With AP and Regents tests around the corner, all of us need a little motivation. Here are a few songs that just might give you that extra push.
“Release the Beast”: Breakwater (1980)
This song was released in 1980 by the Philadelphia-based funk band Breakwater on Splashdown, their most successful album. It features possibly one of the coolest synth lines ever created; some may recognize it from the Daft Punk song “Robot Rock,” which is essentially a three-minute repeated sample of that line. A great combination of acoustic and electronic instruments leads the way on this one, and creates a super-enthusiastic vibe that urges you to “release the beast” inside yourself, whatever that may mean.
“The Show Must Go On”: Queen (1991)
Legend has it that by the time Freddie Mercury recorded the lead vocals for this song, he was so heavily afflicted by AIDS that he had lost the vocal range necessary to sing it. And yet, somehow, he managed to sing just as perfectly as he had always been able to. The fact that this man put on a brave face while going into the battle that ultimately killed him makes a lot of our problems seem pretty small by comparison.
“Go-Go Gadget Gospel”: Gnarls Barkley (2006)
There isn’t really much to say about this track, other than that CeeLo Green sounds like he’s having the time of his life singing it. Also, producer Danger Mouse shows off his mastery of genre blending by placing a highly electronic beat under Green’s soulful vocals.
“Stylo”: Gorillaz (feat. Bobby Womack and Mos Def) (2010)
This song doesn’t seem too special at first. It opens with some layers of synth and a driving rap verse from Mos Def, but it still feels a bit boring. Then all of a sudden, about halfway through the song, Bobby Womack’s voice hits like a freight train. What follows is an energetic rant about the electric power of love that supposedly caused Womack to pass out in the recording studio from the level of effort he put in.
“Beyond” – Daft Punk (2013)
A grand, sweeping orchestral intro leads into a ridiculously chill groove. The vocals on top of it have a ton of autotune, which some people might be turned off by, but it works perfectly in the context of the song. The robotic voices make one thing clear: it’s on you to make your dreams come true.