Young star in the making

Syd. "Shake Em Off." FIN, Columbia Records, 2017.

Can't stop listening to this one. Been digging Syd since her days with The Internet ("Girl" is one of my favourite tracks), her guest appearance last year on Kaytranada's "You're The One" off 99.9% marked one of the record's best jams, and she's seriously brought it on FIN, her debut studio album.

Just what my dreams are really made of

Fabolous. "So Into You (feat. Tamia)." Street Dreams, Desert Storm Records, 2002.

Weekend throwback.

And here's Danny Glover (aka Childish Gambino) covering the original version of Tamia's "So Into You" from 1998.

And, last but not least, the Commodores track "Say Yeah" that started it all -- listen up for the sample.

There's a quiet storm

Sade. "The Sweetest Taboo." Promise, Epic Records, 1985.

Happy International Women's Day. This one goes out to all the ladies who bring out the best in us, the ones with the big hearts, the ones who make it feel like every day is Christmas, and every night is New Year's Eve.

Na, na, na, na, na, oh

Amerie. "1 Thing." Touch, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, 2002.

Been paying attention this week? This track sound familiar? That's because its producer and songwriter, Rich Harrison, is responsible for yesterday's jam from Beyoncé. I am so in love with that kinetic drum loop sampled from the Meters' "Oh Calcutta!" hailing from back in 1969 and dare I say I might dig this track even more than Queen B's. You can check the dates and see which one came first. Happy Friday, choose your own adventure.

Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no

Beyoncé, JAY Z. "Crazy in Love." J Records, Sony Music Entertainment Inc., 2003.

Rough day? Put on this track, catch that sweet sample from the Chi-Lites, try to master the dance moves in the video, and I promise you'll feel better.

And, for those of you living under a rock, yesterday Beyoncé kicked off February and Black History Month with the uplifting news that she and JAY Z are welcoming twins, announced in a divine shot on Instagram. So crazy right now.

You can dust it off and try again, try again

Aaliyah. "Try Again." Romeo Must Die: The Album, Blackground Records, 2000.

🎶  It's been a long time, we shouldn't have left you
Without a dope beat to step to
 🎶 

What Timbaland said ☝️️.

Those of you paying attention might have noticed that we've been on hiatus for a hot minute as the world seemed like it was crumbling into oblivion over the past month.

But, January fades away and in comes February, and with it the celebration of Black History Month. So much of the music that has touched my life has come from this rich culture and history, and this month I'll be sharing one track every day in that spirit of celebration.

The divine Aaliyah's life was taken far too early, but she left us some incredible music in her short time on this planet, not least of which is this track, which feels particularly appropriate in these times.

(Some of you might be wondering why the song below doesn't agree with the music video for today's post. That's because Aaliyah's catalogue currently isn't available on streaming and digital download services like Tidal, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, etc. Stephen Witt over at Complex breaks it down in more detail here for inquiring minds.)