First Monday of March has arrived – thankfully Monday means music! For this new year, the 4M crew is operating a bit differently. If you have a theme idea, submit your request by email. Each person’s suggestion(s) will be credited accordingly – unless someone wants to volunteer for the monthly co-host spot, then we won’t be looking for anyone to fill it in 2023. It’s tough to commit for 4-weeks. The object is to keep things fun!

For this week, our theme was chosen by our very own MMMM co-conductor and friend, Alana from Ramblin’ with AM who suggested: “Imagine you are putting together a four day music festival. For each day you need a headliner, so who would it be (4 needed)? You can include a couple of other artists if you want who would also perform. Any genre; more than one genre if you want. Living or dead. Solo, duo, band. Your festival, your choices!” Let’s get this music festival started!

To start things off, our first headliner is a Canadian country singer joined by a well known Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. This duet is about a couple caught up in a complicated romance that both sustains and destroys them.

The Canadian country singer originally wrote the song with Kate York (known for her work on the TV series Nashville) and Daniel Tashian, who produced one of the artist’s EPs. Lady Antebellum got the first crack at it when they recorded it with guest vocalists Little Big Town for their 2019 album, but it wasn’t released as a single.

The female artist had a chance encounter with the other artist – she was recording music for the 2022 Hallmark movie Time For Him To Come Home For Christmas at the other artist’s Vancouver studio, where they ran into each other on a staircase. Even though she thought the chance of collaborating was slim, she couldn’t shake the idea and thought this song would be the perfect fit for their voices. To her surprise, he agreed. She was quoted as saying:

“There was just an energy about this song. Something about his voice and the texture of his voice just felt like it would relate to the feeling of what this song represents. In a lot of ways, it’s just the wreckage of someone who brings out the best and worst in you. I think you grow together through that. The tension of that, I feel in his music a lot. I look up to that. I felt like that is something that would transfer well. I also was like, ‘How cool would it be to hear our voices together?'”

Give a listen to Tenille Townes and Bryan Adams with “The Thing That Wrecks You”:

Our Day 2 headliner is a group who have been a favorite of mine, thanks to my eldest’s introduction many moons ago. Throughout his life, this group’s front-man has struggled with depression, along with ADD, anxiety issues and a chronic inflammatory condition called ankylosing spondylitis. For this, the first song from the band’s third album, he sings about dealing with his emotional problems.

Singing from heart ache from the pain / Take up my message from the veins / Speaking my lesson from the brain / Seeing the beauty through the… pain!

He said about the track’s background:

“The meaning of the song is really reflecting on specific things in that were painful. Whether it was anxiety and dealing with crowds, feeling overwhelmed by that or the success of the band, disease, going through depression – anything that was a source of pain in my life. And just rising above that, finding a place of perspective where I could be appreciative of the pain in my life and make it my greatest strength.”

Here’s the inimitable Imagine Dragons with “Believer”:

Our Day 3 headliner is someone that hails from my hometown of Seattle. His brand new album just dropped, and this single is catchy – plus the video was directed by his 7-year old daughter, Sloan, which makes it so much fun to watch.

The Seattle Kraken fans made the final cut in the music video, which was a surprise to them – they were filmed during the Feb. 16 Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena. The video shows the good side of Seattle, and isn’t the first time this artist has used the Emerald City as a backdrop.

Just a warning – there is some explicit language in the video.

Get ready for some fun, here’s Macklemore featuring Collett with “No Bad Days”:

Last, but certainly not least, rounding out our music festival with our final Day 4 Headliner, in the song “Careless Whisper,” George Michael sang, “I’m never gonna dance again.” This artist turns the Wham! singer’s proclamation into a double negative.

While George Michael croons of his guilty feelings about cheating on his girlfriend, this artist sings about how nothing will stop her from dancing to her records. The universe can take away everything she loves (food, liquor, her dog, her soul) but not even the imminent end of the world will prevent her from boogying. This song is a “euphoric and joyful ode to dancing through the hard times.”

The artist co-directed the music video that is set in a grocery store. The playful visual finds the singer dancing and skating through the aisles, joined by a colorful cast of characters. This song was the artist’s reaction to adrenal fatigue, cortisol, and stress. She said:

“It was like, “F–k this. If the world’s ending and we’re sliding sideways off our axis, I’m gonna get my roller skates. Let’s take a cocktail class online! What are we doing?”

Fun fact: The artist’s daughter Willow and son Jameson both provide backing vocals on this song.

Get ready to dance (grab your roller skates if you dare), here’s P!nk with “Never Gonna Not Dance Again”:

That’s a wrap for this week – see you on the dance floor!

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:   Photobucket

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, 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!

INTRODUCING OUR “SPOTLIGHT DANCER”:

Alana from Ramblin’ with AM

6 Comments

  1. The back stories of your featured songs are so interesting! I didn’t know about Dan Reynolds’ health issues, for instance. He’s doing well with Imagine Dragons.

    Nice to see a couple of fellow Canadians in your lineup as well. 🙂

    Can’t go wrong with Pink!

  2. Stacy,

    It’s Monday! I’m Never Gonna Not Dance. What a fun song and choice for the party! Your concern headline acts are awesome. You gave us a little bit of this and that to boogie to. I remember you telling us before of Dan Reynold’s struggles with depression. The blues I can relate to but real depression is so beyond my comprehension. I”m blessed unlike some for which my heart is heavy for. I hope the fella can keep himself grounded with positive, happy thoughts. Have a boogietastic week, my dear!

  3. I liked the odd videos better than the even ones. Collett is a real cutie, and I love that she and her father have such a wonderful relationship.

  4. That was a great festival and in real life, it would have gotten quite the turnout. I loved the Pink song and video (especially where she had the tantrum alongside the little girl and stopped her tantrum). Imagine Dragons – I’ve had some experience with depression (not just “the blues”) and it’s a terrible, terrible thing. You always do the research on your groups.

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