As a writer there are two fears that are ever present - the first is the fear of a creative blockage and the second is the fear of failure. These two fears often go hand in hand but the defining aspect of the former is epitomised by the proverbial blank page that is used to represent writer's block in other words it is defined by the lack of motivation or lack of inspiration to write. The latter is best represented by a missed deadline, whether that was a personal imposition or whether it was set by another.
Music Monday #43: The Story So Far: The Very Best Of Rod Stewart
I was born in 1988 and grew up mostly in the 90s. I've lived a life that spans the technological revolution that was led by the Internet, experiencing life before, during, and after its arrival and expansion and eventual domination. In the 90s when I grew up very few people had PCs, they weren't as ubiquitous as they are now for the simple reason that there wasn't a lot you could do with them unless you were a PC gamer or needed one for work. The former of which was still evolving given the limited resources that existed, although some incredible games did emerge in those time periods most of them were confined to console gaming.
Without music streaming services, without all-you-can-eat access to music, you were limited to only a few routes to discovering new music. Those were through record shops, through the radio, through Music stations if you had satellite television, through the end of week chart shows like Top Of The Pops here in the UK, or through referrals from friends and family where you exchanged music. My parents taste in music for this reason had some influence on the music I was exposed to, one artist in particular stands out in this regard for me as my Dad had a love of his music and that is Rod Stewart.
'The Story So Far: The Very Best Of Rod Stewart' is a greatest hits compilation that brought together most of his music collection, released in 2001 it covers most of the tracks that I heard growing up so I've chosen to include it here. There are a lot of tracks on this compilation that mean a lot to me but I will limit those I mention.
'Rhythm Of My Heart' is the first track I want to focus on, the chorus "Oh, the rhythm of my heart, Is beating like a drum, With the words, 'I love you' rolling off my tongue, No, never will I roam, For I know my place is home, Where the ocean meets the sky, I'll be sailing" these words to me speak of the comfort I find in my family, in particular my parents. There's something childlike and innocent about feeling safe and secure in their presence. Over the years these lyrics came to mean more to me, they reminded me that no matter where I went or what I did, I could always come home if I needed to. This sentiment is something that other artists have captured too, notably Cyndi Lauper with her song 'Come On Home' from her 'Twelve Deadly Cyns' album which narrowly missed the cut but gets an honourable mention here.
'Downtown Train' and 'Sailing' get a mention here as particular favourites on this album but more for the music rather than the lyrics. This album however also features 'Every Beat Of My Heart' which holds a special place in my heart. I was born in Northern Ireland, a place that has seen great conflict and divides over the issue of nationality. Those of us born here are both British and Irish by birth but there are those who identify as one more than the other, or only one. Nevertheless there is a history here that is shared between Britain and Ireland, these islands have been divide many times but there is an inescapable bond that exists that still remains despite the differences. Every Beat Of My Heart is a song about longing for your homeland, about wanting to be where you belong, and the desire to go home. The verse "And we'll drink a toast to the blood red rose, Cheer a while the Emerald Isle, And to the northern lights and the swirling pipes, How they make a grown man cry" these refer to England's Rose, to the Island of Ireland, and to Scotland respectively, I haven't travelled further than Europe in my time, the UK, Ireland, and France I have criss-crossed more times than I can count, through it all though I've never really been able to feel a sense of belonging, apart from Paris but finance makes the idea of living there almost impossible for me. Every Beat Of My Heart in many ways taps into that feeling of wondering where I belong and the only answer I've ever found was that I belonged where people love me, which can be anywhere in the world as long as they are with you.
On a lighter note there's one more track on this compilation I want to mention and that is 'The Motown Song' which saw Rod collaborate with The Temptations in 1991. The lyrics "Bring over some of your old Motown records, We'll put the speakers in the window and we'll go, On the roof and listen to the Miracles, Echo to the alley down below" these lyrics remind me of my time in London, in particular my second year of University when I rented a flat in central London with 3 flatmates. We rented the top 4 storeys of a 5 storey building. The very top of the flat had a bathroom with a skylight that we kept a step ladder so we could climb up and out onto the roof. London is a very expensive place to live, as students it cost the four of us £27,000 [$54,000 at the time] to live in that flat for the year. I spent many nights up on that roof, having a view in London was something nobody we knew could afford, the view from my bedroom window was a brick wall. This song however reminds me of one particular night spent up on that roof with a guy I had fallen for so hard, nothing ever came of it though for reasons I've already discussed at length.
