As I celebrate MusiFlo’s 9th Anniversary on June 1, 2024, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to you, my dear readers. Your support and enthusiasm inspire me to continue writing reviews of the latest music and to honour the various milestones in the music scene. I’m still in awe of the music I have recently discovered, and I’m excited to share more with you.
So much happened in 2023, including the global phenomenon of the Barbie movie, whose soundtrack was incredible. I still listen to it when I’m in the mood for something fun and upbeat. The songs on that record complement and perfectly suit the movie’s story of Barbie. I reviewed the soundtrack in September to honour the end of the fun Summer season of music. When the film came out, I was on vacation and needed to postpone my article for later. It was worth it. I got to review the sound and write an editorial about the movie.
I remember this song called 1 in 4 by Love Is Enough, tells the story of a couple dealing with life after a miscarriage. I can’t imagine how hard it was talking about it. It also raised awareness on the subject. My heart goes out to people dealing with this difficult time.
An exciting moment—well, actually, two exciting moments—was when I reviewed Simu Liu’s music. On April 19, 2023, on his birthday, I reviewed his first single, Don’t. Then, in November, I reviewed his first EP, ANXIOUS-AVOIDANT. It was an impressive EP. I look forward to hearing more of his music.
Seeing him in the Barbie movie as one of the Kens was also fun. His performance with Ryan Gosling singing I’m Just Ken as one of the dancers at the Oscars in March was amazing.
During Women’s History Month, I recently discovered an incredible K-pop EP by the Korean group Twice, With YOU-th. I enjoyed it. The songs were full of love and joy, promoting love and friendship. This record inspired me to discover K-pop further. It will be incorporated into my music repertoire.
Also, I discovered two empowering songs: Miley Cyrus’s single Flowers and Becky G’s The Fire Song. These two singles are incredible and complement this wonderful month. Miley Cyrus’s Flowers celebrates self-love and self-care, while Becky G’s The Fire Song celebrates perseverance and determination against adversity. Such inspirational songs!
This year’s Oscars were so much fun to watch. The performances of the songs nominated for Best Song were fantastic, including Becky G performing The Fire Song for the movie Flamin’ Hot and my favourite one – Ryan Gosling singing I’m Just Ken. It was a touching homage to Marilyn Monroe’s song, Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend. Billie Eilish was also incredible when she sang What Was I Made For.
I got to work on some musical milestones after June 2023. July 13, 2023, marked the 50th anniversary of Queen’s first album, Queen. Although it was the only album from which a song didn’t make it to a Best Hits compilation, it remains the starting point in Queen’s remarkable music career. Their willingness to experiment with music was a bold move that proved to work for the legendary rock band.
Other musical milestones include the 35th anniversary of Bon Jovi’s 80s hit Bad Medicine. I also got to honour the late Johnny Cash on September 12, 2023, marking the 20th anniversary of his passing. I discovered an incredible legacy.
This year, I have had several musical milestones to write about, starting on January 16 with the 40th anniversary of Queen’s 80s hit Radio Ga Ga. The month with the most of these milestones was April: the 40th anniversary of Queen’s I Want to Break Free (April 2), including the 30th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s passing (April 5), the 25th anniversary of Westlife’s Swear It Again (April 19) and the 30th anniversary of All 4 One’s I Swear (April 22). Another significant musical milestone was May 14, the 40th anniversary of Wham’s single Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. Covering and honouring these moments in music history was heartfelt and inspirational.
In nine years of writing this blog, I still have moments when I face a common obstacle writers face: writer’s block. Thanks to the online classes I watched last year, I have learned to take more frequent breaks when writing. Also, I still remind myself that Freddie Mercury had his moments when he faced writer’s block and overcame it. Keep in mind that writing takes patience and focus. Being kind to yourself and the patient is also essential when you feel stuck. Keep going when you have slow days, whether in writing or any creative project.
I look forward to discovering more incredible music along the way. Besides love and heartbreak, it’s impressive to discover artists covering less-covered subjects, such as mental health, hardships, friendship, and soul-searching. The depth of the songs or albums I have recently reviewed is remarkable. I wish artists and music groups success in their musical careers.
Thank you, readers and followers, for your support during these nine years I’ve written articles on MusiFlo.
Lots of love,
Flora Youssef
