou – Label Music Editor
