if you want to move it i have no objections
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i guess i'm just gonna start doing daily reviews on here now




Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder

Infectious, that's the best way to describe this album's energy. An incredibly infectious seamless blend of soul, and funk that glosses over so many emotions portrayed so passionately, and effortlessly. Only Stevie Wonder could put an incredibly sad song about poverty, and a fun, energetic funk song back to back, and make it work like it does on this album. The instruments perfectly orchestrate the timeless songwriting coming together into a double album filled to the brim with 21 songs that would all be any other artists magnum opus. Which sounds like an outlandish claim, until you realize that Coolio sampled, and heavily interpolated Pastime Paradise into the gigantic hit: Gangsters Paradise. Hearing this for the first time only cemented Stevie as truly one of a kind special, owing more than just inspiration to countless artists, genres, and songs in just this album alone. There are few artists that can express THIS much passion with their art, and Songs in the Key of Life is a clear contender for one of the most raw, and human albums ever made. Growing up i always heard a ton of soul music in media, and sometimes on the radio, and really liking it. I remember my grandfather was so appalled by this, he would laugh at me for liking it, and make me feel humiliated. Listening to this album now as an adult makes me feel like i have so much freedom, it makes me feel very empowered over my unfavorable childhood. Its very uplifting, stripping the pain away from any dark theme, and leave you feeling stronger. My favorite song on the album: Black Man is a very triumphant song about the historical accomplishments of people of colour, as well as a call for equality. The second half with the call and response from what sounds like a teacher passionately like a drill sergeant asking who was the person responsible for a specific thing in history, in which a crowd of children just as passionately answering with the name, and race of said person is without a doubt the most powerful moment in any song ever written. If there was a situation in which i could play a singular song to the entire world with their whole attention, Black Man by Stevie Wonder is what i would chose. There was a part of Stevie Wonder that left him after the creation of this album, and it lives on through this incredible hour and 45 minute experience.