My Dad's music collection also formed the basis for much of my exploration of music from the 70s and 80s, and earlier. Artists like Thin Lizzy, Toto, The Cars, Whitesnake, Status Quo, Alice Cooper, Starship, Europe, Kenny Loggins, ELO, The Jam, T.Rex, Falco, Steve Winwood, The Eurythmics, and Kim Wilde to name a few, all of which feature in my library, indeed I probably could have written 52 posts for each decade but that would have saw me repeating a lot about my personal life and these are artists I wasn't around to witness their music careers first hand, and although that is also true for some artists on this list I have tried to keep it to a minimum.
Without music streaming services, without all-you-can-eat access to music, you were limited to only a few routes to discovering new music. Those were through record shops, through the radio, through Music stations if you had satellite television, through the end of week chart shows like Top Of The Pops here in the UK, or through referrals from friends and family where you exchanged music. My parents taste in music for this reason had some influence on the music I was exposed to, one artist in particular stands out in this regard for me as my Dad had a love of his music and that is Rod Stewart.
'The Story So Far: The Very Best Of Rod Stewart' is a greatest hits compilation that brought together most of his music collection, released in 2001 it covers most of the tracks that I heard growing up so I've chosen to include it here. There are a lot of tracks on this compilation that mean a lot to me but I will limit those I mention.
'Rhythm Of My Heart' is the first track I want to focus on, the chorus "Oh, the rhythm of my heart, Is beating like a drum, With the words, 'I love you' rolling off my tongue, No, never will I roam, For I know my place is home, Where the ocean meets the sky, I'll be sailing" these words to me speak of the comfort I find in my family, in particular my parents. There's something childlike and innocent about feeling safe and secure in their presence. Over the years these lyrics came to mean more to me, they reminded me that no matter where I went or what I did, I could always come home if I needed to. This sentiment is something that other artists have captured too, notably Cyndi Lauper with her song 'Come On Home' from her 'Twelve Deadly Cyns' album which narrowly missed the cut but gets an honourable mention here.
'Downtown Train' and 'Sailing' get a mention here as particular favourites on this album but more for the music rather than the lyrics. This album however also features 'Every Beat Of My Heart' which holds a special place in my heart. I was born in Northern Ireland, a place that has seen great conflict and divides over the issue of nationality. Those of us born here are both British and Irish by birth but there are those who identify as one more than the other, or only one. Nevertheless there is a history here that is shared between Britain and Ireland, these islands have been divide many times but there is an inescapable bond that exists that still remains despite the differences. Every Beat Of My Heart is a song about longing for your homeland, about wanting to be where you belong, and the desire to go home. The verse "And we'll drink a toast to the blood red rose, Cheer a while the Emerald Isle, And to the northern lights and the swirling pipes, How they make a grown man cry" these refer to England's Rose, to the Island of Ireland, and to Scotland respectively, I haven't travelled further than Europe in my time, the UK, Ireland, and France I have criss-crossed more times than I can count, through it all though I've never really been able to feel a sense of belonging, apart from Paris but finance makes the idea of living there almost impossible for me. Every Beat Of My Heart in many ways taps into that feeling of wondering where I belong and the only answer I've ever found was that I belonged where people love me, which can be anywhere in the world as long as they are with you.
On a lighter note there's one more track on this compilation I want to mention and that is 'The Motown Song' which saw Rod collaborate with The Temptations in 1991. The lyrics "Bring over some of your old Motown records, We'll put the speakers in the window and we'll go, On the roof and listen to the Miracles, Echo to the alley down below" these lyrics remind me of my time in London, in particular my second year of University when I rented a flat in central London with 3 flatmates. We rented the top 4 storeys of a 5 storey building. The very top of the flat had a bathroom with a skylight that we kept a step ladder so we could climb up and out onto the roof. London is a very expensive place to live, as students it cost the four of us £27,000 [$54,000 at the time] to live in that flat for the year. I spent many nights up on that roof, having a view in London was something nobody we knew could afford, the view from my bedroom window was a brick wall. This song however reminds me of one particular night spent up on that roof with a guy I had fallen for so hard, nothing ever came of it though for reasons I've already discussed at length.
My Dad's music collection also formed the basis for much of my exploration of music from the 70s and 80s, and earlier. Artists like Thin Lizzy, Toto, The Cars, Whitesnake, Status Quo, Alice Cooper, Starship, Europe, Kenny Loggins, ELO, The Jam, T.Rex, Falco, Steve Winwood, The Eurythmics, and Kim Wilde to name a few, all of which feature in my library, indeed I probably could have written 52 posts for each decade but that would have saw me repeating a lot about my personal life and these are artists I wasn't around to witness their music careers first hand, and although that is also true for some artists on this list I have tried to keep it to a minimum.
