Songs & Films of the Week No. 19

Music

"West Virginia Walz" - Sierra Ferrell

I'm not well acquainted with the technical aspect of music, but as an avid music listener, I couldn't recommend this song nor artist any less! If you're a Dolly Parton, Janis Joplin, old country kind of fan, this artist is worth discovering! We seldom hear such classic sounds in music in today's selection, and if you didn't know much about her background, you would have thought she was an artist of the 60s! The lyrics are beautifully written--the ardence in the subject easily felt. One could surely do a waltz with it!

"Le chemin" - Kyo

I came across, "La vérité qui compte," the French reality show's clip on YouTube recently. The stars of the 25 million viewed episode were these two ancient lovers or childhood sweethearts who after 12 years never lost hope or forgot one another. The song played in the introduction of the young man, and fit so perfectly to it. I listened to the song a couple times via the episode despite already being familiar with it from Spotify months ago, and was not only captured by the early-2000s nostalgic pop/rock beats, but also the love/hate/distant lovers trope it evoked.

"Si tu m'aimes demain" - Iliona

This song played randomly after a selection of Belgian songs randomly introduced to me on Apple music once. Through one listen, I was encapsulated by it's fun 60s sounds. The love song provided interesting and light-hearted, adorable messages--the music video even more entertaining.

"Heartfirst" - Kelsea Ballerini

Ballerini offers an amazingly nostalgic comeback as a solo singer with "Heartfirst." Though it puts first the commonly pop-leaning practice of melody/catchiness over lyrics, the latter wasn't bad at all. It tells of an adorable meet-cute, adventure anticipating beginning of a love story in Ballerini's point of view. The visuals of the song do it even more justice--leaving the viewer's eyes drawn to the screen at every second with the bright colors, animated movements and wide perspectives. Even more, the sounds are reminiscent of the 90s Shania Twain songs as well as the songs commonly used in 2000s rom-coms. So, if you are in search of a good-feeling track that tugs at your optimistic heartstrings, I say--go ahead HEARTFIRST and give the song a listen!

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Films

In the past few weeks, I've had to opportunity to watch these films. The first and third in theatres and the second on YouTube. All three were beautiful in their own way. Elvis (2022) was pure artistry with amazingly thought out creative transitions and concert-like experience with a very believable ELvis impression executed by Austin Butler. Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), were both charmingly, out-of-this-world, warm-hearted, heart-tugging films adapted from books. The former was a Jane Austen novel, and the latter a recent international bestseller. Following the viewing of these films, I am even more drawn to reading these books, and am more eager to get better acquainted with the plots and its complexities--to enjoy them even more than I have. Perhaps even more in-depth reviews/analyses of these films to come!

Elvis (2022)

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)