“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” — Bob Marley
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” — Maya Angelou
“Music should be your escape.” — Missy Elliot
The power of music – to connect, to soothe, to inspire, to empower – is undeniable. As we close out 2022 and head into 2023, the Change Consulting team wanted to share our personal anthems for next year – the song we are choosing when it is our time to boogie down the soul train line into the new year.
- Bilen Mesfin Packwood — Lizzo, About Damn Time. “The lyrics tell it all ‘Oh, I’ve been so down and under pressure; I’m way too fine to be this stressed, yeah; Oh, I’m not the girl I was or used to be; Uh, I might be better.’”
- Nesima Aberra — Dua Lipa, Levitating. “Listening to Dua gets me hype and allows me to channel my energy, self-confidence, and optimism about the future even when life can be stormy. Her music was my soundtrack for my morning and evening mental health walks but it’s really perfect for any time!”
- Dulce Lopez — Mare Advertencia, Escrbiend la historia. “Mare is currently one of the most amazing political rappers in Mexico. Although this song has been around for almost five years, it always reminds me to have hope because social change is happening by rewriting our own stories, healing ourselves, listening to our communities, and with the networks we make. Just as oppression and imperialism know no boundaries, real change has to be transnational.”
- Stephanie Ong — Stevie Wonder, As. “You’re not helpin’ to make this earth a place sometimes called hell. Change your words into truths and then change that truth into love and maybe our children’s grandchildren and their great grandchildren will tell. I’ll be loving you until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky.”
- Mariah Cochran — bLAck pARty, Bloom. “I hope your flowers bloom. I hope you grow up to be everything you want to.”
- Nicole Carroll — The Beatles, Here Comes the Sun. “Like so many folks, I’ve had a tough time since the pandemic started. I can finally see that everything is going to be ok, and this song is a reminder!
- Kyung Jin Lee — Queen and David Bowie, Under Pressure. “A reminder to care and create a better world together.”
- Layla Crater — Laura Branigin, Gloria. “You can’t listen to that intro and not get juiced.”
- Kay Cuajunco — Teyana Taylor ft Lauryn Hill, We Got Love. “The beats and violin in this song give me life and I love the affirmations at the end: ‘Above all, keep your clarity, keep your focus, keep your sense of love, keep your sense of purpose.’”
- Dina Sigal — Sons of Kemet, For the Culture. – “There’s no deep or great explanation as to why I love this song other than it’s hard to not move, get energized, and just be totally overtaken by the instruments and beat. Some days are hard, so why not just dance?”
- Alexis Meisels — Marcia Griffiths, Put a Little Love in Your Heart. “I discovered this cover last year, and will be swaying into the new year with this sweet, sincere, loving, reminder to keep filling up my heart for myself and others. As a wise woman on our team once shared, when things feel hard we can always bring our own sunshine. Jamaican singer Maria Griffiths channels that sentiment in her reggae version of this classic, reminding me how simple and gorgeous it is to love.”
- Anna Ghosh — Gizmo Varillas, Freedom for a Change. “This song includes all of my intentions and prayers for 2023, for myself, my loves, and pretty much all humans: redemption, healing, connection, conviction, beautiful days, and freedom! Plus, I cannot resist the maracas.”
You can listen to them all together on this Spotify playlist. Let us know what your personal anthem for 2023 on social media, we are @changeconsulting!