As usual, weekends always fly by way too fast, and Monday is usually the dreaded day. But Monday does mean music, so at least there’s respite! This week is a freebie week, so grab your favorite tune(s), and come dance with us, won’t you? Let’s get this party started!
Let’s start with one that I didn’t really like when I first heard it on Sirius XM, but it grew on me, and maybe it will for you, too. This new (to me) artist wrote this song when she was a busker playing for tips at Byron Bay in New South Wales, Australia. She loved the freedom of busking, but was dismayed by certain drunks and idiots who could ruin the experience.
She came to the realization that attention spans were getting shorter now that entertainment is always a click away, so she had to tighten her act to get people to stick around for any length of time. This made her feel like a trained monkey, which inspired the song. About what led her to writing this song, she was quoted as saying:
“I had already been busking for six hours. One person ran past and stole my money, and another was drunk and tried to lean over and play my keyboard. The crowd was very drunk and rowdy. I said, ‘I’m sorry, but this is it.’ They tried to get me to keep playing, then they started booing me, and I was so frustrated because it showed me how people didn’t have much patience anymore.”
Some of the lyrics come directly from what people in the crowd said to her that night:
“I’ve never seen anybody do the things you do”
“I see the way you shine”
“You stopped me dead when I was passing by”
“You make me wanna cry”
Originally from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, she was working at a clothing store in Melbourne when she decided to take a chance at busking full time. It took her about a year to get a permit that allowed her to play a specific spot in the city, but she had to park far away. This was a problem because she had to transport gear, so she moved her operation to Byron Bay, where she started doing her busking in early 2018. One night, a guy walked past and gave her his card. That person, Jackson Walkden-Brown, became her co-manager.
The song reached #1 in Australia on the August 5, 2019 ARIA chart. She was the first female artist to reach the summit in Australia since Delta Goodrem did so with “Wings” in 2015. She was also the first Australian artist to reach the peak position in 2019.
The artist didn’t write this song for radio. Instead, she penned the song for residents at the Byron Bay hostel where she was living so they could all dance to it. She was shocked when it became a hit.
Get ready to dance, here’s Tones And I with “Dance Monkey”:
Next up is a brand new song from this favorite artist, a rocking, uplifting cut in which the artist muses on living in the moment.
Everybody’s waitin’, but they’re waiting for what? / Better get to livin’, ’cause all we’ve got is / Here and now
The song doubles down on the singer’s regular message of savoring life. According to a press release, the track “weighs how we live against what we want.”
The song was born out of the artist’s desire to reconnect with some of his songwriter buddies, Craig Wiseman, David Garcia and David Lee Murphy. The four drank beer, told stories, and wrote songs for the pure joy of it. Inspired, Wiseman, Garcia and Murphy penned this song on returning to their Malibu house after one of the sessions.
The artist said the song “kind of blew [his] mind” when he first heard it. He said it brought to mind his 2013 No Shoes Nation tour:
“The rush of it absolutely being the best place, best moment in the entire world. There’s no rush like it.”
What really got to him was the way the song talks about enjoying the “here and now” rather than putting it off as we’re so busy with stuff.
“Only thing is, that’s exactly how you miss everything that matters.”
Give a listen to Kenny Chesney with “Here And Now”:
Next up, this artist may be a heartthrob, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t face any issues in his relationships. This new song finds the country crooner singing about a relationship and the mixed signals one receives as romance begins to blossom.
The video, which came together in 48 hours, features the singer using his other musical talents and playing both guitar and drums in between shots. He was quoted as saying:
“We referenced back to things in former videos with me getting to play a few instruments so I’d feel at home as this whole album was made in my basement. I got to break out of my comfort zone in general!”
“This particular song talks about someone acting two very opposite ways based on surroundings. Sometimes this is by design but even if, regardless, it’s a challenging place to be where you never fully know where you stand with someone because the way they interact with you can be so consistently polarizing.”
Here’s the adorable Hunter Hayes with “Night and Day”:
Last, but certainly not least, this country singer is bringing all the glitz, glam and dance moves in her new music video. Plus, there’s even a pony! She was quoted as saying:
“From the moment I wrote ‘[this song],’ I had a vision for a fun video that incorporates my personality and all the bright colors. I knew I wanted a lot of dancing components in the music video.”
Despite the adorable pink haired horse that is featured in the video, the 25-year-old steals the show in her custom Wrangler denim with some killer dance moves, which she says came natural to her. She said:
“My choreographer, Joy Spears, knew the go-to dance moves that I use on stage. We worked on a routine to make them look more put together and we had a blast figuring it out. Dancing is one of my favorite parts of performing.”
The artist’s husband, Josh Davis, even joined in on the fun, which she admits took some bribing.
“I convinced Josh to be a part of the video with some tequila shots. He’s not much for being in the spotlight! It was a blast having him on set. He loved seeing the process of the video!”
The two – who wed Feb. 27, 2016 – don’t take any moment together for granted.
“We have great communication and a lot of love. The best part about marriage is sharing your life with your best friend. He is my heart.”
Something else close to the singer’s heart is empowering other women. While her husband did have a cameo in the music video, this song is truly for and about the ladies.
“I want women to take away from ‘[this song]’ that they can be just as rowdy as the guys can! This is the country girl anthem we need.”
Time to get up and dance, here’s RaeLynn with “Keep Up”:
That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday, I’ll see you on the dance floor!
Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:
I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, Callie of JAmerican Spice, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!
Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!
Stacy,
The weekends are entirely too short for sure. Hitting the dance floor with you each Monday is a nice way to start the week. You always bring to my ears some new mewsic discoveries and this morning is no exception with each song title an introduction that wakes up and makes my day groovy. Have a boogietastic week, dearie!
Great set, especially that last one!
Great songs. Thanks for sharing them. I really enjoyed them.
Interesting playlist
I liked your playlist, didn’t know anyone, Kenny Chesney was my favourite today 😸Pawkisses for a Happy Thursday🐾😽💞
Something about Dance Monkey made me keep listening. At first I couldn’t even match her voice to her picture. But it grew on me. The last song was fun but something in me kept saying “this isn’t country!” (not that I am any expert on what is country). Ah well. We all need a bit of fun nowadays.