My Playlist With… Beka
A classic playlist for me has to have some anthemic pop such as Coldplay and HAIM, followed by some reflective soul with Stevie Wonder energy. Also, a bit of jazz and a song from a soundtrack. The artists I’m playing on repeat right now are Common, Dijon and Lizzo. I’ve also been enjoying a bit of Allen Stone, Samm Henshaw and Talking Heads.
I’m a Spotify girl. I also love Apple Music but I’ve had Spotify since I was very young and just can’t lose the playlists. If I’m kicking off the weekend, I’ll listen to ‘New Shapes’ by Charli XCX, ‘Pink + White’ by Frank Ocean for dreamy vibes and ‘Imagine’ by Common ft. PJ.
I love soundtracking holidays. The latest Maggie Rogers album, Surrender, was one I listened to while driving through the French mountains and it just got me. I’ve been listening to it ever since. For summer it has to be Stevie Wonder’s Hotter Than July and Songs in the Key of Life, I’m a Stevie addict!
For the ultimate roadtrip playlist, I’d start with some Coldplay, Q, Fleetwood Mac and Angie Stone, before moving on to Quincy Jones’s ‘Birdland’ and his whole ‘Back on the Block’ album. He’s my old-school favourite. Another favourite driving song is ‘Once in a Lifetime’ by Talking Heads. I’m absolutely obsessed with it because it really gets me going.
My favourite album right now is Covers by James Blake. His cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer’ and Frank Ocean’s ‘Godspeed’ are just so good. He’s got a new album coming out and I’m going to cry when it’s released. Some of my favourite up-and-coming artists right now are a Sekou, JERUB, Tash Bird and an artist named Chrissi who performed with me at a gig at Omeara last year.
My favourite album of all time has to be Songs in the Key of Life because it was the first album where I really listened to all of the lyrics of and felt moved by them. I vividly remember crying to it and wanting to listen to it all the time, and it tapped into a secret part of my brain that I hadn’t uncovered yet, so it’s very profound. I think those things linger with you for life and you kind of stay forever moved when you are moved by something as a child.
In terms of classics, Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is phenomenal. I also love ‘Give Me The Night’ by George Benson, and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’. I’m also mad for Toto, so I’m going to throw ‘Rosanna’ in there, it’s a great song.
One of my favourite UK acts is DJ and radio presenter Jaguar. She’s been my queen from day one, when I released my debut single ‘I’ll Be There’ she was wildly supportive, and she’s gone on to do so much for people which I love. She’s like my cousin now, she has my heart.
MATT MILLER
For a girls’ trip, I’d suggest the Ocean’s Eleven soundtrack. Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto brings great energy, and then it’ll be time to move through the hits, so some Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers, Lizzo, HAIM and Spice Girls. Also, Justin Timberlake’s old records (‘Senorita’ is such a hit and always gets everyone on the dancefloor), we’d touch on a bit of N Sync, maybe even some Justin Bieber, and then the crescendo would be the greats – Chaka Khan, Diana Ross and Randy Crawford.
If I’m getting ready for a night out, I press play on a playlist I have called ‘Pre BEKA set’, which I play before a gig. On that I have the likes of ‘Higher Power’ by Coldplay, ‘Beautiful’ by Snoop Dogg ft Pharrell Williams, ‘Miami’ by Will Smith, ‘Last Last’ by Burna Boy, ‘Work’ bu Rihanna… It ends with Whitney’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’.
My party playlist would start with Luther Vandross ‘Never Too Much’ (it’s the song I walked back down the aisle to), and then move on to ‘Candy’ by Cameo, ‘Ain’t Nobody’ by Chaka Khan – all the classics. But then I would add ‘And the Beat Goes On’ by The Whispers and that’s when you really ascend, adding in some old school such as ‘Miami’ by Will Smith, before perhaps adding in some new school hits such as ‘Malibu’ by Kim Petras. I’m mad about that song.
I had a great house party recently, but I was not in charge of the music. It’s a lot of pressure, isn’t it? With a house party, it’s about the volume more than the artists – the volume’s got to be a bit louder than talking, but not too intense. I love the new RAYE and Stormzy collaboration, it’s got some great singalong moments.
At the end of a long day, I might press play on a song called ‘The Lark Ascending’ which is a classical piece by Vaughan Williams. I love it. I also listen to a song called ‘The Light’ by Common, and an artist called Q, he has songs called ‘Today’ and ‘Take Me Where Your Heart Is’. His music has lo-fi, soulful energy which is gorgeous. I find Alicia Keys very relaxing and Sampha makes amazing unwind music. Aaron Taylor is also great – he’ll transition you into the glass of wine that you want at the end of the day.
I’m excited for all the summer shows I have coming up. Festival wise, on 9th August I’m playing The Hundred in Nottingham, I’ll be at Boardmasters Festival on 13th August and on 23rd September I’m heading to Hamburg for Reeperbahn Festival. I’m also super excited for my UK headline tour this September, I’ll be in Bristol on the 25th, Manchester on the 27th, Nottingham on the 28th and then London on the 29th. You have to come!
‘Lately’ and ‘Joy Inside My Tears’ by Stevie Wonder always make me cry. The composer Hans Zimmer has so many too, when you see ‘Circle of Life’ live it’s just unbelievable. There’s also a beautiful gospel song called ‘Total Praise’ and at the end all of the choir sing this vocal line that keeps moving higher and higher and higher and there’s something about it that makes me bawl my eyes out every time I hear it. Sometimes I listen to my own music when I need to be reminded of something that I once said for my own heart, because my heart is heavy. A lot of the songs I’ve written are so cathartic and they came from such subconscious places that they ended up being quite healing in a lot of ways. I’ll often listen to my single ‘Green Lights’ as a reminder that things are going to be okay, and sometimes I’ll have a bit of a cry to ‘I’ll Be There’. On the right day, that song could make me cry because there’s a lot of deep themes there, sometimes when I sing it live, I can get very emotional.
I don’t feel guilty about any of the music I listen to. But I think kids’ music could be seen as a guilty pleasure – the Annie or Encanto soundtracks are great and Disney playlists are a big one for me. Also, Justin Bieber’s ‘Girlfriend’!
For more info about Beka and tickets for her upcoming tour, visit Gigst.rs. Follow Beka at @BekaOnToast and listen to all her tunes at Spotify.com.
INSPIRED?
Here are four playlists Beka loves right now…
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