What’s Playing on my iPod 2015 Edition

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Every once in a while a random, let’s-talk-abut-music post crops up around here. Today is one of those days. I’m not sure how many new songs I’ve discovered, loved and couldn’t live without since last time we talked music, but I thought perhaps there were enough to make a reasonably decent blog post. Traditionally, I tend to like the popular, “it” songs of the moment, which to some, isn’t good music. Nothing wrong with that either. That being said, another reason I love watching Dancing with the Stars is discovering new music and I discovered at least one new favorite this season. Otherwise, I’ll admit a lot of the stuff on my iPod is on repeat and has been for a while. What can I say, when I like a song, I really like a song. Let’s take a like at some of those songs. But, with that said, hence, the reason for this “What I’m Listening To Edition One” publication!

What I’m Listening To Edition One

What's Playing on my iPod 2015 Edition #FWarchives Click To Tweet
What's Playing on my iPod 2015 Edition. Chatting through what I'm listening to edition one in this music list! All text © Rissi JC
Luke Bryan, ‘Crash my Party’

Love it. That’s it.

Kelly Clarkson, ‘Dance with Me’ and ‘Good Goes the Bye’

These two songs on Kelly’s latest album are way fun and have a nice “vibe.” (Is that a legit term?) 

Clean Bandit (featuring Jess Glynne), ‘Rather Be’

Discovered this one through Noah Gallaway and Sharna Burgess’ tango on DWTS. The opening alone is gorgeous.

Florida Georgia Line, ‘How We Roll’ and ‘Stay’

Pretty much anything I hear by this country duo I love. But these are my current two favorites.

Frozen Official Soundtrack, ‘Let it Go’

What can I say? I still love this movie, characters and this song. I actually like both the Demi Lovato version and the original sung by the talented Idina Menzel.

Into the Woods Official Soundtrack, ‘Agony’

This song is epic. There’s no “ands,” “ifs” or “buts.” Chris Pine rocks the vocals.  

Nichole Nordeman, ‘The Unmaking’

It’s been a long time since Nichole released a new song. Growing up, I was pretty obsessed with her music. It was fun to hear she’s back with some new tunes. Have you heard her latest?

Paramore featuring Joy Williams, ‘Hate to See Your Heart Break’

Randomly discovered this one while putting this post together and… I really like it.

Taylor Swift, ‘Blank Space’; ‘Clean’; ‘Wildest Dreams’ and ‘Wonderland’ 

(Apologies in advance.) Nope, I’m still not done loving Taylor’s latest album. I can admit it, I’m still fond of (mostly) the entire album and am busily repeating the songs.

Joy Williams, ‘Until the Levee’

…and finally, I just heard this song last night. I’m curious for your thoughts. Joy is one-half of the now disbanded duo, Civil Wars. But before that she was in that Grammy-winning duo, she was a Christian solo artist whose music I also loved as teen. I confess, I sometimes miss her “happy” sound in comparison to her darker undertones now. What do you think of her new sound? 

What’s currently on your favorites music playlist? I’d love to hear.   Happy Friday, readers. Thank you – as always – for supporting this space!

About Rissi JC

amateur graphic designer. confirmed bookaholic. bubbl’r enthusiast. critical thinker. miswesterner. social media coordinator. writer.

21 comments

  1. So many fun songs on this list! I too used to love Joy Williams and I also miss her happier music but her new stuff is good too!
    My latest favs are Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon, Geronimo by Sheppard, Centuries by Fall Out Boys, and Honey, I'm Good by Andy Grammer!

    1. I'm growing to like Joy's new stuff the more I am exposed to it. I really like the collaboration she sang with Paramore. Such a melodic tune. :)

      Ooo, I like 'Shut up and Dance' too! It played on DWTS – as did all of your list. Isn't it fun to discover new stuff!? Thanks for sharing and commenting, Abbi.

  2. The Unmaking – Sounds nice!

    I Hate to See Your Heart Break – Oooh. The harmony!

    Until the Levee – OH! Oh. Of the three songs/video, I like this one best. What an absolutely emotional voice. Third time replaying the song as I write this. The lyrics seem very sad though. This reminds me that I need to look into Civil Wars music. Got a glimpse of it a while back.

    One of my favourites is Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's rendition of ''Killing the Blues''.

    Enjoyed reading this, Rissi.

