ICYMI – there was a U.S. Congressional hearing that centered around a testimony that aliens are real, U.F.O.’s are legit, and the government knows. The whistleblower in question was retired Major David Grusch, stated that the American government has been aware of “non-human” activity since the 30’s, and that he endangers himself by coming forward.
Social media responded with a shrug, which is hilarious to think about. Maybe if Grusch came forward in 2019, when the hot meme was storming Area 51, we’d be going crazy. The truth is, the current state of the world is so mired in problems great and small, that extraterrestrial life just feels like one drop of rain in a larger storm of craziness.
Still, one can’t help but daydream. Maybe someday the human race will be able to kick it with sentient, space-faring life. Maybe an Intergalactic Federation is possible in our lifetime. Maybe the little green men are little! And green! For now, here’s a soundtrack to daydreams about close encounters.
Daft Punk – Voyager
Y’all remember Inter5tella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem? The fact that there’s an animated motion picture that accompanies Daft Punk’s Discovery album is crazy to me. Do you think the aliens would like it? Pretty sure they would.
A Star Is Born – JAY-Z, J. Cole
The Blueprint 3 didn’t get a lot of love when it first came out, and if we’re discussing Hova’s candidacy for GOAT status, we might cite any other record under his name. But A Star Is Born, which features a pretty catch J. Cole verse, is a solid track that’ll make you scan the sky for constellations.
CRASHING – O SIDE MAFIA, Tu$ Brother$
It can’t be helped that O SIDE MAFIA doesn’t miss. This track sports a domineering beat that makes you think of Chevrolet Impala lowriders. On that note, do you think extraterrestrial life forms pimp their unidentified flying objects? Imagine a flying saucer with airbrushed flames.
MOON – Nik Makino, Flow G
Nik Makino and Flow G spin a mean flow about riding and road trips. It’ll also be a great track for when we eventually invent the technology to traverse lightyears worth of distance.
LIMINAL – JWOLF, Chow Mane
Keep an eye on both JWOLF and Chow Mane as fast-rising Asian American musicians in the hip-hop scene at large. The ethereal sense of melody and spacey beats on this track are trippy enough to pull your astral form out of your body and send it hurtling through galaxies.
Space – Erika de Casier
The stylings of Danish singer-songwriter Erika de Casier invoke R&B and UK garage, so a song about the space between distant lovers, though sad, still feels cool. It’s the sonic equivalent of crushed mint leaves in your favorite cocktail, or a starry sky on a breezy evening. Fun fact: did you know Erika de Casier has writing credits on a couple Newjeans songs? Specifically “New Jeans” and “Super Shy”!
ETA – Newjeans
Speaking of which! “We can go wherever you like,” goes the new girl group sweeping the airwaves. Newjeans’ genre versatility is prominent in their new EP. How many sentient alien species are out there? Like, there’s gotta be more than just one other species besides us.
Time & Space (A New Refutation Of) – Digable Planets
The rap group Digable Planets is one of the greatest to ever do it, and is right up there along with A Tribe Called Quest when it comes to lyricism that ruminates on all things cosmic. Slip slide, dip then take a dive / Planets lookin' high when we travellin' on a vibe.” Whenever any other rapper says their lyrics are trippy, I don’t believe them. If it ain’t Digable Planets, no thanks.
Good Hair Day – Simon Mavin
An instrumental slips into the penultimate slot of our spacey playlist. Simon Mavin is better known as the keyboardist of jazz and funk band Hiatus Kaiyote. On the single art of Good Hair Day, it looks like he’s in the cockpit of a spacecraft. It certainly sounds that way too, with Mavin piloting a crazy arrangement of notes to take listeners across lightyears.
ALIEN SUPERSTAR – Beyoncé
Obviously. The inclusion of “ALIEN SUPERSTAR” needs to explanation, but we’d just like to say, happy belated one year anniversary to RENAISSANCE, a century-defining record. When the world ends and the dust settles, if one thing made by humanity should survive in the rubble and be discovered by future civilizations, it should be RENAISSANCE.
