Dad And Daughter Pop Culture Reviews – Five Musicians & Bands That Are On Our Playlists

This is the third segment of the new series here at the Art of Fatherhood. My oldest daughter, Lily and I will take a look at a topic in the world of Pop Culture and share our thoughts on it. The first one was five books you should check out. The second post was about underrated comic book characters! This week we are sharing our thoughts on bands or musicians that are on our playlists. Feel free to share your favorite musicians in the comment section below. 

Lily’s Five Musicians & Bands 

1 – Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo is a talented singer, actress, and songwriter, who months ago, released her newest album, Sour. Sour is “good 4 u” and her songs are relatable to anyone who’s ever experienced breakups  (“drivers license”, “deja vu, and “good 4 u”) and lack of self-confidence (“brutal”and “jealousy, jealousy”). The beats and lyrics are catchy and bound to stay in your head. 

2 – The Cast of Hamilton

One of the greatest musicals of all time (in my opinion), about “The ten dollar founding father…”, Hamilton, is a definite must-see, if you are into musicals, hip-hop, and rap. Once you listen to the entire album, you will never be “Satisfied” without listening to it frequently. There are many things to love about this play and its soundtrack: the diversity of the cast, the music, the humor-basically everything. 

3 – Taylor Swift

When Covid-19 hit us, Taylor Swift gave us music to listen to, such as Folklore and Evermore. Her songs are wonderful and captivating, even older albums such as Speak Now, or Red are able to make you hum the lyrics. I can’t wait to see what Taylor Swift releases next.

4 – Stevie Wonder

A talented artist who knows his way with music, Stevie Wonder, is a favorite among my family( such as “Superstition” and “Sir Duke” along with others). The music in his songs are so pleasing and amazing-I highly recommend listening to his music.

5 – Carrie Underwood

Next to pop music, country is my second favorite genre. I grew up listening to Carrie Underwood-and still do now- and many other country artists. Some of my favorite songs include  “Cowboy Casanova”, “Good Girl”, and “Last Name”. 

Art’s Five Musicians & Bands 

1 – John Williams 

One of my favorite artists of all time is John Williams. I loved his music ever since I saw Star Wars IV: A New Hope. I have found that most of the time when I am working I am listening to his work. It is not just his music from Star Wars, but soundtracks like Indiana Jones to Jurassic Park. One song that I can have on repeat is “Lando’s Palace” from The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack. The ups and downs in that song seem to keep me going throughout the day. For me his music helps me be productive and creative at the same time. To sample his music just create a station on Pandora.

2 – Bill Withers 

There are so many great songs from Bill Withers. In fact you know an artist is so good that many bands and artists cover that person’s music. When we were watching a movie together as a family there was a cover of “Lovely Day.”We all enjoyed that cover, but my wife and I showed our daughters the original version by Withers. Just like Lily mentioned Stevie Wonder, Withers is an artist we all love to listen to as a family. One of my favorites from him is “Ain’t No Sunshine.” 

3 – Biz Markie 

This past month we all were saddened by the news of the passing of Biz Markie. Now many people know him from his song Just A Friend. While that song is a great, you need to listen to other songs from Biz. Some of my favorites are “Make Music With Your Mouth Biz” and “Nobody Beats The Biz.” I got to meet Biz a few times and every time he was very nice to me. We talked about his music, being a DJ and more. RIP Biz! You will be missed. 

4 – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Soundtrack

This soundtrack is as good as the movie. My two favorite songs on the album are “What’s Up Danger” by Blackway and Black Caviar and “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” by Post Malone and Swae Lee. “What’s Up Danger” is a fantastic song to work out to or if you are going for a run. “Sunflower” is a song for when you are chilling and grilling. There are various artists on this soundtrack which to me is always a plus to find new artists you might have not heard of before. 

5 –  Jah Maoli 

This artist I don’t know too much about, but I like his single, “If I Ever.” I stumbled upon this song when my wife and I were hanging out listening to Pandora. This song came up and I was feeling it right from the start. I looked at my phone to see who the artist was and I downloaded that song. It has a Reggae vibe to it and I look forward to checking out more of Jah’s work. Let us know the musicians and bands you are feeling right now.