A lockdown countdown - funky: The Lost Years (2015-19)

I have already added more or less every song you posted (that I didn't know and love already) to my various playlists :D :disco:
 
Pipo said:
devastated that some tracks have been disabled on my spotify, must be a geo-target thing :(
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oh that's annoying. Most of them probably are probably available in the US, just different versions of the albums/EPs.
 
RJN said:
Well this is stunning. I haven't heard anything of theirs post-90s. Is it all this good?
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their later work is a bit less accessible and even darker if that’s possible, but if you like massive attack generally it’s still totally worth a listen. The EPs are really good. In particular “Live With Me” from their Collected album is a career highlight
 
34. JUNGLE - House In LA
2018


I love it cause: it's such a MOOD. As is the absolutely gorgeous video - Jungle really know how to paint a picture in a video. This band have been a revelation since they emerged in 2014, and the second album was even better than the first. Best known for their 70s lounge funk, with lots of stylish dancing and retro imagery, and this was a quiet promo single before they came back with their signature music, a bit of a departure in terms of tempo but still in keeping with their California soul sound. For me it ended up being the highlight of a fantastic album. I'm desperate to see these guys live. Their Glastonbury gig looked amazing... anyway if you're looking for songs for next time you end up sat by a pool drinking cocktails, this will kick you off... whenever that might be...
 
33. MAC DEMARCO - On The Level
2017


I love it cause: it's more of the 70s lounge soul from above, this time from an alternative artist who shifts between various shades of spaced out drug music, but this is full on black music. Heavily influenced by the genre-birthing "Summertime Madness" by Kool & The Gang from 1974, this reminds me of early G-funk hip-hop from the 90s, which also leaned heavily on the genre. It introduced me to an artist I probably would never have discovered - I can imagine @Indie and @ButterTart maybe liking this... sorry for the lack of pop, normal service about to be resumed.
 
32. GRACE CARTER - Silence
2017


I love it cause: it's straight up power pop with a big emotive vocal, which I'm such a sucker for. This felt like a career kickstarter when it first came out - fresh, powerful, anthemic, similar to Emeli Sandé's "Heaven"... but she's floundered a bit since then and is actually better known for a ballad now and not done much since. Maybe a second album will put her over.
 
31. LENNY KRAVITZ - Low
2018


I love it cause: Lenny has always been great, and this album was a career high in sounding like classic Lenny but with a modern, current twist. And by current I mean harking back to 70s lounge soul and psychedelia - there are smatterings of Tame Impala, Michael Kiwanuka and other trendy flavours across a brooding and lush set that tackles the current woes of the world. The lead single hit me hard when it came out, with its funky guitars, soaring strings and typically nostalgic sentiments. 2018 was a big year for legendary R&B stars, and there's another big 80s diva and her big 2018 dance single to come on this list.

@Ellie I hope you're into this.
 
30. EMILY KING - Second Guess
2019


I love it cause: I mean just listening to those opening bars! The 80s pop throwback finally arrived a couple of years ago after many years of threatening a takeover, and now artists aren't even trying to mix current sounds anymore - the vocal tricks, the dubbing, the drum machines... you could mistake this song for actually being from 1987. Just gorgeous. This was my first introduction to Ms King, and I can't quite put my finger on who she reminds me of, but the delivery is quite understated for an 80s pop ballad. There's a bit of Wendy & Lisa in there... maybe Sheena Easton? The album is also worth checking out. @Ellie @Jark @ameraal
 
29. KHALID - Free Spirit
2019


I love it cause: it's another nostalgic pop memory trip. I have a hit and miss relationship with Khalid, I feel sometimes he relies on the trap tropes like every other current pop/R&B star these days, but it's where the money is I guess. Typically contrary me actually thinks this is his career high, a promo single that barely scratched the surface of the success of his other 2019 releases. But I digress. This one can take a while to get under the skin, as it starts very understated, but stick with it - it builds to a gorgeous Weeknd style 80s movie soundtrack anthem.
 
