I used to be cool.  I used to be a hep cat.  People would come to me and ask me who the newest, best bands were. I used to have so many cd's.  So many.  I had records, tapes, everything.  Music was a really big deal for me. And I guess that kind of translated into my job.  Now, I'm around music all day long.  But, the music I'm around is a little limited. Over the years, I've lost contact with what is new and cool.

But, luckily for me, I have two 14 year old girls in my life.  They wanted to help me get my hipness back.  And I figured, why not, this way I can know a little more about what the girls like, and we can talk about it. Win win! So they made me a playlist.  I won't go through all of it, but here are five I thought were noteworthy.

1.  Maroon 5  - Wait

Oh, okay, I know Maroon 5.  I'm just going to listen to the song, though, and not look at the video just so I can concentrate. This sounds very modern. Very different from the Maroon 5 I know, anyway.  Not that I'm knocking it.  Is it even a band anymore, or is it just Adam Levine and a drum machine? I don't hear anything else but computers. That must be a pretty sweet gig, though.  He does all the promotion, you rake in the bucks.  These lyrics. It sounds like he's breaking up a wedding. It's a "special occasion" and her mom is mad, and he's never seen her in that color.  And he's drunk?  No wonder everyone's mad.  You guys have been broken up long enough that she found someone else and decided to get married, and you show up at her wedding drunk and ruin it?  And not because you belong together, or  that she's marrying the wrong person, but because "I wanna be with you".  Who cares what you want anymore, jerkface? Maybe someone else's wedding day isn't about what You Want.

2.  Demi Lovato - Tell Me You Love Me

Uh oh, there's a plot.  Fast forward to the song. Oh, no.  Immediately I have problems with this.  She doesn't know who she is without him? HECK NO.  "You ain't nobody til you got somebody"? WHAT.  Um, I am a full and complete individual on my own, thank you very much.  I don't want the girls to Ever think that they're not good enough if they don't have a date. We might have to talk about this one. This is not okay.

3.  Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry

She has a pretty voice.  Eugh.  She's picking it up, apparently. Over and over and over and over and over.  I will NOT shut my mouth, missy.  I wish these lyrics were a little more... thoughtful?  I was told this song was her response to the Manchester tragedy.  This isn't about that at all, it's just.... picking things up. Maybe she's tidying up?

4.  Shawn Mendes - In My Blood

Now this is more like it! Sure, it's poppy and computerised, but... he's talking about something important.  Kids need to hear that they can keep going even though times get hard.  A lot of people deal with mental health issues and emotional issues, and this is addressing them directly.  I also like that he's not encouraging abusing alcohol to temporarily solve his problems. It's a song about asking for help.  I like that.  That's important, especially for kids today.

5.  Camila Cabello - Havana

More plot. Fast forward. Hmm.  I like this! Very mellow. I can't really make out much of what she's singing, but it doesn't seem to matter much.  This seems like an updated version of something out of Beuna Vista Social Club.  Complete with the horns! I don't know what the young man is saying much either, but he said "bacon" so I'm on board. You know what, this is gonna get stuck in my head. I like how it's got a kind of Cuban feel.  Representation is important. Diversity in music! I'm all for it.

So there it is, I'm hep again! Who am I kidding.  There's no way I'm going to be cool.

What do your kids listen to? Do you approve/like it? What Don't you like?

Hiply yours,

Behka

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