Diane is a corporate lawyer from NYC living and working abroad.

On the surface she appears "strong, confident and gutsy" - but she had been feeling a drop in her confidence, and wanted a playlist that made her feel like the heroine in her very own, Wong-Kar-Wai-set-in-NYC movie. 

In building Diane's Debop, we took note of her current and historical artist preferences, as well as the desired themes she wanted to explore: Life, Love, Happiness, Survival. We then stacked her playlist with a number of diversely strong, complex, badass (mostly female) artists, with the hopes that this playlist would act as the soundtrack she needed at that moment in her life, as she turned another year older. (September 2017)

You can read her questionnaire in full below, and you'll also find a few excerpts from her answers in the custom playlist below:


 

Diane -

In curating this playlist, I took into consideration the artists you’ve been loving, as well as your current state of mind - and from there, dove into selecting a range of tracks and artists I think you’ll love. I also noted your gravitation towards melody and rhythm, with a particular focus on the types of instrumentation you’ve been leaning towards (percussion, deep drums, violin, cello). My hope is that this playlist will act as a stepping stone and spark a curiosity in you to take an even deeper dive into these artists’ rich discographies and works.

To encourage an optimal listening experience, I’d recommend:

  1. Setting aside 20-25 minutes of “undistracted” time

  2. Listening on headphones

  3. Reading the liner notes as you go through the playlist

Enjoy!

Your Personal Music Guru,

Deb

 
 

Here is the full playlist, but you’ll find each track individually broken down with liner notes below.


1. Unstoppable - Lianne La Havas

You mentioned having recently discovered the amazing Emeli Sandé, which led me to think you'll love Lianne La Havas, too. Another soulful R&B vocalist, this track is the lead single from her fantastic sophomore album that came out in 2015, which I hope you explore further (other standout tracks include 'Tokyo,' 'Green & Gold,' and 'Wonderful'). A perfect record set to scenes walking around the city, or listening at home with candles lit, contemplating life, growth, and being unstoppable. 

Who’s an artist you recently discovered and loved?


"SWV, Emeli Sande, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers"


2. Ain't Got Far To Go - Jess Glynne

This is a montage track for your life's movie, a la 'Devil Wears Prada.' It's the ultimate motivation song - one that matches Jess Glynne's powerhouse pop vocals and 90s throwback production - not to mention, the lyrics also reflect the same drive and mentality of not just surviving, but making dreams a reality. Perfect to play to pump yourself up on the morning commute, or when you need to tune out those coworkers. And like the song before, I'd recommend checking out this album in full as well if you dig this song.

Are there any genres or themes you'd like to explore in this playlist?


"I want to feel like I am [...] the main character of a movie set in NYC"


In what environment do you rely on music the most?
"Office when I am trying to tune out my coworkers; subway when I am commuting..."


3. Woman (feat. The Dap-Kings Horns) - Kesha

This song is a certified ANTHEM, especially when considering the trauma Kesha has overcome in her personal and professional life. Seeing how she has come out the other side with this new album is nothing short of empowering. Musically, she's shed her EDM 'Ke$ha' persona, and has returned to more old-school roots and songwriting skills. As a result, her vocals shine, and having the Dap-Kings horn section on this song gives it the retro patina that they lent to Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones. This is the ultimate pump up jam for motherf-ing WOMEN. 


What changes have you noticed in your personality or sensibilities in the last 5 years?

"I used to consider myself very unique, independent and strong - but having been in Korea for the last 5 years, I feel like I've become much more conformed to everything, and in certain ways, less confident about myself."