A lot of us have might have been in a relationship that you regret being in after the relationship is done. Some of us might have crushed on someone who you think back two years later, and you think, “Why did I ever like them? That was so dumb of me.” Maybe you consider yourself to be the fool, viewing someone with rose colored-lenses, but failing to realize how terrible of a person they are until they mess you over.
In this playlist, it’s all about the dang “Fool”. Even the titles in these songs have the word “FOOL” in them! Let’s check out the music:
FOOLS- TROYE SIVAN
Troye Sivan has been an actor, a YouTuber, and a singer, but his writing is so mature and so vulnerable that he resonates with a lot of his fans, especially those who are going through a similar journey as he is.
Sivan has been an advocate of the LGBTQ+ community and many of his songs are personal to the hardships he had to overcome with love, life, and identity. Troye Sivan’s “Fools” is a song that breaks your heart just from the first line. Although his songs are mainly autobiographical, especially in “Fools”, I have related to these lyrics within my own journey in love. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, he explains that fools is about falling for someone, even though you know that person is bad for you. Sivan is mature enough to not wear these rose-colored lenses I talked about earlier. The song is more of knowing these differences you both have, facing the fact that it won’t work between you two. Yet, you fall for them anyway. It goes down to those little details, even talking about the difference in deodorant. A perfect start to this list.
This song actually helped me write a specific song that has a similar message. I hope to let you folks hear it soon. You will definitely know which one it is when I release it.
FOOL TO LOVE- NAO
NAO’s vocal timbre is one you won’t hear in anyone else. It’s the spice that give her music its flavor. She is also a brilliant writer (this is not her best: go check out “Bad Blood” for lyrical sensation).
This cool electronic R&B tune has so many hooks in it, the background vocals always get me singing. Nao is waving goodbye to her now-former lover because she isn’t happy with the half-assed love he was giving her. The way she handles every topic in her music is so mature. Another good one for this playlist would have been her collaboration with Mura Masa called “Complicated”. There’s always such a heartfelt quality to NAO’s music, and yet, so easy to move your body to.
Her music is so dynamic, and it takes you an a ride. “For All We Know” is such a great album and I’ve been listening to that album on and off since she released it. NAO falls under the category of “Electronic R&B”, which is similar to kelela, FKA TWIGS, and Gallant.
WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES- THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
Had to hit you with an Old School Curve-Ball this time!
One of Michael McDonald golden songs is this one right here: “What a Fool Believes”, written by McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The Doobie Brothers were one of the ones who brought blue-eyed soul into the mix in the 70’s, along with folks like Steely Dan. My favorite part of this song (Other than McDonald’s smooth, classic vocal delivery) is the way the lyrics sew together with the melody.
This ain’t your cliche’ love song. This guy has been living in his head… a fantasy of a girl who won’t give him what he wants. And when he hits the pre-chorus falsetto… man. Gets me every single time. (If you had the chance to hear my music, you know how much I love falsetto ambushes.) And the chorus: “What a fool believes, he sees. No wise man has the power to reason away.” Can we ever make ’em like these anymore? If I could listen to one 70’s song for the rest of my life… this would be it.
FOOL- FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS
Had to represent my fellow CalArts Alums right here!
There are more to Fitz and the Tantrums than just making your hands clap. Their approach to pop music is fresh and energetic, and if you dive deeper into them, you hear a slew of different musical influences in every song you hear. My musical journey with them is similar to when I listened to Foster the People (my dad loves Foster the People… surprisingly enough. But back to Fitz and the Tantrums).
They are telling you that “mama didn’t raise no fool” in them, because they know a bad girl when they see one. They won’t be chasing girls who only use them, the ones that Kanye warned them about.
There’s a solid reason why their music has been featured by so many commercials and been dance-covered in most of Asia: they make certified fresh feel-good music. They give me the same feeling when I drink a swig of sprite. And both a male and female split lead vocal parts, which I love a lot. If you are still not convinced by this band yet, go check out their song “6AM”. Such a groovy song.
There are tons of music with “Fool” in the title. What are the ones I missed? Please let me know which songs I missed. In the meantime, I will talk to you folks next week for another J.Lyn’s playlist! – J.Lyn
J.Lyn Music 