Danie Danie

2016: The Year music changed lives.

Ok, bold title, I know, but let’s dive in…2016.

What is the first thing you think of? Personally I had just graduated high school and was heading into my first life as an “adult” ( I didn’t feel like an adult until a good 2 years ago for real).

From January to December, no matter how crazy life got, there was a guaranteed record coming or that had just been released that really set the wheels in motion for the beginning of the end AND the beginning of the new era of music for me! I wanted to talk about a few of the singles/albums that I really think changed the world, but let’s start with the honorable mentions (in no particular order)

As you can see, I really enjoyed all that this year had to offer. My Top Picks (in no particular order) might obvious, might not! Depends on who’s reading. But I am sharing songs that made me into the woman I was today.

Before this year, I really thought I knew music, but I finally started getting into interviews, stories, and everything in between. This is what ultimately made me start getting into music, because over the years, I started slowly losing my passion, and I could also starting hearing in the sound. I understand going with the trend and people still pouring their hearts out, but it’s not just passion that makes a great album.

Humans at our core love a story. we love the grit. The production. The crazy flips and twists that an artist hides and envelops into their record. Or someone might come on here and say “ Actually i just like the beat or the lyrics” and that’s valid too, but while you’re going through my best of list, think about why if any of these songs captured your attention all these years ago. was it the memories? Was it the vibe of the track? Was it the euphoria the song(s) provided? Hey, I’m really just excited to share why I love these tracks, you can let me know in the comments if you would like your thoughts when it comes to these records.

Now…

THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR

〰️

THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR 〰️

THE ALBUMS (I THINK) CHANGED OUR GLOBAL LIVES FOR ALL TIME in no particular order (sorry for the caps, I’m just dramatic)

Solange - A Seat At The Table

I think I don’t have to say too much about this one. This is Solange’s third studio album and is marked as #93 on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums (I think it needs to be higher than that) As a young girl growing up in the world, I needed the reassurance of this “older sister” reminding you who you are. Starting with the impactful track “Rise” inspired by police killings and protests, going into “Cranes in The Sky” and sitting in discomfort, then “Mad” which tackles resentment. The collaborations with Sampha, Kelela, and even Lil Wayne carry so much intention in each song they are involved in. This music allows you to reflect, breathe, and mourn. I really can’t do it justice in this short a block. I encourage everyone, especially young black girls everywhere to add this to their list of necessities for living, because it truly saved me at a time I didn’t know I needed it.

Carly Rae Jepsen - E•MO•TION: Side B

This is a rare one on the list, a Side B that was just as popular as the main album! Carly Rae Jepsen at this point was mainly known for “Call Me Maybe” in 2013 and maybe “Good Time” ft. Owl City, so in 2015, she went up to the Disney president and said she was gonna make history with E•MO•TION. This record is listed as an EP, and shared some tracks that did not make the final cut, but I am so greatful she did this, or i would have missed out on “Store”!

Debby Ryan sits down with the president of Disney and makes history with Radio Rebel

It’s such a fun way to share unreleased and keep the party going! Starting off with “First Time” just makes you want to dance on a table or something, idk, i’m typing in a coffee shop as I listen to the album help you understand how i’m feeling.

It was the last time for real I was a excited and waiting for a pop record to drop, the main album was just that good. I’ll let you determine for yourself as well. If you are looking for old school perfect pop, our Canadian queen’s got you!

Nao - For All We Know

This was Nao’s debut studio album, and I stumbled across this on either a Spotify shuffle or on buzzfeed (very 2016 of me). It was my first time that I remember really paying attention to a neo-soul album. I had never heard anyone who had as high-pitched of a voice as I did, and sound so smooth, controlled, and engaging.

Nao had collabed with Disclosure on their song “Superego”, and people were basically like “Hold on Diva, where is YOUR record”, and 10 years later, it is still one I go back to all the time. If I remember the first song I heard was Girlfriend. Such a beautiful song, I don’t know how I can even compile it into words. The bridge alone I had on repeat. Such a small voice with a loud presence. This was truly the year that I beleve brought more unique voices and sounds to the forefont, and therefore changing music for us forever.

If you don’t take anything away from this long post, please take this song.

DNCE -DNCE

Not only was anyone expecting the Jonas Brothers to break up, they did not expect Joe to start a band on his own. DNCE formed in 2015 with other JoBros band members JinJoo Lee and Jack Lawless. But “Cake by the Ocean” had all our attentions, at least on radio. I was sat waiting for this one cause I also heard the snippet for “Body Moves” and was like oh great heavens, cause I was mezmorized.