28. JOHN LEGEND - A Good Night (ft Bloodpop®)
2018


I love it cause: this is how you're supposed to mix R&B and pop together... funky, uplifting, sassy, fun. Written about his first meeting with Chrissy Teigen, it's a great nu disco number given an extra kick thanks to the ever reliable and in demand Bloodpop®, with a great video to boot. John Legend might be every Radio 2 listener's favourite soul crooner but he can still produce a bop like this when he wants to.
 
27 CIARA - Thinkin Bout You
2019


I love it cause: it follows the exact same instructions as the last track- R&B stars of today are still more than capable of producing simple, anthemic tunes with verses and choruses and vocals you can actually dicipher, and sexy videos with daft but fun stories that elevate the song. They're universally loved tracks by those who've heard it and have more of a timeless sound that won't date. So why don't they produce more songs like this? Oh yeah cos the kids are NOT interested. These songs just don't chart anymore :( oh WELL. I still stan. @Jark @RJN @Pipo @Iguana you likey?
 
I put this new batch on for my chill workout this morning and liked them all but I'll revisit later with comments!
 
funky said:
27 CIARA - Thinkin Bout You
2019


I love it cause: it follows the exact same instructions as the last track- R&B stars of today are still more than capable of producing simple, anthemic tunes with verses and choruses and vocals you can actually dicipher, and sexy videos with daft but fun stories that elevate the song. They're universally loved tracks by those who've heard it and have more of a timeless sound that won't date. So why don't they produce more songs like this? Oh yeah cos the kids are NOT interested. These songs just don't chart anymore :( oh WELL. I still stan. @Jark @RJN @Pipo @Iguana you likey?
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I do in fact have no choice but to stan Ciara and this song. Have you heard Overdose? I think its my favorite song by her these days
 
Oh yeah there's loads on Ciara (self-titled) I think you'd like funks. Overdose is indeed fabulous. Read My Lips is the poppiest song on it and the most addictive imo.

Thinkin Bout You is also great (if a shameless rewrite of Jason Derulo's Want to Want Me) and I'm still surprised it didn't do much/anything.
 
I love her self titled album- “DUI” and “Where U Go” in particular! And of course “Body Party”
 
Jark said:
Oh yeah there's loads on Ciara (self-titled) I think you'd like funks. Overdose is indeed fabulous. Read My Lips is the poppiest song on it and the most addictive imo.

Thinkin Bout You is also great (if a shameless rewrite of Jason Derulo's Want to Want Me) and I'm still surprised it didn't do much/anything.
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ill take any recommendations tbh including from the likes of Tinashe, Tamia, Jhene Aiko, Khelani... the problems is they mostly trend-chase so these days the albums are full of mumble pop and trap and I can’t be arsed sifting through usually. But they all usually serve a couple of bops or throwback soul songs - some of them are on this list
 
if we're talking atmospheric R&B I reckon all of these are varying degrees of up your street funks










some we have discussed before I think
 
Tinashe’s Save Room For Us is a bullseye as far as modern R&B goes. I think it was released a little too late for this list but it’s absolutely gorgeous. Tinashe does feature further up this though. I also quite like Chocolate but featured singer Ari Lennox has released about five tracks better than this IMO, though she’s more neo-soul and I don’t really have a love hate relationship with that genre, it’s almost all good stuff. Ari’s album was marvellous.

I will have a proper listen to the others! Thanks
 
Tinashe's Songs for You (and her Christmas EP surprisingly) is very good but I don't think it's for you really. A lot of trap inspired stuff :D

Edit: Actually thinking more, you might like Know Better, my favorite song from it
 
I know she infuriates me because when she does do a song I like it’s not just good it’s like 11/10 good

I don’t wanna push Tinashe too much because she really does feature VERY high up on this list, if I ever finish it :D
 
Well this took longer than expected... but I guess we're still in lockdown so imma keep on going...

