Marco Collins

This song is one of many that documents the break-up of a relationship, with a requirement for the narrator in each song to confront the associated emotional turbulence before moving beyond it and starting a new chapter for himself. Sea change indeed, then. Evidently, Beck was apprehensive about revealing the depths of his feelings around these kinds of themes, given that he’d personally broken up with his partner of nine years around the time this album was released. He wanted to avoid self-indulgence, and capturing his own misery in amber. Eventually though, it occurred to him that songs about break-ups are legion because the pain associated with the end of a relationship is universal to the human experience. Why not write about it? bit.ly

girl in red is the Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ulven. About the album, she said "i’m shedding light on the darkest parts of my mind and i’m letting everyone in; if i could make it go quiet is me simply trying to understand what the fuck is going on." bit.ly Kevin Cole hosted girl in read Live at Kex Hostel during Iceland Airwaves 2019: youtu.be

Scott Hutchinson explained on the band's website: "'Swim Until You Can't See Land' was the title I had in my mind before I even started writing the album; I was becoming more and more interested in the idea of a rejection of the habits and behavior most people see as normal, and in turn embracing a certain madness. It's about losing your mind in order to reset the mind and the body. Forget what's gone before and wash it out. This is not necessarily a geographical journey, as the 'swim' can involve any activity in which you can lose yourself. It's a good introduction to the record as the theme unravels therein." Watch beloved Scott Hutchison perform this wonderful song in the KEXP studio in 2010: bit.ly RIP, Scott Hutchison: bit.ly

The song features vocals from Alison "VV" Mosshart of The Kills. The cover art features a collage of the band members blurred faces. All three faces were featured individually on the previous three singles released for the album. bit.ly

This was the first single from Miller's posthumous "Circles." He was open about his struggles with drugs and depression, and here he nails the cul-de-sac of negative thinking that can keep you in bed despite your better intentions: "I wish that I could just get out my goddamn way/What is there to say?/There ain’t a better time than today. But maybe I’ll lay down for a little, yeah." bit.ly

Born in 1966 in Edinburgh, singer Shirley Manson was exposed to the arts at an early age through her mother, Muriel, a one-time big band singer. The safe sanctity that music offers would become a heavily frequented refuge for Manson as she was incessantly bullied during her school years, and the young Manson developed body dysmorphia and suffered from depression from an early age. bit.ly

For James, who writes, "Kept me alive when I was living in London. Dark times after an ugly divorce and no friends in the city of London. Intermittent runs through Hyde Park and Battersea park listening to KEXP and this song kept me alive - kept me going…" Thanks for sharing, James. We hope all is going better for you now.

"2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)" is a heavily influenced synth-pop track that debuts as Lizzo’s fourth track on her sophomore album, Special. As the title track already explains itself, Lizzo asks the question, "Is she ready to be loved?" which could be a post-continuation of her 2017 smashing hit, "Truth Hurts." bit.ly

For an anonymous listener, who shares, "Barry White has always helped my depression!!! Play give it up"

This song was based on a self help book entitled "Choose Yourself" by James Altucher. Star Slinger (aka Darren Williams) told KEXP, "This song will help you get out of a rut. This song will help when you feel you’ve lost your way. This song will help guide you. This spoken word song condenses quotes from a very helpful book I read last year." Check out the whole Song of the Day profile here: bit.ly

The song, originally written by Tears for Fears in 1982, was influenced by the theories of Arthur Janov, author of The Primal Scream. The lyric "the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had" suggests that dreams of intense experiences such as death will be the best at releasing tension. bit.ly

Some of In Rainbows was recorded at Tottenham House in Wiltshire England, a Grade-I listed building, which dates back to the 1720s. The house had a haunted ambiance, which imprinted itself onto the album. Bassist Colin Greenwood explained how producer Nigel Godrich took advantage of this: "Nigel recorded the smudges and fingerprints of those rooms and put them back into the sound later, like the reverb on the 'House Of Cards' vocal. His computer is like a rattle bag. He can pick out any sound, irrespective of where he recorded it, then map it on to a track we recorded somewhere else. Amazing." bit.ly

This is the Coldplay song Chris Martin is most proud of. He explained why to Mojo magazine December 2011: "Because it's so unlikely that that song would have come out of that period. The rest of that album (X&Y) I like, but I don't think it's great. Whereas that song… it's the best one because it almost single-handedly got us through a really difficult two years. You could say it's too soft or whatever, but… it does exactly what it says on the tin. Even when I'm singing it, by the time I get to the end, I'm thinking, 'I like this.'" bit.ly

The longest song on the album: ‘i get lonely around people too’ is very atmospheric and focuses on being an introvert, on isolation. Although you may be around people, you don’t necessarily feel like you fit in or can interact with them. This song was created to tell people that they aren’t the only ones who feel this, it’s normal. bit.ly

"'Chemicals' is about being convinced to try something new by someone you are infatuated with, and the emotions that follow," Lewis shares. "It's about feeling helpless knowing the control that person has over you, but knowing that deep down you love that fact. The song is written about one specific night out I experienced in London a while back."

