5 December 2020 (Thursday)

Today 5 people -- including 2 new students -- gathered online to discuss "Favorite songs of 2020".

Because we had new students, the first thing I did was to ask them about what kind of music they like.

The first person played "Bentley 2" (video with lyrics) by The Quiett (info). This choice had a few reasons behind it:

• This song is dedicated to the that brought Korean Hip-Hop to the world. Illionaire Records. But in 2020 (November 11th), they disbanded the label.
• This song is about how the label changed the world.

The student likes that this music is real, straight from the artists, not created by a producer with people playing parts. He likes that the artists on this label have the freedom to do what they want.

The other new student chose "Therefore I Am" (video, lyrics, info) by Billie Eilish (info). 

The student likes that this song is about having a positive body image, that a woman does not always need to look perfect in public. She also likes that the song is bass-heavy. Lastly, she relates to Billie since they are the same age.

 

 

Now on the favorite songs of 2020:

"I Beg To Differ (This Will Get Better)" (video with lyrics) by Billy Talent (info). This song and video were recorded before anyone knew what was going to happen in 2020, but because it is such a hopeful song, the student feels it is the best song for the year.

 

The next song was "Wild Child" (video, lyrics, song info) by Enya (info). There were a couple of reasons the student chose this song:

• 2020 is the first time for him to be in the US
• It was his second pandemic experience (first time was SARS)

He said that going through another pandemic shows that in life you don't know what will happen. But when the rain comes down around you, keep going forward. He also said being in the US makes him feel wild (I guess referring to feeling free from expectations in his home country).

At this point, one of the other students said that after spending time abroad, when he returned home he appreciated his parents more than ever.

Now I played one of my favorite songs of 2020: "Blackbird" (video, lyrics) by Lady Blackbird (website). This song is a cover version of Nina Simone (info), but updated to sound current. 

The main theme worldwide in 2020 was the Coronavirus, but in the US (and which also extended worldwide) a major theme for the year was racial injustice and systemic racism in society. This song to me is fitting to that, expressing the feeling from the side of the oppressed.

The next song was "20 Something" (video, lyrics) by SZA (info). 

The song came out a couple years ago, but now that the student is 20-something herself, the lyrics resonate with her.

 

 

 

The next song chosen was another Enya song: "Trains And Winter Rains" (video, lyrics, song info). This song reminds the student of when he took his high school entrance exams. The day he took his, his mom took him for some sukiyaki (his first time eating sukiyaki). 

The day he took his exames was the day Germany reunified after the cold war, so he also thinks of that milestone. 

This song always reminds him of the hard times studying for the high school exams; it feels like yesterday.

At this point the conversation veered off from music to what people will do over the holiday break. One student will visit Oregon for the first time. He plans to buy things there since there is no sales tax in Oregon, meaning prices feel like about 8% lower. 

I mentioned that if he is in Portland, he should visit Powell's Books, which is the best (and largest?) book store in America. (website)

 

I told the group that an American friend of mine who now lives in Tokyo visited Seattle recently and he had the Mt. Fuji burger at Katsu Burger Ballard (website).

 

 

 

With that we all wished each other happy holidays for the coming weeks.

The conversation group will meet next on Thursday, 7 January at 5pm Seattle time. Topic will be "The songs you listened to most over the holiday break."