How to accurately depict an opposing belief
When you start to develop your craft, one of the hurdles you'll run into quite early is learning how to accurately depict an opposing belief. How to create characters that embody beliefs that you do not personally hold, with a credibility and a realism that makes the character believable.
Music Monday #42: Warrior by Kesha
2 years after releasing 'Animal' Kesha went on to release 'Warrior' an album that saw her departure from a care free teenage life mentality maturing into young adulthood. Kesha was 25 at the time of its release and I think the personal growth she experienced is reflected in her music. The themes touched upon in this album are heavier, and darker. This is also reflected in the artistic styling of promotional materials, such as the music videos for the singles from this album where occult imagery is used, allusions to conspiracy theories, power, control, and magic are incorporated into the visual styling.
The very first track on the album is the title track and contains the lyrics "We were born to break the doors down, Fightin' till the end, It's something that's inside of us, It's how we've always been" these lyrics reflect the burdens of the world that begin to wear you down in your 20s, when life starts to throw everything it can at you and you must evolve and fight to survive. This theme of survival is then contrasted by the second track 'Die Young' which isn't about seeking an early death or having a desire to actually die young but rather to embrace the idea of living in the moment. The lyrics "Let's make the most of the night, like we're gonna die young" put this quite clearly the song is about making the most of the time you have while you still can and living like there's no tomorrow. The juxtaposition here is establishing the premise that you should fight to survive but that fight cannot be the definition of your life if all you are ever doing is trying to avoid death you're not really living.
My absolute favourite track on this album is one that I believe is not well known as few people I have mentioned it to have heard it, 'Love Into The Light' which is a song about embracing love even when you're surrounded by darkness you need to remain open and receptive if you want to let love find its way back into your life. The chorus "Maybe it’s about the time, To let all of the love back in the light, Maybe it’s about the perfect place, To let go and forget about the hate, Love into the light" reflects this sentiment perfectly, but also the lyrics read "And I’ve got this question, yeah, Been burning through my head, Can’t we all get over ourselves, And just stop talking shit?" this reflects the struggle to abandon ego and accept life for what it is, and acknowledge that we can create darkness and we can create light and it's our choice which we choose to spread.
There's one last Kesha album I want to include on this list and it will feature near the end. For now as before I believe Kesha's personal journey and her growth reflects my own in many ways. I have mentioned the affinity I feel for her and the connection I form to her music is part of that affinity but also the criticism people direct at her is something I think is often given without context, by this I mean that people pull apart small pieces and particular aspects of her or her music that grate on them and criticise those without reflecting on the bigger picture. Again this album when taken in context of the time in her life that it reflects, then the depth of the music becomes apparent.
There will always be those who want to define who and what you are and that's okay because that definition is part of their narrative not yours. Let them define you as they please but know that how you define yourself is entirely up to you. The choice to ignore them always remains, you don't have to accept their definition and their act of defining you in and of itself is not an attack even though it can feel like one. Warrior is about fighting, and as the album progresses the narrative unfolds with 'Love Into The Light' being Kesha's subtle way of telling you that you don't have to fight every battle, you can pick and choose, your life doesn't have to devolve into a constant act of self defence, you can live for the moment and enjoy what life has to offer and leave those who are consumed with hate to get lost in it.
The final track on the deluxe edition of this album is called 'Past Lives' and it deals with this act of letting go, moving on to better things, and the idea that there is only one love, true love, and you will always find it again in the end. You can live a thousand lives and lose that love a thousand times but in the end you will always find it again, the lyrics "But I, I keep on falling for you, Time after time, time after time, I'll make you mine, time after, Time after time" speak to this belief, keep moving and you'll find the one that was meant to be.
The very first track on the album is the title track and contains the lyrics "We were born to break the doors down, Fightin' till the end, It's something that's inside of us, It's how we've always been" these lyrics reflect the burdens of the world that begin to wear you down in your 20s, when life starts to throw everything it can at you and you must evolve and fight to survive. This theme of survival is then contrasted by the second track 'Die Young' which isn't about seeking an early death or having a desire to actually die young but rather to embrace the idea of living in the moment. The lyrics "Let's make the most of the night, like we're gonna die young" put this quite clearly the song is about making the most of the time you have while you still can and living like there's no tomorrow. The juxtaposition here is establishing the premise that you should fight to survive but that fight cannot be the definition of your life if all you are ever doing is trying to avoid death you're not really living.
