Every year I’m excited to do a roundup of the favorite recordings that either came out, or were first heard by me, that year. In addition to audio recordings, I’m including a few other types of recordings – films, shows, and live performances that stuck with me.
Recorded Music
This year, I’m highlighting a couple of individual tracks that have really stuck with me.
Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart – Stevie Wonder. I can’t stop listening. More than fifty years since his iconic ’70s run, he’s still writing amazing songs.
The Waiter’s Song – from Here We Go by Stephen Sondheim. Brilliantly sardonic, with the wordplay and angular melodicism we expect from the master in his final musical.
Alma – Säje. I got to hear this live before their album came out, and was profoundly moved. When it wasn’t on the album, I hoped I’d get to hear it again, and so I did on this fantastic single with guest Regina Carter.
Other standout recordings include Djesse Vol. 4. (Jacob Collier), Family Business (Lawrence), Cowboy Carter (Beyoncé), Merrily We Roll Along – New Broadway Cast Recording (Jonathan Groff, Lindsey Mendez, Daniel Radcliffe et al.), The Wicked Soundtrack (Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande).
Live Music
I attended two concerts this year that really moved me.
Jacob Collier Djesse Vol. 4 World Tour, live in Detroit in June. Collier is an ebullient live performer, and you can’t help but feel the joy he and his band feel in making music together. We heard him in the historic Fillmore Detroit (which I still think of as the State Theatre) with a band including fellow vocal jazzer Erin Bentlage and fellow WMU alum Christian Euman. I enjoy his live performances overall more than his meticulously produced recordings!
Stevie Wonder “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart, live in Grand Rapids in October. Amazing, amazing, amazing. I never thought I’d see Stevie Wonder live; I am so unbelievably glad for the chance, and to do it with my family.
Movies & Shows
Two documentaries you must watch: Music by John Williams and Jim Henson: Idea Man. I watched them basically back to back and was so inspired by their creative journeys.
Also excellent: Wicked, Shrinking, Inside Out 2, CODA.
Podcasts
Honestly, this is the audio media I spent the most time with this year. These are the podcasts I recommend most frequently.
Dear Hank and John: They make me laugh, care about the right things, and just generally are working hard to make the world a little better.
On Being: Krista crafts amazing conversations together with amazing people.
Smartless: The conversations make me laugh but also frequently make me think about creativity, masculinity, culture, and more.
We Can Do Hard Things: Glennon Doyle, along with her wife Abby Wambach and Glennon’s sister Amanda, tackle tough issues with grace and humor.
A Bit of Optimism: Simon Sinek is a great thinker and conversationalist. Check out his conversation with Trevor Noah, or his ongoing series of conversations with Brené Brown and Adam Grant.
Other favorite podcasts include WorkLife (Adam Grant), Working it Out (Mike Birbiglia), The Moment (Brian Koppelman), Akimbo (Seth Godin), 99 Percent Invisible, RadioLab, Scoring Notes, The Happiness Lab, Poetry Unbound, Design Matters (Debbie Millman), and Brené Brown’s two podcasts, Dare to Lead and Unlocking Us.