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1. Leon Bridges picks “U Got It Bad” by Usher
Every week we have a guest come on and talk about one song he or she loves. This week our guest is Leon Bridges.
Justin Barney: All right, freshman year of high-school, what are you listening to? Or, 8th grade?
Leon Bridges: In 8th grade I was listening to Usher’s “8701.”
Ooh it’s been a long time…”>
Justin: What was your song off that album?
Leon: I mean, “U Got It Bad” of course. That’s the top. But he had some kind of weird b-sides on there. LikeI don’t know what you came to do girl/ what you came to do tonight/ but I came to party oohhOOOHH >
Justin: Yeesss! I remember buying this album on CD when it came out.
Leon: Yeah, my daddy, he bought that for me for Christmas and, it’s so funny, I had to hide that record from my mother ’cause she would have killed me if she knew I was listening to that. Yeah, but that’s a good record. I never really had records like that. I just listened to the radio. So that was my first album.
Listen to our full interview with Leon Bridges, in which he talks about lying about his virginity in high-school, not feeling “black enough” growing up, and what it was like to meet President Obama.
- Usher’s 8701 was released in 2000.
- Listen if you like: Leon Bridges, Ginuwine, Boyz II Men
2. Frankie Cosmos picks "Skins" by All Dogs
Every week we ask one of our favorite artists to tell us about one song that they can’t stop listening to. This week we caught up with Greta Simone Kline, who isFrankie Cosmos.
Justin Barney: What is one song that you can’t stop listening to?
Frankie Cosmos: One of the ones that I have been really feeling lately is this song called “Skin” by All Dogs. It’s a really great song and I just feel so many emotions when I listen to it. It almost feels like I wrote it. I feel like she is literally talking about me. And then, at the end, it just goes into this amazing melody. You just want the melody so bad by the time it happens I feel like I have spent the whole time going into this melody that when it happens I actually feel like my heart is going to explode.
It’s honestly just about having feelings and wanting to feel them and not holding back.
- Listen if you like: Mitski, Bleached, Girlpool
- Listen to the whole interview here.
3. Lizzo picks ‘Happy Face’ by Destiny’s Child
Justin Barney: Lizzo, we talked a bit off-mic about the influence that Destiny’s Child had on you. What is your favorite Destiny’s Child song?
Lizzo: One of my favorite Destiny’s Child songs ever is called “Happy Face.” And I remember being younger and singing it to myself.
Because it says“I woke up this morning, and the sunshine was shining. Put on my happy faaaaaace. I’m livin’ I’m able, I’m breathing, I’m grateful, so put on your happy faaaaace.”
And I remember I would sing that to myself when I felt down and it still has a very special place in my heart. It’s my favorite Destiny’s Child song.
- Destiny’s Child’s album, “Survivor,” was released in 2001.
- Listen if you like: Beyonce, Lizzo, inspiration
- Watch our video interview with Lizzo here
4. The Record Company picks ‘I’m Leaving’ by John Lee Hooker
Every week we have a guest on the show and this week we have a very special guest. His band’s album just went to number five on the Billboard AAA chart. He recently played on “Conan” and he’s a Milwaukee native. I am here with Chris Vos of The Record Company.
Justin Barney: Chris Vos of The Record Company, what’s one song that you can’t stop listening to?
Chris Vos: John Lee Hooker, “On Campus,” and play the first track off of that. It’s called I’m Leaving. Play that and you’ll never feel cooler than that in your life. I’m telling you that right now.
Justin: What do you like about John Lee Hooker?
Chris: What do I like about him? What do I like about him? That’s like asking what I like about my parents.
I mean, he gives you a guide of what true honesty and authenticity is. He lets you know that it’s okay, you can be really cool without being imperfect. You know, you can be a human being, and you can play in a moment. You can let your cool parts and the things you can and can’t do all be there creating the perfect sound. You know, and that’s what he had. He could tap his foot, play by himself and entertain a thousand people for an entire concert. There aren’t a lot of people that could do that and his voice is untouchably great. He’s just one of the greatest of all time. So what I love about him is that he exist and that he also recorded 800 records, so every time I think I heard everything that the guy has done I find another record.
- “On Campus” by John Lee Hooker was released in 1963 on Vee Jay records.
- Listen if you like: The blues revival of the mid-1960’s, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters
5. Wild Belle picks Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Every week we ask an artist that we love to come on and talk about a song they love. This week we caught up with Wild Belle. (Learn more about the band in our story “You Should Know: Wild Belle.“)
Justin Barney: My guest this week is Natalie Bergman of Wild Belle. Natalie, as we were getting set up here, we were kind of talking about Kendrick Lamar and you told me that the song you can’t stop listening to is “Alright.” Why Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”?
Natalie Bergman: I mean, it has a lot to do with gun violence and it’s very relative to what’s going on in the world now and in history and that’s why it’s such a powerful song. He’s almost making light, he’s saying, “Look, no matter what, you can shoot as many motherf****s you want, but you can’t touch me. You can’t actually kill me. You know? No matter what, a gun doesn’t take somebody’s soul away, that doesn’t take somebody’s heart away, or their life, all of the accomplishments they did here on this earth. It’s just an ugly thing. He’s touching on something that’s a very serious subject today.
Justin: I agree. I saw this video of a bunch of protestors in Ferguson and they just started singing that song. It was like “We gonna be alright” and then, like, everybody on the block was singing that song.
Natalie: It’s a movement and the revolution starts in your head.
- Kendrick Lamar’s album “To Pimp A Butterfly” was released in 2015.
- Listen if you like: the anthem of 2015, a movement, Wild Belle
