Busybee's Playlist

A take on the albums that have been on repeat all year – Part 1: A Southern Gothic.

As the year winds down and comes to an end, we gather here today to give thanks to 2021, and the music it has provided us. Because Lord knows, ain’t nothing else to be thankful for with those variants sprouting like mushrooms.

This year, more than ever before, I’ve insisted on calling out every person complaining about “modern day music,” and how it no longer sounds good and authentic. Of course, everyone is allowed to have favourites or to even compare a band’s old sound to their new one. At the end of the day, we are creatures of habit, and most of the time can’t help but revert back to old sounds we grew up with and pin them against the ones we currently listen to. But at the same time, it is quite unfair to compare hardworking artists with legends of the past, claiming they will never measure up. It’s discouraging and disheartening. And frankly, condescending.

The reason why I’ve insisted on people respecting modern artists, is because when you allow streaming sites to shuffle songs at random, you come to realize there’s an entire world out there you miss out on when you stick to your niche, and refuse to seek elsewhere. Granted, familiar favourites are always superior — but don’t be so snooty as to snub everything else.

Lecture over, back to praising artists and recommending music.

A plethora of songs has been on repeat this year. In addition to the timeless classics, a lot of new releases graced my eardrums, and here are my favourites:

To begin with:

I stumbled upon this gem of an artist one afternoon while scrolling my Instagram Explore page. I came to discover her through her 2021 single, Magnolia Blues, used as background sound to a beautiful, relaxing video, of the Mississippi river in the United States.

I remember being enthralled by the eerie feel of the music — from the bluesy sounds, to the haunting, albeit inviting guitar strings. The way Victoria’s voice carries so beautifully, and merges perfectly with the southern beats truly leaves you wanting more. I remember looking her up, and wondering why it had taken me so long to discover her.

Victoria is a South-Carolina born singer, songwriter, and poet. Currently based in Nashville, the artist is known for her “gothic blues” musical style, and haunting lyrics. Raised as a Seventh-day Adventist**, she attended church schools until in the 6th grade, when her mother enrolled her in public school — a transition that was difficult for Victoria. On the plus side, however, when her family left the Adventist church, it allowed her to explore music she hadn’t been exposed to before, like Kurt Cobain (NIRVANA, grunge music), Miles Davis (Jazz) and Fiona Apple (baroque pop, alternative) — all genres that can be found in snippets in Victoria’s own work.

(***Seventh-day Adventist: Prostestant-Christian denomination that focuses on Saturday being the Seventh day of the week and Sabbath — adopting the Hebrew and Christian-Gregorian calendar. It also puts emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ.)

Victoria has been putting out her own music since 2016, with her first single titled Stuck in the South, which Rolling Stone described as “PJ Harvey covering Loretta Lynn at a haunted debutante ball.”

PJ Harvey (Polly Jean Harvey) is a well-known artist who has been actively making music since 1988. Her music has been described as having a punk-blues, alternative rock feel.

Loretta Lynn is a country music legend, her career spanning out for about six decades. Known for her honky-tonk sound, her most prominent songs are:

Adia Victoria’s third studio album, “A Southern Gothic,” was released on September 17 2021, with a truly befitting name.

“Southern Gothic” is a mode or genre in literature, hailing from the early 19th century and still prevalent to this day. Characteristics include the presence of irrational, horrific, and transgressive thoughts, desires, and impulses; grotesque characters; dark humor, and an overall angst-ridden sense of alienation (think Edgar Allen Poe, and William Faulkner). Which is precisely what Victoria conveys in her lyrics and ominous music.

The teaser singles from this album were Magnolia Blues and You Was Born to Die, the latter featuring Kyshona Armstrong, Margo Price, and Jason Isbell.

• Kyshona Armstrong began her career as a music therapist, writing her first songs with her patients. She then began to write independently and found her own voice, and endeavor. A career choice that led her to now thrive in Nashville’s creative community and songwriting culture. Her website states that “she has learned how to balance her music career with her passion to heal the hurting. Audiences will find a common thread of empowerment, overcoming adversity, and finding hope in her work.”

• Margo Price is a rock’n’roll Nashville sensation, whose debut album in 2017 “All American Made” earned her an appraisal from Rolling Stone, and was named the #1 Americana/Country album that year. In 2020, she released a new album titled “That’s How Rumours Get Started,” where she tackles various issues such as motherhood, the mythologies of stardom, Nashville gentrification and the national healthcare crisis, relationships and growing pains.

• Jason Isbell is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for his solo work, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and for being a member of Drive-By Truckers from 2001 to 2007. Isbell is also a four-time Grammy Award winner. His sound varies between Southern Rock, and Alternative Country.

Both singles paved way to high expectations for Victoria’s album — and she did not disappoint.

My personal favourites off this album are:
– Mean-Hearted Woman: a scornful ballad to a lover, with vengeful lyrics beautifully paired with an eerie melody.

– Troubled Mind: a sexy confession to the Lord — that’s literally the only way to describe it.

– Carolina Bound: Although the entire album relates Victoria’s troubled and complicated relationship with the South, this song is the most evocative of such. The lyrics talk about how Nashville feels so foreign, and how much she misses her family back in South Carolina. Days have moulded together, and the listener can sense the artist’s feeling of suffocation and, to a certain extent, exile where she is.

Be sure to follow Adia Victoria on all her socials for new music, and/or live performances!

• Spotify
• Instagram
• YouTube