"Equal" begins with a lightly filtered synth before the vocals arrive beautifully atop the trance-like instrumentals. The darker elements of production contrast Låpsley’s pop-infused songwriting creating a captivating soundscape. In theme with other tracks on The Last Goodbye, the lyrics touch on love motifs and trying to make sense of past relationships. bit.ly

This track was the lead single from Portishead's 1994 debut album, Dummy. NME magazine ranked it at number 43 on their list of the "Best Albums and Tracks of 1994." bit.ly

Bernie Taupin wrote this song with a specific person in mind: "It's perhaps one more example of the original idea being interpreted by everyone into something quite different. I think people see it as an anthem based on Elton's strong sense of survival in the face of adversity. Which, believe me, is perfectly fine by me. In fact, it's probably infinitely more interesting, perhaps, than what it was initially written about... It was a sort of kiss off to an old girlfriend. You know the sort of thing, 'Don't you worry about me, I'll be perfectly fine.' Unlike George Jones' 'She Thinks I Still Care,' where, in fact, he really did, I really didn't." bit.ly

This one's for Phoebe, who writes, "Just thought I'd request 'I Want to Break Free' by Queen. In 2013 I was living in a tiny town in France called Sarreguemines. It was a much smaller town than I was used to; and this in combination with homesickness, lack of vitamin D, loneliness and dysphoria meant that my experience was not a pleasant one. I don't have my good and happy memories of that place except at least once a week I would go down to a local cafe and keep one of the staff their company as they did the night shift. When the last customers had left we would dance our hearts to 'I Want to Break Free'- lip sync and all and it just made me feel better, you know? So thanks Anais and thanks Freddy for that memory."

This uplifting tune from Bob Marley & The Wailers' ninth studio album, Exodus, is famous for its reassuring refrain, "Don't worry 'bout a thing, 'cause every little thing is gonna be alright" – a message Marley received from the birds that frequented his porch stoop in Kingston, Jamaica. "That really happened," he told Sounds magazine. "That's where I get my inspiration." bit.ly

The lyrical content of "Lost" describes the protagonist's relationship with a cocaine-cooking girlfriend. The song contains samples of the film 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'. bit.ly

The song uses an interpolation of Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen." Where Billy says "And our hearts they beat as one," Empire of the Sun's lyric is "...When two people become one." bit.ly

At Parliament/George Clinton concerts, "Give up the funk" is often repeated sometimes hundreds of times, starting with the crowd imploring the band to take the stage. These types of chants are often heard in kirtans, where Hindu mantras are repeated over and over in a quest for enlightenment. What's going on in the P-Funk world is more based on church music, but serves the same purpose, but Clinton points out that you have to be careful with them. "The chants are like church grooves that get you in that state where you're receptive to opening up your mind and coming up with positive things," he says. "At the same time, you have to be careful that somebody doesn't program you. You have to do it consciously, knowing that you're opening yourself up and people can program you when you open up like that. So, that's why we do a lot of nonsensical stuff that's just fun." bit.ly

Hi Marco! Thank you for sharing you and love through music (and these clips!!!!) -laughed cried felt all the feels with you and the KEXP community today. you’re saying: “It will get better because it has gotten better” - whewww, 12 years sober, it ain’t easy. music heals and we are not alone! Would love to hear gorillaz / whatever you have queued up! Sending love, Isabel, Brookline, Massachusetts

So grateful and thankful for turning KEXP on during the commute home; I have been waiting for this evening of mental health music and awareness. Saturday marks the one year anniversary of oldest and dearest Brother Ronnie. Ironically on Suicide Awareness Day. Please play “Don’t Give Up” by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush if you already haven’t a bunch of times. I wish I could have saved him. That song has saved my life and given me hope ever since I was little. Much love and thank you for helping me feel human as I try to get through this horrible reality of the loss of my Big Brother Ron Moreland 💕 Thank you for considering, Gina Anne

In the album's liner notes, the sampled vocals are credited to The Shining Light Gospel Choir, supposedly taken from a recording originally made by them in the 1950s. The true source, however, is a 1963 recording of the gospel tune "He'll Roll Your Burdens Away" by The Banks Brothers & The Back Home Choir. As Moby told The New York Times, he manipulated the original vocal, "Why does my heart feel so glad," to fit the context of his melancholy tune. bit.ly

This 'Screamadelica' album opener started out like a "slow, gospel kind of ballad, like a Curtis Mayfield-type thing," frontman Bobby Gillespie said. "We couldn't work out a way of giving it motion or a forward-thrust, so to speak. Then one day (guitarist) Andrew Innes had the idea to do the Bo Diddley-style/Who 'Magic Bus' guitar, very syncopated, and that gave it the forward motion and the rock 'n roll attitude." www.primalscream.net

Whitney Houston covered Steve Winwood's song in 1990 and it was included as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight. In June 2019, Norwegian DJ Kygo reworked Houston's cover into a tropical house track. Kygo's version was released as a single worldwide, and on August 21, 2019, their version hit number one on Billboard magazine's Dance Club Songs chart, making it Houston's highest-charting posthumous release to date. bit.ly

The song was inspired by a giant text installment titled "Dog Days Are Over" by artist Ugo Rondinone, which lead singer Florence Welch used to see every day, riding her bike over Waterloo Bridge. bit.ly