365 – New Music Daily

If you’re a subscriber to my blog via emails – do not be alarmed- of course this isn’t a new listen. However, let’s set the scene for that first listen.

It’s 2016. I’m a chubby 17 year old currently visiting my family in Chicago. Evanston, to be specific for all the Chicago purists (more specifically, the cross-section that are also readers of my blog). It was my first solo flight.

I golf. I play baseball. I make weird Garageband music that makes very little sense, including shit like Drake diss songs. One of my greatest passions is probably my most recent 2k save.

I listen to rap, like almost exclusively rap. If I had to guess, I was probably still enamored by Rodeo or having a debate with my friend Jonah about who was better Joey Badass or Big Sean- a debate I unwillingly admit was mediocrity vs. mediocrity (1999 is an important album for me, and also… I think Big Sean is absolutely atrocious. But seriously, that cannot be tapped into here. I know I make jokes about how I can go on and on about certain topics, however Big Sean and being terrible is one that legitimately can go on forever. Look at how long this sentence is, and we’re in a singular parenthesis).

Kanye is my favorite artist of all time, a fact that I am trying harder and harder to disprove to this day. Maaaaybe I had just gotten into Freudian by Daniel Caesar, but if anything, I probably had just listened to Get You and felt a bit confused. Tame Impala and the surface level of psych-rock have yet to be tapped into. I’m equidistant from my current music taste and listening to Hoodie Allen and G-Eazy unironically.

I’m sitting at their kitchen table, and I believe it’s just me there. I think I’m on the Reddit r/hiphopheads. Yes, I know, but back in 2016, was a great place to find new music from new artists, and even some R&B. Malibu comes across my feed. I can’t explain why, maybe it’s the same exploratory musical fascination that inspired the platform that you’re reading this on now, but I feel intrigued to click on it.

From the moment I was serenaded by the mesh of beautiful chords and raspy vocals on The Bird, I was hooked. Then Heart Don’t Stand a Chance. Hard drum fills, keys, and then that motherfucking groove and delivery. To my fucking grave, I will love that song and never get sick of it. BJ the Chicago Kid and the bassline on The Waters catches me immediately and still, 7 years later, has yet to lose me. The two part The Season | Carry Me, onto the amazing Put Me Thru. I’m freaking out. It keeps going. Am I Wrong, Without You (which, foreshadowing, put me on to Haitus Kaiyote), Parking Lot, Lite Weight, Room In Here. Fantastic. All leading up to Come Down, hands down one of the best songs I’ve ever heard and one of, if not, my favorite song ever.

I show the album to my uncle, my cousin, my mom, my friends, everybody. They all think it’s fucking fantastic. I feel like I’ve struck gold. I had, in more ways than one. I had found who would become my favorite artist to this day, but little did I know, I’d begun the expansion of my musical horizons. This album was an indirect intro to what was at the time, a brand new genre of music to my ears, and has become arguably my favorite – neo-soul/Soul/R&B. Some of my favorite albums of all time – the aforementioned Freudian, Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Mama’s Gun/Baduizm, Voodoo, Innvervisions – I may have never stumbled upon or appreciated as much as I do now without Malibu.

Not only that, but expansion of music taste requires letting go of any preconceived notions or bias that you can take into a new listen. Especially in a context like 21st century high school where all of the people you are with tend to like the same things musically, and there are certain online rhetorics about what is good vs. what is not good that are hard to dodge. When so many people deem something as good, or cool, in fashion, etc., it’s hard to go with your gut about what you really like. But when you like something, listen to it. Who gives a shit. Plus, like this, it’ll probably lead you into some great paths of music you may have never realized you enjoyed.

I could go into detail about the musicality, but the beauty of this album is that it doesn’t need that treatment. I have never met a single person who has thought Anderson .Paak was not good. Even before the Bruno stuff, I can play you a .Paak song you’ll like, I don’t care who you are. The man is a fucking genius, an amazing singer, musician, and especially a good dude. Last but not least, he is fucking fantastic live. I hope he tours again. I am so happy he is finally getting mainstream shine, though I will always have that hipster pride that I knew about this dude first.

More than all of the above though, Paak has provided me with two of the best things that music can offer you. First has already been explained, the expansion of my taste and appreciation of different sounding music than I was accustomed to. Second was an album that I love so much I know every note of. In this episode of What Can Music Do For You?, let’s talk companionship. When you love an album, it’s there for you. Malibu has been there for me all across countries, friendships, in good spirits, bad spirits, and all necessary contexts. You know every beat of it. You know what’s coming, but most importantly, you know you’re gonna love it when you hear it. In life, you’re lucky to have one album like that, let alone multiple.

If you’re reading this, go listen to that album. Remember how good it is, and appreciate it. Or listen to Malibu, and make it another one of those special albums. But first, watch this god damn Tiny Desk. I don’t care if you have already, or if I’ve made you, watch it again.