    1. It's nice to see Nichole back to making music. Though I must say, I was sad to read about her personal sadness. I think in between leaving the industry and now, her marriage didn't work. So sad.

      As for 'Heart Break,' the more I listen, the more I heart it.

      I need to listen to 'Levee' again. I always liked Joy (and she has a great voice), but this side of her music is so much different than what I was used to. I'm glad you liked the song! :) I initially liked Civil Wars, but in their later years, I was more iffy. Like you, I should go back and have some re-listens.

      Thank YOU for sharing a favorite; I'll have to look it up. And also for the comment. Love chatting with you anytime. :)

    1. Right!? I'm not sure audiences get how epic 'Agony' is either. It is PURE and wonderful and fantastic satire. That's what I adore about it so much. The scene in the film is utter nonsense (in the best sense), but somehow… it's perfect. :) Glad you shared your thoughts, Missie – thanks for the visit.

  3. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who was obsessed with Nichole Nordeman, haha. It's so good to hear something new from her after so long! I hear she's going to release a full album soon, so I'm looking forward to that.

    I also listened to a lot of Joy Williams way back when….but never realized she had been apart of the Civil Wars until last year or so. I do miss her older stuff, though. Some of her darker, deeper music is very pretty, but I do miss her "happy" music.

    I'm not familiar with any of the others you've mentioned, though (well…except Taylor Swift. of course :)

    Lately I've been listening to a lot of Ellie Holcomb and Beth Hazel Farris. I love their music because it's Christian, but doesn't have the typical CCM sound.

    1. It's been SO long since Nichole released anything new, I'll confess I kind of forgot about her. She took time to raise her family and that's wonderful. That being said, I randomly discovered she had a new song (Instagram, I think) and am glad to know there's more music coming from her. :)

      Darker can be pretty. The more I listen to Joy's collaboration with Paramore, the more I like it. I still need to give "Levee" another shot, but overall, I still like her happier sound – or at least a mix of both. :) I'm curious about her full length album which is about to release if I'm not mistaken.

      I've heard of Ellie, but not Beth. Thanks, Hayden! Love new music recommendations… and you make them both sound so intriguing. I like the idea that their respective music isn't the typical sound. That's what'll make them stand out. :)

      Thanks so much for commenting! :)

  4. I love being introduced to new music. I listened to the songs you have suggested. I particularly like the Paramore song and Nichole Nordeman who I hadn't heard about before. I am currently listening to Britney ft Iggy Azalea's song Pretty Girls, Taylor Swift and Ellie Goulding mashup – Love me like your style and Bad Blood by Taylor Swift.

    1. As do I, Carlyn! What's more fun, right!? ;)

      Fun! I'm glad you found a couple you enjoyed. I need to listen again to Nichole's. I remembered that one last minute and didn't "consider" it like I have some of the others. But given my past history with her music, I knew it was a good choice regardless. I'll have to listen to those mashups. Sounds like fun!

      Thanks – as always, for commenting and the visit. Always glad to chat with you.

  5. I'm not familiar with Joy Williams' older music, but I think I like the sound of her new music, it's serious, but interesting!

    Lately I've been listening to Owl City's latest song, The Verge, and Imagine Dragons' newest album. And classic cello pieces, which have been helping me concentrate while writing.

    1. I'm glad you're liking Joy's new sound, Candice. I'm particularly interested to listen to her full-length album. Sometimes the more I listen to something (if it's unusual), the more I like it which might be the case with this new direction she's taking.

      Owl City crops up a lot in my on-line interactions. Clearly I need to jump on board and discover more of his music. :)

      Thanks for sharing and visiting. :)

  6. Not only have I also been just a tad obsessed with Walk the Moon's 'Shut Up and Dance' recently, I've also been reveling in discovering new songs by this awesome guy/girl duo, Oh Honey (I Love You Will Still Sound the Same my personal favorite), as well as Olly Murs, Lady Antebellum, Ben Rector, and Ed Sheeran.

    It was a blast reading your list; I’ll have to look up Florida Georgia Line, and wow, I haven’t listened to Nichole or Kelly Clarkson in years…I also must confess to having only listened to about 5 songs from Taylor's latest album so far, but hey, just more to look forward to, right?!

    Moving on, I need to admit that I’ve never really been all that interested in the US version of Dancing with the Stars before, but this season was just amazing; however, I had no idea 'Shut Up and Dance' had been used…which couple chose it? Oh, and I also have to ask; what did you think of the finale?

