Similar to January, February’s continuation of frigid temperatures and inconsistent weather in general limited my ability to truly enjoy this month of 2024. However, I was once again able to lean upon music to get me through this month as I’ve expanded my musical horizons, listening to various artists that I typically do not listen to. Based on my music listening experience from this past month, here are some of my top songs from the month of February that I highly recommend. 

Five: “More (RedOne Jimmy Joker Remix)” by USHER

Days before and after the Superbowl, my social media feeds exploded with content related to USHER’s music and halftime performance at the Super Bowl. I frequently saw videos on both TikTok and Instagram using “More” as the background music and even from a small 15-second snippet, I couldn’t get the song out of my head. Its infectious and lively instrumental paired with USHER’s upbeat vocals provides a thrilling listening experience. Throughout the month of February, I found myself coming back to this song to feel energized regardless of the time of day. 

Four: “Plage Coquillage (First Kiss Song)” by Tao Mon Amour

I’m going to be completely honest and put this simply, I cannot understand a single word spoken in this song at all, yet I still find this song soothing in a sense. Amour’s various vocal deliveries and tones are able to convey such emotion despite the language barrier. Like most of the songs in this column, I found this song through TikTok, specifically from the synthy-electronic-piano like conclusion to the song that is my absolute favorite part of this song. The concluding segment of this song creates an atmosphere that I cannot put into words. 

Three: “Matilda” by Harry Styles

Any song with a calming guitar instrumental paired with tranquil yet emotional lyrics will always hook me, which is certainly the case with “Matilda.” I typically don’t listen to Harry Styles due to the oversaturation of his music, mainly due to his extremely popular songs, and fatigue from seeing him in social media feeds, but one day I heard the instrumental for this song and decided to give it a listen. It is safe to say that I’m glad I gave this song a listen as I consider this Styles’ best song (that I’ve heard so far), and that mainly stems from the combination of Styles’ emotionally relatable lyrics and the guitar. 

Two: “More Than My Hometown” by Morgan Wallen

Coincidentally when I was searching for “More” by USHER on Apple Music I stumbled upon this Morgan Wallen song. I decided to give it a little since I have been progressively listening to more country music, and I was pleasantly surprised. Once again, I found a song that I enjoy with good vocal delivery and a good guitar-based instrumental in “More Than My Hometown”. This song by Wallen, released in 2020, is a change of pace compared to his more recent projects and singles, as Wallen put emphasis on writing relatable and meaningful lyrics as opposed to his newer songs that seem more pop than country. I also found Wallen’s lyrics about his connection to his love interest and his hometown to be very emotional despite a lack of variety in his vocal delivery.  

One: “New Friends” by Malcolm Todd & Eem Triplin

After the release of his most recent EP, “Sweet Boy Part 1” my love for Malcolm Todd’s music grew even more with tracks like “On My Shoulder” and “Thailand”. My anticipation for his next EP, “Sweet Boy Part 2” grew as well with “New Friends” being promoted by Todd on social media for several weeks before the song’s release. Despite the song being two minutes and 10 seconds long, Todd and Triplin make the most of it with their smooth vocal inflections and deliveries. The chorus from Todd has remained stuck in my head for weeks and so has the instrumental. “New Friends” also acts as the lead single for “Sweet Boy Part 2”, which releases on March 8. 

I hope my selections can help expand and diversify your music taste, and I’m looking forward to listening to more music as the year progresses.