- Caitlyn Sutrisno
- Jul 7, 2023
- 6 min read
June recently ended, and I thought that it would only be fitting if my first post on here was a recap of all of the music I’ve loved and hated this month.
And because this is my first post, I think that you should get to know me in terms of my taste in music, so you can determine upon yourselves if I, as an individual, am a good fit to be the curator of this article.
My favorite artists include Frank Ocean, Mac Miller, A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator, KAYTRANADA, Kendrick Lamar, 21 Savage, Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams and Nicki Minaj. So in summary, my playlists are mainly comprised of rap, neo-soul, R&B, the occasional ballads by Bridgers, Swift, and Abrams, as well as a song or two from Barbie herself. My least favorite artists? I’m certainly not well versed in the music industry enough to tell all about those who I particularly despise in terms of music, but in terms of character, I can definitely name a few (who I will not be naming due to the fact that I fear I may get canceled after posting my first article).
So let the ratings commence!
Here’s a link to the playlists I listened to the most this month.
This one’s a lot of the R&B genre that I mentioned, but there’s more to come throughout the article. Now although I wish I could talk about all 18 songs in this playlist, I don’t think you’d enjoy reading that, nor would I have the willpower to write hearty reviews on each of them; therefore, I present to you: Caitlyn’s Top 5.
So I actually didn’t think I listened to a lot of songs by Ty Dolla $ign, but upon looking through his Spotify artist profile, I realized that some of his songs have been favorites of mine in the past. For example, ‘WUSYANAME’ by Tyler, The Creator, was a favorite of mine just back in March, and as it turns out, Ty Dolla $ign has a feature on it. Anyways, the smooth flow that is a typical wonderful production by KAYTRANADA really does get me, and could definitely be categorized as ‘feel-good music.’ KAYTRANADA’s beautifully orchestrated synths and drum patterns perfectly unite with Ty Dolla $ign’s energetic voice, and the entire song is just chef’s kiss.
Much like many of his other songs, this song is ever so eccentric. I’m not really sure how to explain it, but the song honestly just sounds like every other Tyler song, which I’m sure many Tyler fans will know what I’m talking about. Unlike my usual brisk-walk-jams, this one’s more of a ‘sit and stare’ type song. Just minding your own business, sitting on the train (if you get a seat), while silently jamming to your music, is one of the many things I look forward to when I want to center my inner peace, and this song helps me center it all.
As the first track on Miller’s most recent album (may he rest in peace), the bar was set high for this song, and did it meet the bar? To say it surpassed it would be an understatement. Its cheerful, lively beat really reminds me of the awesome person that Miller was—my favorite singer back then, whose features would always put me in a buoyant mood. Whether it was his simple interviews or his talks about overcoming mental health obstacles, his optimism consistently translated into some of my favorite songs of his, which is what makes me truly love him as an artist and listening to his music when it comes to doing basic things like taking the train.
Alas, this song has been put on Spotify! Discovering this song a year ago through one of my best friends was truly one of the biggest epiphanies I’ve experienced—until I found out the song was only available on Apple Music. That was true heartbreak. Thankfully, this work of art that you might call a song is now available for all Spotify users to listen to, and surely ascend to. Mix the upbeat track of the song with Ocean’s angelic voice, and it’s the perfect walking song. Again, this song just fits the vibe of this playlist, in which train rides to Shibuya just so happen to go with a song about swimming from something bigger than you.
Finally, my number 1 song of the month. I’ve been an A$AP fan for about two years now, and I actually discovered his music through this song. When making playlists (if they aren’t monthly playlists), I tend to give each one some thought, and some sort of a theme. Given that this playlist’s theme was “train rides,” this song really does fit that vibe for me. Hastily walking through metro stations, sitting with my music and my thoughts on the ride home, this song defines it all. The edgy, retro, vibe that A$AP produced gives me life—like the shining star in a dark sky. Noting that the whole “New York” aesthetic has recently been pretty prominent along my Pinterest feed, this song makes me feel like I’m living that life; being that girl, walking through the crowds with just my AirPods, my music, and me.
So you’ve seen my top 5, now it’s time for my bottom 5.
I normally love Bad Bunny, but this recent popular hit of his has been eerily annoying. It's far too overplayed, and I find the chorus of the song to be repeated one too many times throughout the song, that it just feels repetitive. It’s honestly not even that bad of a song, but I’ve just heard it far too much this month, that I’ve just turned a blind eye on how loved it is by so many people.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Kim Petras, but I am a Barb and love the song that was sampled for this, “Better Off Alone.” That being said, my expectations were set mildly too high for this expected new ‘summer song.’ Personally, I hate all of the lyrics that were sung by Petras, but Nicki’s verse is honestly really catchy to me. The lyrics just don’t match the beat of the song whatsoever, and that really throws me off and my ability to actually tolerate the song.
For some reason, this song is still trending on TikTok, and I hate it. There’s no good reason for a song this bad to still be popping up on my ‘For You’ page, because this song is anything but for me. I’m not really sure how to explain it, but I just get so irritated by this song every time it comes on. That’s all there really is to hating a song.
It’s no surprise that my second most hated song of June (and all time) is by Chris Brown. The lyrics of the song are merely disgusting, to say the least, not to mention how disgusting the artist’s reputation actually is—yuck! It’s also super overplayed on TikTok, and you must know how I feel about overplayed songs on TikTok by now—no, thank you.
It pains me to say that my number one hated song of June was by Taylor. Karma is actually one of my favorite songs off of Midnights, but with Ice Spice? Count me out. The featured artist’s verse is so bad, that I believe the sixth grade version of myself could have come up with something more lyrically intellectual. If you look somewhat deeper into the lyrics, they may actually make sense within the context of the song, but nonetheless, it has no rhythm and frankly does not fit into the song at all. As much as I hate to say this—this is the biggest skip of all time so far into 2023.
There you have it: my top and bottom 5 in music this month! Keep in mind that this article is based entirely on my opinion, meaning that you may love, like, or hate any one of these songs that I have talked about. That being said, because of the influence that music has on us, it’s important to note that everyone has different music tastes, and that what I’ve concluded for my personal month in music shouldn’t be seen as a way of disparaging your music taste. On a lighter note, I hope that my first post on The Giving Lilies has given you an insight of who I am as a person, and that you’ll look forward to future articles written by me.