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I source inspiration and motivation from music daily. I credit music with helping me improve my health and fitness, strengthen my relationships, find peace in my life, rediscovered my purpose, and follow my dreams.
I want you to benefit from the amazing, and often unknown, music that I enjoy, so I put together this awesome playlist for you. 2019 was an awesome year in music for me. I spent 114,628 minutes listening to music and podcasts (but mostly music) on Spotify! That’s more than 5-hours per day and does not include the time I spent listening to music on YouTube, the radio, or other sources. I liked 967 new songs on Spotify and discovered an additional 544 previously released songs. In total, I’ve liked 9,077 songs on Spotify!
In 2019 I liked and followed 98 new (to me) artists out of the 1,724 that I discovered. I now follow a total of 884 artists on Spotify. In addition, I saw 16 of my favorite artists in concert!
Here's my list of the Top 10 Most Inspiring New Songs from 2019!
10. Reason to Fly - HIRIE
HIRIE is a true global citizen. She was born in the Philippines and spent years in Italy before settling in her spiritual home of Hawaii. Her music is powerful and positive with a heavy dose of reggae vibes. I liked several of her new songs in 2019. Reason to Fly is my favorite.
"Hold on till you reach the sky, you will find your reason why. Hold on till you reach the sky, you’re worth it, you’re worth it."
9. Carpe Diem - Thees Handz ft. Reverie
Long time friends, and Living Legends, Grouch and Murs teamed up to produce a new rap album in 2019 under the band name Thees Handz. This track also features one of my favorite female lyricists Reverie.
I woke up to this track many days in 2019. Carpe Diem!
8. My Brother Taught Me... - Funky DL
I've been aware of Funky DL for a long time - he's been in the game for 27 years now! - but it wasn't until 2019 that he became one of my favorite hip hop artists. He is probably the most prolific rapper out there! He's produced at least one full-length original album (often more) every year since 2003! Including compilation and instrumentals he has more than 60 albums!, and he just keeps getting better with time. This album, Life After Denison, has many hits on it, but My Brother Taught Me... is by far my favorite!
[Update: I just released a cover of My Brother Taught Me... Check it out!]
7. 這是我的路啊 (This is My Path) - PiA 吳蓓雅
I'm pretty obsessed with Mandarin singer-songwriter PiA! Her lyrics are catchy and uplifting. Her voice is that of an angel. Here's a decent translation of the chorus to this song:
Keep going, keep going, but I don't know where I will go in the end
I truly believe, I know that this is my path
Although I am still scared to face those harsh words
How should I answer, or should I simply not think about it?
Perhaps more difficulties lie ahead, but I will not stop.
[Note: I just realized this MV came out in 2017, however, the song was released on PiA's 2019 album 戀愛太危險 (Love is too Dangerous) and that's where I discovered it.]
6. It All Comes Down To Us - Gone Gone Beyond
Four former frontrunners teamed up to form a supergroup called Gone Gone Beyond. Their name is a reference to Buddhist mantra found in the Heart Sutra.
At first, I was on the fence about Gone Gone Beyond. Their style is quite slow (this is actually one of their more upbeat songs), but I kept waking up with their melodies in my head and eventually became completely obsessed with them. It was very difficult for me to choose just one song for this list because 8 of their songs ended up on my Top 100 Most Played Song of 2019!
5. Extraordinary - Michael Franti & Spearhead
Michael Franti and Spearhead is my favorite band of all time! So far, I've saved 125 Franti songs to my Spotify! Only the Beatles, with 140 songs, top them. However on my most important playlist - Download✔️ - I've saved 15 Franti songs which is more than double any other artist (The Beatles have 5).
Michael Franti and Spearhead's 2019 album Stay Human Vol. II is one of their best! I saved nearly every song off this album and had quite a hard time selecting my favorite for this list.
4. Amy - Yuna ft. Masego
I never thought I'd fall in love with a song about a girl's long lost childhood friend, but here I am, completely enamored. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise though. Yuna is one of my favorite singers and Masego is one of my favorite producers. They've got me joyfully singing "Show me how you put on makeup. Talking to the boys in school. You just want wanna be a woman. I just wanna be like you." I couldn't be happier.
3. God’s Lottery - Mike Posner ft. Elohim
Remember the guy who "Took a Pill in Ibiza"? Well, he's on a spiritual path now! In 2019 Mike Posner walked all the way across America (one of the coolest stories of the year) and still managed to drop 2 amazing albums!
This line from God's Lottery sums up how I feel about the new Mike Posner "Most underrated, Kawhi Leonard. Gheorghe Mureșan, I'm centered." I haven't felt bromance like this in a long time!
2. Awake and Alive - DJ Taz Rashid ft. Momentology
I played DJ Taz Rashid more than any other artist in 2019. This was in part because 2019 was the year I discovered him and I felt the compulsive need to listen to his entire discography. Even more, his music is simply amazing! He's currently my favorite artist to work too because his instrumentals are both peaceful and uplifting at the same time. It's no wonder he has captured the hearts of Yogis around the world!
I also like playing DJ Taz Rashid to start off my day with a "Good Morning 🌅" and even play a few of his songs at the "Gym 💪😅." Awake and Alive is my favorite DJ Taz Rashid song. Enjoy!
1. Everyday Life - Coldplay
I have a playlist called "Moments ⏪" 36 songs that bring me back to one specific, extremely emotional or blissfully transcendent, time, and place in my life. 3 songs on this playlist are by Coldplay! Each from a different era of my life.
The first time I played Everyday Life, I cried. Then I played it on repeat and continued to weep. It was the best cry I've had in a long time. Maybe I was just having a moment, but I swear God speaks to me through Coldplay's music.
Closing Thoughts
I'm positively obsessed with discovering, listening to and sharing inspiring music with others. I believe the right music can help us live more amazing lives. Follow me on Spotify to check out the dozen of other playlists I’ve created and to stay up to date on what’s inspiring me today.
What song from this list do you like most? What other songs inspired you in 2019?
Comment below.