I listen to music during my daily commute to and from home to school, work, etc. This all began during my freshman year of high school when I first had to get to my school on my own. I had to take a bus and a train to get to school everyday. It roughly took me a half hour to get there but I found the commute much more enjoyable whenever I listened to music so it became a daily routine. I don't know if music has this much of a presence in your life but whether if it does or not, you should listen to these albums this summer. These aren't in any particular order by the way.
1. "Legend" by Bob Marley and The Wailers
Legend is a compilation of Bob Marley and The Wailers' songs. There are so many that this album is actually two CDs. I grew up listening to Bob Marley and The Wailers' so I tend to listen to Legend often. It puts me in such a great mood and relaxes me. I hope it does the same for you when you listen to it this summer.
2. "Dangerous Woman" by Ariana Grande
Once I listened to each single that was out before the rest of the album, I knew I had to listen to the entire album when it came out. Have you heard how great Dangerous Woman (the single), Let Me Love You, Be Alright, and Into You all are? If not, I'm sure you will this summer! Ariana's vocals are amazing. This is a great album to listen to any day this summer whether it's pouring or the sun is shining.
3. "Views" by Drake
Firstly, can you spot October's Very Own (aka Drake) in this cover art? I've been a Drake fan for awhile so I always get excited when he puts out a new album. I do feel like this was one of his weaker albums but there are some great songs on here. The album is heavily Caribbean/ West African influenced along with a touch of '90s/early 2000s R&B influence as well. This is evident by the samples and features throughout the album. Some of my favorite tracks include Feel No Ways, Controlla (although the leaked version with Popcaan should have been included on the album but don't worry they are still cool with each other), Too Good, and Fire & Desire. This is a perfect album to listen to if you want to get into your feelings this summer but then be able to dance to the more upbeat songs.
4. "The Life of Pablo" by Kanye West
Okay. I might have already listened to this a thousand times since it first came out. I even subscribed to a free month trial of TIDAL just to stream it since Kanye refused to put it out on any other music platform. Once it got streamed on Spotify, the obsession I had with this album sparked all over again. This is an album I can play from start to finish without skipping one song. This is a great album to blast this summer to hype you up.
5. "Reality Show" by Jazmine Sullivan
Another album I can play from start to finish. Jazmine Sullivan is one of my favorite R&B singers. I feel she is very underrated. I remember listening to her back in 2008 when she first came out. Sullivan took a break from music after her sophomore album, making Reality Show her third album. She never fails to impress me. Great album to listen to this summer if you want to listen to something soulful.
I could go on with more albums but I think it's safe to end here. I hope you can generate your summer playlists with these albums in addition to other new music you'll discover this summer!
