At this point, you might be wondering: does Natalie's blog only exist so she can babble about music she likes once a month?
Yes. The answer is yes.
April was busy and fun and also busy! Also, this playlist is a little longer than my previous ones because I have been informed that playlists are normally longer than eight songs. I'll be commentating on the most important ones here (or the ones most in need of explaining).
As always, you can find this month's playlist on Spotify.
No Tears Left to Cry - Ariana Grande
On my first listen to this song, I was like, "Ariana, really? This is disappointing." And then after two more listens I was like, "No, just kidding, this is great." I love this song. I don't know why, but I do, and I'm going to keep playing it on repeat until I get sick of it.
Can't Stop the Feeling! - Justin Timberlake
I ran the Sun Run this year for the first time in ages (after having not run for ages), and it was actually pretty fun! I even managed a decent time. They played this song at the start line and it was perfect for getting us all pumped up and ready to go.
Babe - Sugarland ft. Taylor Swift
I'll be the first to admit that "Babe" sounds like a B-side off Taylor's fourth album, Red. It's a good thing that I loved Red.
Caught in the Storm - Katharine McPhee
We had a couple days of pouring rain this month, so “Caught in the Storm” felt very seasonally appropriate. Full disclosure: I don't really like the Katharine McPhee version. Jeremy Jordan (linked above) does it much better, in my opinion. Then again, Jeremy Jordan could stab me with a fork and I would probably say thank you, so maybe take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Favourite lyrics: "tell me how I begin to forget you / when you keep coming back and I let you / love me until you disappear"
I'm Not Afraid of Anything - Andrea Burns
This is probably the most musical theatre-y track I've included in a playlist so far. I mostly appreciate it for the writing—that tone shift in the last third of the song is genius. It's a great example of how to tell an engaging story in under five minutes, and Andrea Burns really sells her performance.
Jeremy Jordan's version of this song is leagues ahead of anything Sam Smith could ever manage (sorry, Sam). The way he brings out the frustration and helplessness in the lyrics is basically perfect. But again—grain of salt.
Favourite lyrics: "you know what I mean / it's like walking in the heat all day with no water / it's like waiting for a friend / watching everybody else meet theirs on that corner"
The Next Ten Minutes - Jeremy Jordan & Anna Kendrick
I hereby dub April the month of Jeremy Jordan. The Last Five Years is one of my favourite musicals of all time, and I've been listening to the 2014 movie version of the soundtrack on repeat this month. I'm not sure why I've been drawn to "The Next Ten Minutes" in particular. Perhaps my hopeless romantic is peeking through a bit.
Bonus video: Jeremy Jordan & Laura Osnes (who played Cinderella on Broadway) mashed up "The Next Ten Minutes" and Cinderella's "Ten Minutes Ago" and the result is magical.
Favourite lyrics: "will you share your life with me / for the next ten lifetimes / for a million summers / till the world explodes / till there's no one left / who has ever known us apart"
"Be Brave" is the story of how Adam and his girlfriend met by random chance at the movies and talked for eight hours in a coffee shop on their first date and are still together and very much in love and no, you're crying.
Will May's playlist somehow manage to contain even more Jeremy Jordan? Tune in next month to find out!
In the meantime, you can check out my playlists from previous months (featuring 100% less obsession over Broadway performers).