26. BLAKEY ft JONES - Prism Of Love
2018


I love it cause: it's a gorgeous duet from two gorgeous voices, backed up with a gorgeous synthwave sound. I really like Jones but this was my introduction to Blakey, who has been putting out loads of singles the last couple of years. Some of them veer into Coldplay territory and he does sound a lot like Chris Martin, but this is definitely the best thing he's ever done, sounding more like modern synthwave pioneer Active Child.
 
25. CLARE MAGUIRE - Elizabath Taylor
2016


I love it cause: the sheer POWER of it all :disco: God, where did this bitch go wrong? After an amazing power pop debut album channeling everyone from Annie Lennox to Kate Bush to Sinead O'Connor, she puts this torchlight piano ballad out as a total swerve and it's just a stunning song. An insane vocal with such an anthemic lyric, there are some soaring remixes of this taking advantage of the epic vocal, but it's the acoustic original with its piano and strings that really hit home. I completely forgot about this when I was looking for a song for the "indulgent" ASFM theme and this would have been perfect... even though it's a lamenting tale about lost love and the traps of fame, the headline I feel like Elizabeth Taylor / This could be a movie, and the line I've loved, I've lost, I've loved again, but here I am on my own, I feel like Elizabeth Taylor.... ah well. What could have been moopy!
 
24. JESSIE WARE - Mirage
2019


I love it cause: it's Jessie Ware. I don't really need to go into why on this one. Not everyone's favourite from WYP but it's definitely one of mine; one of her best songs before we'd even heard a whiff of a new album, this is actually the closest Jessie has come to replicating her new BFF Roisin Murphy, with its funky bass guitar loops, house beats and trippy vocals. Thank God she had the sense to put it on the album and elevate it from glorious to certified masterpiece. This is the highest Jessie song on the list which illustrates how bloody good the songs on this list are. Glasshouse was a great album but nothing from there tops this track.
 
Can't believe this, I randomly thought about Cakes Maguire yesterday for the first time in god knows how long. Looked her up, saw that follow up but stuck the debut on for a nostalgia trip instead. Will listen to the follow up at some point!
 
23. MAJA FRANCIS - I'm Not A Disco
2017


I love it cause: it's another synth-pop bop that ticks all the right boxes - soaring synth strings, emotional vocal, heavy drum machine beats, Maja (whoever she is) coming straight from 1985. I love a synth-pop tune that doesn't even try to update and meld with the times... this could easily be from the original era of this genre. Don't know much about her beyond this song though. I think I discovered this by accident and was never off rotation in 17.
 
22. JOEL BAKER - Bag Of Dreams
2017


I love it cause: it's a little bit of a personal love. Here's a song precisely nobody on moopy will know, I bet. Another track I found by accident - Joel is an underground singer songwriter that tends to be influenced by the British R&B scene, but this song does not reflect that, it's a personal love note to his struggles with finding success with music (I don't really know what these people want / I've seen these guys signed without one song) which, buoyed by the beautiful production of the song, had a bit of an effect on me. Not because I know what it's like to be a young musician, but moving to London and struggling to get into the competitive media industry with ZERO experience and no contacts was a tough time at the start. The song evokes feelings of isolation and frustration, and written like a short story. I fucking love it.
 
21. BEN HOWARD - Nicre Libres At Dusk
2018


I love it cause: I love Ben Howard, and this is as sonically pleasing as he possibly gets. Probably losing my audience now, especially as Ben has gone less and less commercial with every passing album, and his third album, which this was the closing track on, was only really loved by his core and still avid fanbase. I could have just left it out, but I really do truly love this song. He's reflecting on something, who knows what the fuck, but as usual it's all about the music, and the symphony of sounds he creates with his band. He's honestly a genius. In case ANYONE is remotely interested I've thrown in a live version to really showcase what makes his music shine - his band really does create the most stunning sounds and moods. I had a moment to this watching the sunset in Palma in 2018 and it has stayed with me ever since. I love when music can do that.
 
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