Trees | 3BOPS

1. Taylor Swift, “Willow” 🌴

💿 evermore • 🏷 Taylor Swift • 🗓 2020

“Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind.” An awesome lyric from an awesome song!  ✅ 🎵 “Willow” initiates 💿 Evermore – the SECOND surprise album from the ever-dominant, 🏆 Grammy-winning musician, 🎙 Taylor Swift – brilliantly, ranking among the best of the album. The production by 🎙 Aaron Dessner is gorgeous, featuring both standard instrumentation (piano/keyboards, guitar, bass, drums), as well as adding wind and string instruments.

Swift sings with ease, never getting too high, yet packing a punch, nonetheless.  Much like the aforementioned lyric, the song is incredibly well-written, including a memorable, tuneful chorus.  Ask yourself this question: Would a weeping willow tree even weep hearing this glorious song?

2. Kendrick Lamar, “Money Trees” 🌴

Ft. Jay Rock

💿 Good Kid m.A.A.d City • 🏷 Interscope • 2012

“Money trees is the perfect place for shade / And that’s just how I feel, nah, nah / A dollar might just fuck your main bitch.” 🎵 “Money Trees,” produced by 🎙 DJ Dahi, contains a sample of 🎵 “Silver Soul” as performed by indie-pop/alt band 🎙 Beach House.  The hip-hop production combined with the sunny Beach House sample works superbly. This 🎙 Kendrick Lamar cut from his 2012 album, 💿 Good Kid m.A.A.d City possesses a laid-back, west coast vibe, most evident on the aforementioned hook.

🎙 Jay Rock appears on the third verse, yielding the killer lyric “Dreams of me getting shaded under a money tree…”  K-Dot has his own stellar moments naturally, including, “I fucked Sherane then went to tell my bros / Then Usher Raymond ‘Let it Burn’ came on…”). Sherane, of course, plays a role on the conceptual LP.

Also appears on 🔽:

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3. Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

💿 Merry Christmas from Brenda • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 1964 

One of the most popular Christmas recordings EVER arrives courtesy of pop and country singer, 🎙 Brenda Lee.  That beloved gem is 🎵 “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which commences her 1964 Christmas album, 💿 Merry Christmas from Brenda.  It’s rare that a holiday classic can cement your artistic legacy but that’s certainly the case with Lee.  Had she recorded no other song, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” would’ve been sufficient.

What makes it so awesome? It’s fun, novel, and honestly, incredibly festive.  Listening to it, you just absorb the spirit of Christmas.  Brenda’s exuberant vocals makes us exuberant.  The saxophone solo ups the ante, making us want to dance and share “the most wonderful time of the year” with those we love.  Honestly, this two-minutes-and-change number speaks for itself.

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 More Christmas: 5ive Songs No. 73

🔗 🎧 15 Absolutely Terrific, Merry Christmas Songs