no need to Surrender to the Gut Punch on The Day That I Die, just bring out the Searchlight!

Hello, Monday peeps! Happy New Year! Hope you and your families thoroughly enjoyed the holiday season. Now it’s back to the old grind… 😅

Since it is Monday, you know that Monday means music! This week’s theme is “It’s a new month, new year. Share a once-new song from any era that you immediately loved, or share a more recent new release that tickles your fancy, or share music by an artist that’s new to you. The point is it’s a new year!” Let’s get this “new” party started!

Let’s start with a new song from this new (to me) artist I stumbled across whilst looking for new music. I love that she’s an Oregon native, less than two hours south of me! Pacific Northwest for the win! 😁 I wasn’t able to find specific background info on this particular song, but did find some info on the artist:

A songstress whose creative passion radiates through everything she does like loose glitter. An Oregon native, she got her start in comedy and improvisation, a skillset that allows her to create with speed, sincerity, and cleverness few possess.

Her music has been featured in numerous Samsung advertisements and shows across MTV, CW, Netflix, Amazon, Fox, and more, has garnered millions of streams, and has been featured on major playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.

The artist’s no-filter realness and witty sense of humor make her stand out in a sea of manufactured, copy-and-paste musicians. In an industry that wants you to be anything but yourself, she is a free-spirited, creative rebel whose empowering journey reminds us of the importance of being ourselves, no matter what the world says.

She releases New Music every 6 weeks and plays live at summer festivals.

Get ready to be amazed, here’s Novi with “Surrender”:

Next up is a brand-new song from this artist, one he wrote as he contemplates his role as a father and husband, as well as his self-image. He shared that at the heart of the song is a child-like joy and wonder, which has been clouded by the large and small stresses of life. He said:

“I tend to be hyper critical of myself, not typically about my appearance or getting older, but I was wondering, ‘Am I doing everything to be the best version of myself? Am I a present and thoughtful husband? Am I a good father?’ As time goes by, the stress and complications of life will weigh on you. It’s important to remember there was once a version of you who was carefree and loved the world.

I wrote [this song] for all of us learning to give ourselves a little more grace.”

Give a listen to Nick Jonas with “Gut Punch”:

Next is one of the newest songs from this artist – it was released (and I shared) back in November, but this artist just uploaded a new orchestral version of it that gave me goosebumps, so of course it fits with this week’s theme. He posted on social media about the song when he released it:

“The ‘Survive’ EP is out today and along with it the last song ‘The Day That I Die’. This is a tune I wrote about the lowest I’ve felt in my life and truth be told it feels a bit weird putting it out there for people to hear but I’m honestly the proudest I’ve ever been about a song with this one. It’s been an absolute pleasure being back releasing music and playing shows the last six months and I’m honestly so pleased to say I feel so far removed from the place I was when I wrote this song. Looking forward to much more next year, love ya all x”

Without further ado, here’s the amazing Lewis Capaldi with “The Day That I Die”:

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Last but certainly not least is a brand new song from this favorite group – I didn’t find any background info about the song other than what the band posted about it:

“[This song] is a song about owning your true feelings. It’s an awakening of the soul. Lyrically, it is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the moment you decide to go out into the world, and find your purpose. Musically, it is an homage to all the music our parents and grandparents brought us up on. It is a love letter to Americana, Rhythm and Blues, Bluegrass, Outlaw Country and of course Rock ‘n’ Roll. The creative process for this song was quite a journey, and we hope all the ‘Fans/Family’ feel that authenticity in every note and every word.”

Get ready to dance; here’s Shinedown with “Searchlight”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

Now, onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Moves 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, 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!