What music helps you to feel free?

Music is a wonderful tool to take us places. We know this. We feel this. I spoke about it a lot in this podcast episode too if you want to dig more into sound yoga, the limbic system and pleasure!

So i’m always interested in how we can use that to our advantage and evoke the way we want to feel. Be it focussed, excited, nostalgic etc. I was talking with one of my creative coaching clients about just this during a call this week. They are writing a screenplay, and a tool they use to shift their state and find the “zone” and tone of the writing they want to create is music. I relate to that for sure.

You might have heard that my all time fave Kelis record, Wanderland, finally got a worldwide (streaming) a couple of days ago and is available on most streaming platforms.

It’s such a nostalgic record for me. I’m a big Neptunes fan, and this period was peak Neptune territory. I am into all that spacey futuristic creative Black weirdo scene that i’d loved in 1970s p-funk and this felt like a new era that encompassed those elders yet dragged us into the new century! I felt…seen!

I’d always loved Kelis and appreciated her voice and expression of truth. Not only cause for having “natural hair” which back then was still “unusual.” (and still is depending on where you go!

This album, although still in heavy rotation in my playlists (and yoga classes!) evokes so much freedom. It came out in 2001, at a time i was making a huge transition in my life: i sold my house, quit my job and went to university as a mature student, so the record gave me a lot of courage Young Fresh ‘N’ New was the mood for sure! This era also involved a lot of customising very low rise flares (so many sequins…!) , belly button jewellery (to this day) and oversize 70s sunglasses with purple lenses... much like a lot in this video!

“do you remember 21 - uh?”

I bought a car so i could visit my mum who was real sick at the time. It meant i could drive back and forth to visit her at weekends and although it was heavy and dark in many ways, i felt hope blasting this and driving back to Brighton through London at 1am on a Sunday night. The songs on the record didn’t hide from dark thoughts or experiences, yet still somehow managed to capture an optimism rooted in trust, which was exactly what i needed to hear.

I’m also a big fan of hidden tracks so common with rnb records in this time, and there are treats galore with this one.

So don’t mind me if i escape a while to deeply nostalgic feelings and listen to it the way we did back then - all the way through taking the journey as she intended. I’ll link you below so you can join me if you like? Plus, scroll on cause i have some questions for you below!

Personal tracks of note
(can i say all of them?)

Young, Fresh ‘N’ New

Flash Back

Popular Thug

Daddy

Shooting Stars

Digital World

Perfect Day

Get Even

Mr U.F.O. Man

Little Suzie

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Over to you!

Is there a record you love that evokes freedom to you? 

Perhaps an album that represents a time in your life when you felt your potential so clearly?

Or nostalgia as you were exploring new territories?

What is it and why? I’d love to know! 

P.S. a Kelis style appreciation thread 💜

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