Each week we invite music lovers to share the songs that have soundtracked their lives. This week it's Kiwi R&B singer/songwriter Bailey Wiley, whose brand new self-titled EP drops on Monday.
What They Do (The Roots)
The Roots were my first introduction to hip-hop - I would've been 12 yearsold. There's such a great message in this song, which stems from hip-hop in truest form; the hook is "never do what they do", and that means, "just do your own thing". It's cool, it's about going against the grain and The Roots are such incredible musicians . . . even to this day they're my favourites. Not only are they political, but they live and breathe hip-hop and it's not so much about gangs and violence and stuff, it's about the culture and their people.
This has to be my favorite duet of all time. Jill Scott is an incredible writer, she's just one of my favorite songstresses of all time. I just love the lyric content, I think it's really beautiful. I love that it says things in the song like, "you're the salt to my pepper" - it's just about being with someone and being in the groove and loving every little piece about them. It's just really nice.
How Come You Don't Call Me (Prince)
Because I'm only 28, when I first heard this song it was actually covered by Alicia Keys on that album Songs in A Minor. Then I heard the Prince version of it and I just almost died because obviously Prince is absolutely incredible. I think for me, How Come You Don't Call Me is the ultimate singalong song. Everybody knows that song. You put it on in your car and you just turn it up full bore. I think it will just be a forever favourite.
I'd Rather Go Blind (Etta James)
I heard this song for the first time when I first started songwriting, I was quite young - now it's in my top five favourite songs of all time. You know when you hear a song and it just pulls your heartstrings every single time? That's this. It's probably the most ultimate love song of all time for me, it's so powerful and you can hear it's just so raw and beautiful - and so broken at the same time. It's like when you hear a song and you feel like it's written about you, it's part of your story.
If You Love Me (Brownstone)
I actually only heard this a few years ago because Tory Lanez sampled it and I was like, "Oh my god, what is this?" So I googled it, and you know when you hear songs at certain times in your life, and it's like you were kind of meant to hear them? I heard this when I was going through a hard time and it really resonated with me something wicked. I think it comes down to the vocal and the melody, and the power behind all the backing vocals and the storytelling. It has a nostalgic feel to it. Every time I listen to it, it takes me back to that time.
Down and Out (Ladi6)
I think the thing that I'm drawn to about this is the lyrics and because it's by a New Zealand artist - and Ladi is a good friend of mine. Plus there are these drum fills in the hook that I really love and it's also just a song that I love singing. It's kind of indescribable; there's just something about it that resonates with you. I used to be so obsessed with that album [Time is Not Much] - I used to listen to it when I was in high school and hands down, that was my favorite track on the album. And then I went on tour with her last year . . . it's really crazy how things work out the way they do.
Japanese Denim (Daniel Caesar)
This song reminds me of my partner. Every time we listen to the song together, we just sing it at the top of our lungs. It's special because it's a song that I share with someone else and it means as much to them as it means to me. The first line is something like, "I don't stand in line / I don't pay for clubs / F*** that / But I would do it for you". I adore it because so often nowadays you hear love songs that are like, "I don't need you and I'm all good" and it's quite guarded. So the thing that I love about this song the most is that it's vulnerable and it's written for now, talking about clubs and stuff, but in a really poetic way which makes it really beautiful.
