Nostalgia

Nostalgia

& Timeless Artists

One of the wonderful things we love about music is how it can transport us back to a memory or moment in time. It can tie us to a place we used to go to or someone or something that isn’t there anymore. Through preserving that history, we can relive those moments and that is nostalgia. Something as simple as listening to a series of curated CDs from the road trip you took as a child and reliving that memory. It could be the smell of a musty velvet couch or the sounds of the Electric Factory, walking by on a vibrant Saturday night in 1968 - it all rouses nostalgic times. As creatives, we have a choice to look forward or backward, but we can choose both - leaning into our roots and who has come before us as a foundation to build up our own creative vision.

Voice of an angel, demons dark as night, Amy Winehouse grounded herself in a time before her years through jazz, R&B, and soul music, but really made it her own and into an “unmistakably Amy” sound. She chose to show up just as herself, with a big jazzy voice and all, and broke British Pop standards of the early 2000s. Often compared to Sarah Vaughan vocally, she even modeled her hairstyle after the famous “beehive” style taken after The Ronettes. For some of us, it’s easier to dream about a simpler time, but Amy was able to revive generations of music and culture and recycle it into her own unique creation that will also stand the test of time.

Another artist who unapologetically shows up as herself, Lana Del Rey continues to subtly nod to 50’s rock n’ roll culture. She’s managed to create a truly distinct Pop sound like no other. Capturing the airy slow hums and lower jazz timbres in her vocals, resembling Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday.” Lana's infatuation with classic culture is no secret as she incorporates tropes of cars, money, and James Dean bad boys in her songs, but even aligns her persona and videos with these themes. That’s one of the great things about Lana Del Rey— her story-telling through cinematography is almost like a living, breathing memory, and listening makes you feel as if you were there.

Another artist who’s not afraid to look back, Leon Bridges’ first studio album Coming Home takes such a strong influence on soul and rhythm & blues. He was Grammy-nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2019, and it’s been said that his demos were recorded using vintage equipment and instruments. He even performs in vintage garb - talk about the whole package. He’s been compared to legend Sam Cooke - although, Leon is not trying to emulate the past, but rather pay homage to previous generations of songwriting while creating something that is wholeheartedly his own. Leon has been able to pull off something that no one was attempting at this magnitude and opened up the doors again for traditional R&B in mainstream music.

As we evolve as individuals and reflect on our past experiences, music will also evolve. R&b birthed rock n’ roll which would eventually evolve into soul and hip hop, which is how genres start to bend and blend together to create their nuanced niches. Each of these artists chose to preserve something that sparked joy for them or had relevance in their lives. History can be often forgotten when we are constantly looking ahead, but the past has led to where we are today - so we cheers to that.