My absolute favourite track on this album is one that I believe is not well known as few people I have mentioned it to have heard it, 'Love Into The Light' which is a song about embracing love even when you're surrounded by darkness you need to remain open and receptive if you want to let love find its way back into your life. The chorus "Maybe it’s about the time, To let all of the love back in the light, Maybe it’s about the perfect place, To let go and forget about the hate, Love into the light" reflects this sentiment perfectly, but also the lyrics read "And I’ve got this question, yeah, Been burning through my head, Can’t we all get over ourselves, And just stop talking shit?" this reflects the struggle to abandon ego and accept life for what it is, and acknowledge that we can create darkness and we can create light and it's our choice which we choose to spread.
There's one last Kesha album I want to include on this list and it will feature near the end. For now as before I believe Kesha's personal journey and her growth reflects my own in many ways. I have mentioned the affinity I feel for her and the connection I form to her music is part of that affinity but also the criticism people direct at her is something I think is often given without context, by this I mean that people pull apart small pieces and particular aspects of her or her music that grate on them and criticise those without reflecting on the bigger picture. Again this album when taken in context of the time in her life that it reflects, then the depth of the music becomes apparent.
There will always be those who want to define who and what you are and that's okay because that definition is part of their narrative not yours. Let them define you as they please but know that how you define yourself is entirely up to you. The choice to ignore them always remains, you don't have to accept their definition and their act of defining you in and of itself is not an attack even though it can feel like one. Warrior is about fighting, and as the album progresses the narrative unfolds with 'Love Into The Light' being Kesha's subtle way of telling you that you don't have to fight every battle, you can pick and choose, your life doesn't have to devolve into a constant act of self defence, you can live for the moment and enjoy what life has to offer and leave those who are consumed with hate to get lost in it.
The final track on the deluxe edition of this album is called 'Past Lives' and it deals with this act of letting go, moving on to better things, and the idea that there is only one love, true love, and you will always find it again in the end. You can live a thousand lives and lose that love a thousand times but in the end you will always find it again, the lyrics "But I, I keep on falling for you, Time after time, time after time, I'll make you mine, time after, Time after time" speak to this belief, keep moving and you'll find the one that was meant to be.
Sentimental Attachment
When you venture into the writing community and start to interact with other writers, one of the first things you come across will either be positivity and support for you and your work, or negativity and criticism. Which one of these you encounter first will depend a lot upon the extent to which your work conforms to the expectations of others. The other will follow in time as no writer seems to be able to escape both of these unless they write and never share with the world what they write.
Music Monday #41: Until Now by Swedish House Mafia
Taking a step back for a moment I'd like to dip your toes once more into Electronic Dance Music [EDM] with 'Until Now' by Swedish House Mafia which was released in 2012. I love this album and I love Swedish House Mafia.
Swedish House Mafia was formed by Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, and Steve Angello and produces a genre of music called Progressive House music which in itself is a sub genre of House which is part of EDM as a whole. For a time Eric Prydz was set to join the trio to form a quarter but ultimately did not. These three producers are legends in their own right and have discographies that span decades and too many artists to name. When they came together it was clear we could expect great things and they did not disappoint. 'Until Now' is my favourite album of the two that they produced, I never formed such a strong emotional connection to the first album.
'Until Now' includes many tracks I want to mention but the first is 'Don't You Worry Child' which right off the bat opens with "There was a time I used to look into my father's eyes, In a happy home, I was a king, I had a golden throne, Those days are gone, now the memory's on the wall, I hear the songs from the places where I was born" these lyrics strike a chord for me because they take me back to childhood innocence before the world had its chance to fuck you over. That time in my life was shorter than it's meant to be, but what I remember I still hold onto, I still reminisce about the time when I didn't have to care about the world and I didn't have to worry, when there was no danger.
The lyrics that speak most to who I am now though are those that read "My father said, Don't you worry, don't you worry, child, See heaven's got a plan for you, Don't you worry, don't you worry now" the religious connotations aside, the meaning of these words for me is the reminder of that belief that everything in life happens for a reason, that you may not understand it in the moment but with time you will, to hold on and survive because there is more to life and more to come and there is something greater waiting for you. I've spoken about how hard it can be to find the will to live for someone who has had moments in life where suicide featured so heavily, the words of this song may seem light and trivial to some, but for those who have lived that life their weight is heavy, the emotion attached is strong, and the uplifting music that carries you through the narrative reinforces the importance of looking forward, to the future, to positivity, and holding on to that feeling.