    Thanks heaps for another one of your music posts; they really are so much fun to read!

    God Bless,
    Eleanor Rose

    1. 'Shut Up and Dance' is a fun song! I need to have a copy for the iPod library. :) Oh, and how could I forget Lady A.!? Love that band. Something about their sound is epic and wonderful.

      Thank you, Eleanor! I'm so glad you enjoyed. It's fun putting something like this together now and again vs. the more "structured" rigidness of reviewing (though I still love that). Hope you like some of Florida Georgia Line's stuff. They're a happy-go-lucky duo, and Nichole just released this new song, so yay! Happy listening to Kelly and Taylor… :)

      You know… I'm not sure if a couple had 'Shut Up and Dance' for their routine or not. It may have just been the in-between troupe dancers, i.e., when they returned from commercial breaks. (Found the couple: It was Riker and Allison dancing a tango.) I'm glad you liked this season of DWTS! I've loved the last three seasons (apart from the drama). Last year I followed Sadie Robertson, the season before Meryl Davis. As for this season's finale… I'll confess, I was rooting for Riker to win (as the talented dancer, I really liked Noah too) while "knowing" Rumer would. I was sad to see Nastia go and didn't respect Val (or the DWTS producers) after he basically trashed her talent and skill in the semi-finales. Rumer was good, but she seemed to play the same kind of "character" in her dances… which didn't help. That being said, the couple who won was the people's choice, which is the name of the game. :) What about you? Any thoughts?

      Thank you – as always, for commenting and the visit. Great to chat with you, Eleanor. :)

  7. Ok, so I looked up Florida Georgia Line’s Stay, and while not the usual type of band I listen to, I quite enjoyed it; their sound reminds a little of Christian Rock Bands like Third Day, and I really liked the lyrics!

    ‘Shut Up and Dance’ is actually a really interesting song choice for a tango! Out of all the contestants, I definitely think that they were the perfect couple to pair with this choice; while Riker's red outfit was a BIT much, overall, it was a solid dance, and some of the footwork was pretty impressive. I would have to agree with you about Rumer’s rather consistent dancing ‘character’; whenever it was time for her to perform, you knew you were in for an intense few minutes. My favourite professional has in fact always been Derek Hough, and I really enjoyed the energy between him and Nastia; certainly a completely polar-opposite feeling to this pair when compared with Rumer and Val!

    Regarding who won, to be honest, I wasn't really pulling for any particular couple, but, like you, was not surprised that Rumer took home the ball.

    God Bless,
    Eleanor Rose

    1. Fun! I'm glad you liked Florida Georgia Line. It's always neat when we discover new things. :)

      Sometimes the music DWTS producers pair with dances is… out there. Then the judges criticize the time of the time or what-not and even I (who knows nothing technical about dancing) am like, "Duh! They had to match the beats, highs and lows of the song!"

      There was a lot of different things going on with all the couples this season. Derek is one of my favorite pros as well. He does constantly get the good partner, which might annoy some of his peers, but I do think he's talented and seems really good-natured.

      Me either. I went into the finale knowing it'd be Rumer. I'd have been surprised if it hadn't been. Wonder what next season will bring!? :)

  8. So. Much. Fun! Can't believe I missed this post. :/ Love both 'Rather Be' and 'Agony' right now as well! That Chris Pine scene was seriously the best. ;) Taylor is always awesome. I've never heard of Nichole Nordeman, but just listened to 'The Unmaking' and LOVED it! Also nice to see Joy Williams sing again. She's amazing. You're totally right though, her sound is definitely much "darker" now.

    Thanks so much for sharing these tunes, Rissi!! :)

    1. That's how I felt about one of your recent TV show posts, Bekah!? What am I blind!? How do I miss the awesome new stuff on Will Bake for Books!? :)

      Chris Pine played that scene to perfection. He IS hilarious and really plays up what the scene should be. Kudos to him plus his vocals are awesome.

      I'm glad you liked Nichole's song. I listed to her stuff growing up and lost track of her – plus she had kids and stepped away from the music biz for a while. It IS nice to see Joy return to the scene. The more I hear her stuff, the more it is growing on me, I do look forward to hearing her full-length album too. :)

      Thank YOU for chatting with us, Bekah. :)

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