OOPS! 2023 / #40 – 36: A Kid, A Spear and Some Baby Metal

We keep finding songs I missed and whole genres of music I didn’t know existed until this year. This section finds us back in Aussie music and further proof about my theory that weird music is great. There is also an icon on this list, which may make Coop’s oldies list…we will see. So, let’s get into it.

40. The Kid LAROI: Forever and Again

The Barbie soundtrack keeps delivering in 2023. Australia’s own First Nation’s artist Kid LAROI brings his pop style to the movie and it is a ton of fun. Kid LAROI comes off as a modern pop star with a mix of Bieber, some EDM and 2020s post-production vocal effects. I adore this song. What I love about it is it’s epic nature. It’s like one of those over the top romance novels with all the feels dialled up to 11…and I love how the track is in its feels. Having said all of that, you believe it. Kid LAROI comes off as genuine, honest and epic. Love it.

39. Bella White: Dishes

Canadian singer / songwriter Bella White follows in the footsteps of other great Canadian singer / songwriters like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. She may not be to their lofty heights yet, but the talent is there, so her future is bright. Bella is very difficult to define as her vocal resembles the indie folk movement of the last 10 years, but she has a very homegrown country arrangement. It all goes together well on a wonderful track about love and the beauty of everyday life.

38. Burning Spear: The Spear

Reggae icons Burning Spear, who put out such activist tracks as Marcus Garvey are back with tracks about Africa, Zion, spirituality and race. Most importantly, they bring back that old ska and dance hall feel that early Bob Marley and Desmond Dekker and the Aces made popular back in the day. It is refreshing to get this dance hall / ska hit as reggae goes further and further towards hip hop, club and amped up dub. If you want some good old socially active honest reggae, check this track out.

37. 6LACK: Talkback

I was first turned onto 6LACK with East Atlanta Love Letter, which I fell in love with back in 2018. His mix of introspective hip hop with getting in his feels was a great balance for me and I really connected with that. Since then getting in your feels on a hip hop track is all the rage, so it is time to see if 6LACK has evolved to stay ahead of the curve. Talkback starts with a sparse beat and moody guitar…so I was ready for the feels…but then the bass just crushes. This is classic 6LACK with talking about the hustle to success, but there is more edge here. This track is about throwing it back in people’s faces and not standing for people’s shit. 6LACK is still in his feels, but you can relate.

36. BABYMETAL: MAYA

Sometimes called kawaii metal, BABYMETAL is what you get if you crossed the Final Fantasy video game series with Cannibal Corpse. Remember, weird music is great and is what makes music amazing. I mean, BABYMETAL’s backing band, which is incredible, are called The Kami Band and each member represents a different god of metal and are summoned by the power of metal itself. If anyone remembers GWAR, a metal band with their own lore is the best. The Kami Band just shreds with breakneck speed and death metal crunch, which stands in stark contrast to the ultra glittery J-Pop vocal leads. I love this combination and it gives metal a strange left turn that keeps the genre ever expanding.