Featured on this album is the track 'Antidote' produced in collaboration with Knife Party, with a progression that is much more intense and aggressive the track is reinforced with the lyrics "There's a glitch inside my system, Rushin' through my whole existence, Got me twisted, can't resist this, Somethin's flippin' all my switches, Take 'em, break 'em, make 'em feel it, Mix it up and mass-appeal it, Pressure is ridin' me hard, Killer dose right to my heart" these lyrics talk about the feeling of something being fundamentally wrong with you, like a disease eating away inside you, the recondition that something is wrong, a darkness growing that is seductive, and drawing you in, something you can't resist, that moment where you begin to spiral as your senses are overcome by the act of self destruction. The aggressive bass line of the song to me represents the heartbeat of fear and excitement intertwined and the lyrics "Antidote, There's no antidote" epitomise the loss of control that occurs in that moment when this spiral takes hold there's nothing you can do to stop it just go with it and let it spin you around.
'Save The World' is another track I want to mention because it touches on something that has always been a struggle for me. In life, when you feel vulnerable, scared, or threatened, it's natural to seek out a hero. 'Holding Out For A Hero' by Bonnie Tyler exemplifies that feeling for me, of which the Jennifer Saunders cover is my favourite. 'Save The World' by Swedish House Mafia however takes this notion of searching for a hero and asks the question of who it would be then answers it pointedly, we have to save ourselves. The lyrics "Who's gonna save the world tonight? Who's gonna bring it back to life? We're gonna make it, you and I, We're gonna save the world tonight" answers this question explicitly, this song is a song of hope and hopelessness, in the former that we may succeed but in the latter it fails to inspire much confidence because we're the ones that fucked it up in the first place.
Swedish House Mafia for a time dominated EDM and grew to such success that they dominated the mainstream too. They disbanded in 2013 and left a documentary as their parting gift for fans, there was genuine grieving for the group and a sense of loss. Half a decade later they reunited to perform at Ultra in Miami followed by a series of tours and confirmation that they were working on new music.
Swedish House Mafia have had such an impact and will leave behind a legacy that will be hard to match. Legends within EDM and known even to those who do not venture into the wider genre and sub genres of music they have touched the hearts of many with their music. Their music will form part of my music library and I can't ever see a time where I would get rid of it. EDM is a genre of music that is hard to describe in many respects because of how much it is based on the experience, many EDM tracks don't even feature vocals at all so there are no lyrics to quote or to describe how the music makes you feel but the connection is real, and once again in the end all that matters is what it makes you feel.
Swedish House Mafia was formed by Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, and Steve Angello and produces a genre of music called Progressive House music which in itself is a sub genre of House which is part of EDM as a whole. For a time Eric Prydz was set to join the trio to form a quarter but ultimately did not. These three producers are legends in their own right and have discographies that span decades and too many artists to name. When they came together it was clear we could expect great things and they did not disappoint. 'Until Now' is my favourite album of the two that they produced, I never formed such a strong emotional connection to the first album.
'Until Now' includes many tracks I want to mention but the first is 'Don't You Worry Child' which right off the bat opens with "There was a time I used to look into my father's eyes, In a happy home, I was a king, I had a golden throne, Those days are gone, now the memory's on the wall, I hear the songs from the places where I was born" these lyrics strike a chord for me because they take me back to childhood innocence before the world had its chance to fuck you over. That time in my life was shorter than it's meant to be, but what I remember I still hold onto, I still reminisce about the time when I didn't have to care about the world and I didn't have to worry, when there was no danger.
The lyrics that speak most to who I am now though are those that read "My father said, Don't you worry, don't you worry, child, See heaven's got a plan for you, Don't you worry, don't you worry now" the religious connotations aside, the meaning of these words for me is the reminder of that belief that everything in life happens for a reason, that you may not understand it in the moment but with time you will, to hold on and survive because there is more to life and more to come and there is something greater waiting for you. I've spoken about how hard it can be to find the will to live for someone who has had moments in life where suicide featured so heavily, the words of this song may seem light and trivial to some, but for those who have lived that life their weight is heavy, the emotion attached is strong, and the uplifting music that carries you through the narrative reinforces the importance of looking forward, to the future, to positivity, and holding on to that feeling.
Featured on this album is the track 'Antidote' produced in collaboration with Knife Party, with a progression that is much more intense and aggressive the track is reinforced with the lyrics "There's a glitch inside my system, Rushin' through my whole existence, Got me twisted, can't resist this, Somethin's flippin' all my switches, Take 'em, break 'em, make 'em feel it, Mix it up and mass-appeal it, Pressure is ridin' me hard, Killer dose right to my heart" these lyrics talk about the feeling of something being fundamentally wrong with you, like a disease eating away inside you, the recondition that something is wrong, a darkness growing that is seductive, and drawing you in, something you can't resist, that moment where you begin to spiral as your senses are overcome by the act of self destruction. The aggressive bass line of the song to me represents the heartbeat of fear and excitement intertwined and the lyrics "Antidote, There's no antidote" epitomise the loss of control that occurs in that moment when this spiral takes hold there's nothing you can do to stop it just go with it and let it spin you around.