There was pop, rock, disco, and it wasn’t clunky and forced, and it was a great time! I am re-listening for the first time in years while writing this and I am trying so hard not to turn up in the coffee shop. “Toothbrush”, “Pay My Rent”, even the title track, “DNCE”! I have major FOMO I didn’t go to any shows. It reminds me two things. 1. It’s not always bad to leabe your group for a hot minute to explore your sound, and 2. Sometimes the joy and storytelling of music is just the story of a good time. I had so much fun when they were releasing and I hope people look back on DNCE on the good time they were.

Also sorry tw: close up of Joe

Skin -Flume

At this point in my life, I had never heard anything like Flume. I had always loved EDM and Collab songs, like songs by Disclosure or Calvin Harris. This album roped me more into the world of experimental music and the possibilites of where music can go. At this point in my life, genres were important and distinguishing people into roles was necessary for personal order. Australian electronic musician Flume showed me there is no one right way to engage in sound period. The songs most know from this album is “Never Be Like You” ft. Kai and “Say It” ft. Tove Lo, and even those songs rich in sound, gave an almost haunting but musically necessary space to the persons lending their vocals to the tracks. This is one of my very few no skip albums of all time, and Flume definitely put his all in into 2nd studio album.

Lemonade -Beyoncé

Just like her sister, is there anything else I can that hasn’t been said? This album is the sun, compared to the reflectiveness of her sister’s record, that embodies the moon. But I believe in not comparing the siblings, as one myself.

This is Beyoncé’s 6th studio album, and she felt compelled as well to explore the Black Female Experience. Another no skip album on my list thanks to the assitnace of some my favoirte song writers MNEK and Jonny Coffer, and music that takes inspiration from soul, hip-hop, R&B, reggae while exploring identity, infidelity, moving on, and connection, both ancestral and through relationships.

If you haven’t heard it, I’m not judging, but I think nows the time to do so love <3 . In fact, I’ll start you with the song I think deserves more flowers on this record, “All Night”.

Before I get to the final one, before I spend my entire day reminscing on 2016, I know there is still such more I have not mentioned in this article. It’s a lot of work digging through music from 10 years ago, and I did not realize how much emotion I had tied to all of these records. Reminsicng alone has made me mourn what we had before. Still not the best, and better than before, but it’s been a long time since music made me feel something up until a few years ago. These records carry a burden they didn’t intend to, like all of them, the burden of longing. We would love to go back and appreciate what we had (mainly in this purpose of music) and hold on to the good times. I believe we’re on the climb, there’s just way more musicians than in 2016 making waves.

All right this is long enough, let’s go to…

ANTI-Rihanna

Her 8th and last studio album. Streets are saying there is one on the way, but I’ll believe it when I see. Anti is definitely the only one I went to great lengths to procure. I signed up for Tidal and projected it onto the TV AND the some of the songs from the Home Soundtrack (the movie she did with Dreamworks) were released around the same time. I cried. CRIED. I wanted tour tickets, but I was a high school student and my parents would not let me go to a concert on my own.

I will just let this iconic album speak for it’s self. I know for a fact anyone coming to this page had seen, experienced, and heard AT LEAST 3 of these songs in their life, so I’m gonna just share my fav :)

And that’s it! Let me know what songs you liked! What I missed? What you would like to hear more on!

See you at the next post!

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Danie Danie

Why Write?

A picture is worth a thousand words, and I believe the same for writing.

It’s something I have had to revisit often, because I do love to write.

But why write?

It’s a question that many of us don’t realize is becoming less of the norm. You sign a receipt, you put your initials on a document, but you don’t really write.

When I was a little girl, I had so many stories to tell. If I wasn’t yapping my imaginary friend’s ears off, I would write own many tales of things I thought were interesting at the time, like time travel, and history. I made a whole '“Historical Women’s Magazine” once. I still have it.

I would write about my own experiences with life in general, navigating change, I would manifest without even knowing. I believe in saving the art of expression through writing, which kind of makes this website redundant but also necessary because writers are few and far between now.

I can successfully say i completed the 1st one, can’t speak for the others lol.

As we’ve gotten more use to the ease of accessible technology, I believe we can find a beautiful compromise between self-expressive and revolutionary was to engage in the human desire to create. Books have not died, in fact there’s a bit of a resurgence taking place, and I’m slowly getting back into.

