The start of 2023 has definitely brought a wide array of inspiration for a lot of us. Just throughout January I’ve found a multitude of spaces, tracks and images that sparked something in me. There’s quite a few that I can name, but I’ll leave you with a couple that really stuck out to me.
First and foremost, women in music rock me to my core. So of course when musical artist, Gracie Abrams, announced her debut album, Good Riddance”, I had absolutely no choice but to be over the moon. In her announcement post, she revealed that the album is to be released on February 24, 2023. Abrams writes that “It’s difficult to imagine these songs living anywhere other than [her] most secret places, but [producer] Aaron Dessner reminded her that holding space for brutal honesty in songwriting is kind of the whole point”. For me, that stuck out a lot as both a writer and a listener. Knowing and being a fan of Gracie’s past discography, I am a bit nervous to see how much more brutally she can write past her newest release, “Where Do We Go Now?”, but nevertheless I couldn’t be more excited. Within her newest track, she speaks on what seems to be the wreckage of outgrowing a past relationship. She was insanely honest within her lyricism with lyrics that read, “I know I changed overnight/So I can’t blame you for fighting”, “You’re the best in my life and I lost you”, along with “It was one sided hate how I hurt you”, she kind of just stabs you in the gut with her honesty and not victimizing herself within how the relationship ended. You can listen to “Where Do We Go Now?” and watch the beautifully simplistic yet painful accompanying music video, directed by Gia Coppola, below.
Being a visual artist and musician myself, I recently have looked into picking up and learning a few more instruments. Recently, I’ve been absolutely, up to my knees obsessed with the artist, Blu DeTiger. Faith and I just recently saw her on her headlining tour, Blu DeTour, at The Observatory with her brother, Rex DeTiger, and friend, Horace Bray, on guitar. When I tell you that they absolutely rocked my world, I mean it. Blu quite literally knows how to bring energy to a crowd, and she creates moments with fans that are unforgettable. Also, with a name like Blu DeTiger, how are you going to tell me she wasn’t made to be a rockstar? From being a female bassist to performing, Blu inspired me to actually pick up a bass this year and learn how to play. On top of that, I was lucky enough to be able to photograph her show at the Observatory last November, and in all honesty they were some of the best shots I feel I’ve ever taken!
There are so many different things that I could sit here and tell you about, but I’ll spare you the time. January has definitely been a month of creating new spaces, finding new inspirations, and rediscovering what music I love and don’t love. Whether it’s music, architecture, or people, art is everywhere!