'Save The World' is another track I want to mention because it touches on something that has always been a struggle for me. In life, when you feel vulnerable, scared, or threatened, it's natural to seek out a hero. 'Holding Out For A Hero' by Bonnie Tyler exemplifies that feeling for me, of which the Jennifer Saunders cover is my favourite. 'Save The World' by Swedish House Mafia however takes this notion of searching for a hero and asks the question of who it would be then answers it pointedly, we have to save ourselves. The lyrics "Who's gonna save the world tonight? Who's gonna bring it back to life? We're gonna make it, you and I, We're gonna save the world tonight" answers this question explicitly, this song is a song of hope and hopelessness, in the former that we may succeed but in the latter it fails to inspire much confidence because we're the ones that fucked it up in the first place.
Swedish House Mafia for a time dominated EDM and grew to such success that they dominated the mainstream too. They disbanded in 2013 and left a documentary as their parting gift for fans, there was genuine grieving for the group and a sense of loss. Half a decade later they reunited to perform at Ultra in Miami followed by a series of tours and confirmation that they were working on new music.
Swedish House Mafia have had such an impact and will leave behind a legacy that will be hard to match. Legends within EDM and known even to those who do not venture into the wider genre and sub genres of music they have touched the hearts of many with their music. Their music will form part of my music library and I can't ever see a time where I would get rid of it. EDM is a genre of music that is hard to describe in many respects because of how much it is based on the experience, many EDM tracks don't even feature vocals at all so there are no lyrics to quote or to describe how the music makes you feel but the connection is real, and once again in the end all that matters is what it makes you feel.
Music Monday #40: All For You by Janet Jackson
I must admit I had a very hard time deciding which Janet Jackson albums to include on this list, in the end I decided to pick just two, the first was an obvious choice in 'The Velvet Rope' as I regard it as her magnum opus as I mentioned before. The second album was hard to choose, I was tempted to use 'Design Of A Decade: 1986-1996" because I love every single track on that album from start to finish and the entire thing is perfection, I wouldn't change a thing. Ultimately I decided to go with one of Janet's "main" albums however as Design Of A Decade is a greatest hits compilation album and whilst I have included a fair few of those on this list already, it would not do Janet Jackson justice to focus on it rather than one of her main albums.
This assertion I make because Janet Jackson is by every definition an artist. Her albums are not simply a collection of music tracks that share a theme and musical styling but the albums as a whole are also pieces of art. I glossed over this in my previous post because I wanted to really dive into this at depth here instead as I had already gushed about how much Janet means to be as an artist and as an icon.
If you have never listened to a Janet Jackson album from start to finish then you are missing out. 'All For You' was released in 2001 and in researching this album I found a quote she gave to Essence Magazine in which she explained:
I couldn't let this post pass by without mentioning this quote, I had no idea she said this but it mirrors the narrative I have been creating throughout these posts, the trinity of love she's forming reflects my belief that 'you' in love songs can be a love interest or as she puts it a source of love, it can be self love, and it can be the love that is all around us. This genuinely made me smile while writing this post so I had to include it.
Janet Jackson has a particular love of creating concept albums that take a theme and create a narrative surrounding it, her songs are separated by interlude tracks or skits that last around a minute, sometimes they establish the premise for the next song, sometimes they reference the song that just played, and sometimes they are akin to fourth wall breaks which if you have read some of my regular posts on this blog you will know I love, I even wrote a book that centred around the narrative trope of breaking the fourth wall.
'Trust A Try' is perhaps my favourite track on this entire album and its lyrics open with "Trust - not an easy thing, you say, Never thought the game of love, This way you'd play, By the things you do, Never thought these things, I would go through with you" this track more than any other on this album speaks to me because of the experiences I have had in life. I have alluded to the childhood trauma I experienced which I don't want to go into in detail here as it isn't relevant, but what is relevant is to know that I had, and still have trust issues. I have a strange duality when it comes to trust, on the one hand I find it very hard to trust people with my life and my experiences and with anything of meaning or merit, I don't give people that power over me willingly. Despite the openness and the candidness I employ on this blog to speak about various topics, I do so in a largely abstract manner because this environment for me is safe. You don't know me personally - well very few of you will at least, so there's no sense of trust required to tell you anything, that and most of my posts are sans specifics about my actual real world life to the extent that you could connect any comments I made to individuals. On the other side of this duality is the idea that I inherently trust everyone I meet and everyone I engage with until they give me a reason not to, but once that trust is lost it is nigh on impossible to regain.