My goal with involving all sorts of media on this website to encourage others to engage in media again, not just consumption. I would be lying if I didn’t say I’ve become a bit of a zombie, doomscrolling and hooked on my youtube subscriptions. Writing something down phsyically is a form of manifestation we forget exists because it’s affirmative. It’s on paper. You can’t erases that (yes, even if you have a pencil).

So what will you do with your time? How will you continue to or reconnect with your chosen form of media?

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Danie Danie

3 things I learned (so far) starting a music career

I am finally ready to share some of the story. I say some, because it’s not over. I think as human beings we need a break from things that take a lot of our energy. So I say this with all the love in the world:

  1. There is no room for breaks, but take them.

Ok, there are, but its like being a contractor. You’re building up a business and any pump on the breaks will cause your business to break. When I got started in 2022, I posted like 3 or 4 videos and I was like “Welp! I did it!”

People are counting on more and that’s just the reality. Ain’t nothing wrong about it. it’s that drive and power that usually comes with a job you need a check for, or bodying someone in laser tag. But in the 2020s, music is more accessible than ever! You need to be able to stand out, and that requires more energy. And if you’re balancing work, school, and responsibilities like I did; it will take it’s toll on you.

That’s kind of why I am on a prolonged break. I am equipped but there are somethings that I want to prioritize more. But I would still recommend taking those breaks! Those who are invested with you will wait with you! I thought everyone was gonna leave, especially after I went through a rebrand!

Those countless hours all mean something if you love what you do.

my former artist name, Phatpipes. I was so excited to get traction and I was determined I could do this.

2 . This is a business, first and foremost, always

I remember being in a Timbaland live in 2022 at some point and he asked someone, “Is this for the business or for the love of it”. When he asked that question, it basically solidified what the industry is. I say is and not what it turned into, because it’s always been this way. To see it in person was jarring but it didn’t (and does not) deter me from trying to find a healthy balance between both.

When I’m networking, I always wonder if its for the benefit of the friendship or the benefit period.

There is totally nothing wrong with that, but its less forthcoming, and more hidden lately, and it’s business. If you are going to make this career, you have to have that boundary of “This is Work”. You can still connect, you can still build community holistically, but there is still a check to be made. It’s such a dream to live off a dream, and it can happen for anyone willing, but the more involved you are in the root of business, the harder it is.

The height of COVID really brought more community to the forefront, and that’s why I was personally very excited to get more into releasing stuff, and I think it can still be important part when done with proper planning and community input. Porchfests, Group Concerts, Coalitions, Open Mic with connection opportunities or incentives, it can always happen!

On a rooftop in LA with my mayk.it friends. This was probably one of the coolest opportunities I got to do.

3 . You will have the best of times and the worst of times

And that’s life, isn’t it? I had a talk with someone recently where we realized I had tied a lot of my self-worth to my music career. I always do that apparently lol. I would feel the lows a lot, and not really celebrate the wins because I was focused on keeping the highs, well, high!

I remember why I started it in the first place. I have a long history with music (which I can share about if people are interested). I wanted to be a voice I didn’t have when I was younger. I wanted to hear different sounds on the airwaves, I found so much joy in making a song, and I wanted to share it with others who felt the same way. The way you do it doesn’t matter, it’s the intention. People feel that. People hear it. So after this, I hope people understand that you can be anything you want and use these same topics to apply. There’s always going to be an issue you run into, or you’ll doubt yourself, or you’ll think you’re not worthy. It’s something raw, real, and beautiful. And sometimes thats enough.

one of the many nights spent in the studio making my album, “She’s Out Again”

Here’s my album for those really interested in listen to my psyche on tape! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you on the next post!

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Danie Danie

A New Hope

A New Hope!

Hello!

If you have stumbled across this page, this is either your first time meeting me, or we have met in some capacity. I wanted to introduce myself properly, because I don’t share a lot! But to make the longest story short:

Hi I’m Danie, and for as long as I have existed, I have been connected to all things art and history. I actually can’t imagine life without it. When I’m disconnected, I feel like I’ve lost a piece of myself and even people notice too. It’s gotten me through some hard times, taught me about myself and others, and connected with so many people on and offline.

So I thought I would start here. Put my thoughts and musings into one page. To learn with and from each other. Engage whole heartedly in something most of us are passionate about.

So thank you for being here whether it’s the first time or twentieth time. I appreciate your time and hope you continue to live, laugh, and love through what makes you happy!

Text stating All Keys with Danied is on the left hand side of the image. otherside is an image of danie, putting half a heart on her cheek.

it me!

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