'Trust A Try' the first verse of the song after the intro in its entirety reads, "She brought love, She brought joy, She brought what she brought, You thought you'd never see again, She cheats and lied, Made you cry, said goodbye, Body's numb, think you're never gonna feel again, Then what you do now? You take it slow, Here comes Jo, things go smooth, But drama just around the bend, Don't blame me for jealousies or insecurities, Please see 'cause I wouldn't do that to you" this verse is about someone who was in love, was hurt, lost the trust they had in their lover and parted ways, heartbroken and burned by that loss of trust they meet Jo* but find it hard to trust her because of past experiences. This speaks volumes to me because it articulates the thoughts that I don't get to hear inside the heads of people who have to deal with my trust issues, it serves as a reminder that people don't want you to project the toxic behaviours of people they never even met who did you wrong in your past onto them because it's not fair on them. This is something that it took me many years to be able to process and even now I still have to remind myself that the myriad of thoughts and feelings that go through my head aren't obvious to other people unless I articulate them, this to me underlines the importance of communication in every relationship both romantic and platonic.
* Jo is Janet if that wasn't clear, she has had many nicknames and in the interlude 'Country' on her 'Damita Jo' album she discusses them.
'Son Of A Gun' saw Janet collaborate with the legendary Carly Simon to create a reinterpretation and reimagination of Carly's 1972 hit 'You're So Vain' - I love this track, both this version and Carly Simon's original, the only lyrics that are preserved between the two versions is the chorus line "I betcha think this song is about you, Don't you, don't you, don't you?" beyond this they both share the beat, and the underlying structure but the remainder of the lyrics diverge. I love this song so much for what it epitomises and that is the mistaken belief that people think about you all the time - the reality is that other people spend less time thinking about us than we like to thing, they spend more time thinking about themselves because that's what the ego does and it's own ego that leads us to believe they are thinking about us because everything revolves around it. The irony of this song is that it is in fact about that one person in particular but without ever naming them and giving them validation you sow doubt. 'You're So Vain' by Carly Simon in many ways is a diss track although it's never really acknowledged to be one it shares pretty much all of the hallmarks.
The last two tracks I want to specifically mention are 'Someone To Call My Lover' and 'Doesn't Really Matter' both of which represent my search for love and the acknowledgement that the things in life that I want are things to aspire to, things to work towards, but things that it doesn't really matter in the end if I manage to achieve them, in the case of 'Doesn't Really Matter' the lyrics for me I interpret as self love, with 'you' in this case being myself, the chorus in particular "Doesn't really matter what the eye is seeing, 'Cause I'm in love with the inner being, Doesn't really matter what they believe, What matters to me is you're in love with me" to me is about self acceptance, learning to love yourself and who you are, not worrying about what others see and the judgements they pass because it doesn't really matter in the end what other people think of you, all that matters is your relationship with yourself which I know sounds narcissistic but there is truth in that tired cliché and when you accept that truth you start to see why things never work out for some people, it's just hard to turn that back on ourselves and analyse ourselves the way we analyse others, to see in our own lives that which we can see in others with such clarity.
It is for these reasons and so much more that Janet Jackson to me is an artist, a visionary, a creative genius, and an icon.
This assertion I make because Janet Jackson is by every definition an artist. Her albums are not simply a collection of music tracks that share a theme and musical styling but the albums as a whole are also pieces of art. I glossed over this in my previous post because I wanted to really dive into this at depth here instead as I had already gushed about how much Janet means to be as an artist and as an icon.
If you have never listened to a Janet Jackson album from start to finish then you are missing out. 'All For You' was released in 2001 and in researching this album I found a quote she gave to Essence Magazine in which she explained:
"I call my latest release All for You. The 'You' is my fans who've stayed with me and watched me grow; the 'You' is the mysterious force of love that's the source of creativity; and the 'You' is also me"
- Janet Jackson, Essence Magazine September Edition 2001
I couldn't let this post pass by without mentioning this quote, I had no idea she said this but it mirrors the narrative I have been creating throughout these posts, the trinity of love she's forming reflects my belief that 'you' in love songs can be a love interest or as she puts it a source of love, it can be self love, and it can be the love that is all around us. This genuinely made me smile while writing this post so I had to include it.
Janet Jackson has a particular love of creating concept albums that take a theme and create a narrative surrounding it, her songs are separated by interlude tracks or skits that last around a minute, sometimes they establish the premise for the next song, sometimes they reference the song that just played, and sometimes they are akin to fourth wall breaks which if you have read some of my regular posts on this blog you will know I love, I even wrote a book that centred around the narrative trope of breaking the fourth wall.
'Trust A Try' is perhaps my favourite track on this entire album and its lyrics open with "Trust - not an easy thing, you say, Never thought the game of love, This way you'd play, By the things you do, Never thought these things, I would go through with you" this track more than any other on this album speaks to me because of the experiences I have had in life. I have alluded to the childhood trauma I experienced which I don't want to go into in detail here as it isn't relevant, but what is relevant is to know that I had, and still have trust issues. I have a strange duality when it comes to trust, on the one hand I find it very hard to trust people with my life and my experiences and with anything of meaning or merit, I don't give people that power over me willingly. Despite the openness and the candidness I employ on this blog to speak about various topics, I do so in a largely abstract manner because this environment for me is safe. You don't know me personally - well very few of you will at least, so there's no sense of trust required to tell you anything, that and most of my posts are sans specifics about my actual real world life to the extent that you could connect any comments I made to individuals. On the other side of this duality is the idea that I inherently trust everyone I meet and everyone I engage with until they give me a reason not to, but once that trust is lost it is nigh on impossible to regain.
'Trust A Try' the first verse of the song after the intro in its entirety reads, "She brought love, She brought joy, She brought what she brought, You thought you'd never see again, She cheats and lied, Made you cry, said goodbye, Body's numb, think you're never gonna feel again, Then what you do now? You take it slow, Here comes Jo, things go smooth, But drama just around the bend, Don't blame me for jealousies or insecurities, Please see 'cause I wouldn't do that to you" this verse is about someone who was in love, was hurt, lost the trust they had in their lover and parted ways, heartbroken and burned by that loss of trust they meet Jo* but find it hard to trust her because of past experiences. This speaks volumes to me because it articulates the thoughts that I don't get to hear inside the heads of people who have to deal with my trust issues, it serves as a reminder that people don't want you to project the toxic behaviours of people they never even met who did you wrong in your past onto them because it's not fair on them. This is something that it took me many years to be able to process and even now I still have to remind myself that the myriad of thoughts and feelings that go through my head aren't obvious to other people unless I articulate them, this to me underlines the importance of communication in every relationship both romantic and platonic.
* Jo is Janet if that wasn't clear, she has had many nicknames and in the interlude 'Country' on her 'Damita Jo' album she discusses them.
'Son Of A Gun' saw Janet collaborate with the legendary Carly Simon to create a reinterpretation and reimagination of Carly's 1972 hit 'You're So Vain' - I love this track, both this version and Carly Simon's original, the only lyrics that are preserved between the two versions is the chorus line "I betcha think this song is about you, Don't you, don't you, don't you?" beyond this they both share the beat, and the underlying structure but the remainder of the lyrics diverge. I love this song so much for what it epitomises and that is the mistaken belief that people think about you all the time - the reality is that other people spend less time thinking about us than we like to thing, they spend more time thinking about themselves because that's what the ego does and it's own ego that leads us to believe they are thinking about us because everything revolves around it. The irony of this song is that it is in fact about that one person in particular but without ever naming them and giving them validation you sow doubt. 'You're So Vain' by Carly Simon in many ways is a diss track although it's never really acknowledged to be one it shares pretty much all of the hallmarks.
The last two tracks I want to specifically mention are 'Someone To Call My Lover' and 'Doesn't Really Matter' both of which represent my search for love and the acknowledgement that the things in life that I want are things to aspire to, things to work towards, but things that it doesn't really matter in the end if I manage to achieve them, in the case of 'Doesn't Really Matter' the lyrics for me I interpret as self love, with 'you' in this case being myself, the chorus in particular "Doesn't really matter what the eye is seeing, 'Cause I'm in love with the inner being, Doesn't really matter what they believe, What matters to me is you're in love with me" to me is about self acceptance, learning to love yourself and who you are, not worrying about what others see and the judgements they pass because it doesn't really matter in the end what other people think of you, all that matters is your relationship with yourself which I know sounds narcissistic but there is truth in that tired cliché and when you accept that truth you start to see why things never work out for some people, it's just hard to turn that back on ourselves and analyse ourselves the way we analyse others, to see in our own lives that which we can see in others with such clarity.
It is for these reasons and so much more that Janet Jackson to me is an artist, a visionary, a creative genius, and an icon.
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