Do you have the same music taste as our team? See who we listened to most in 2019!

Birmingham, Bham Now, Now the Weekend
Despite what this looks like, we’re not all laughing at Content Producer Nathan Watson. Photo via Matthew Niblett for Bham Now

If you’ve looked at even one Instagram story in the past week, chances are it was someone sharing their 2019 Spotify Wrapped. Depending on who you follow you probably saw Lizzo a few times. Actually—I don’t know who you follow, but I can still guarantee you saw tons of Lizzo.

So, how does your music taste match up to Bham Now’s? Take a peek at some of the team’s favorite music of 2019!

We’re a bunch of writers, there’s obviously lots of alternative music on our list.

Folk duo Johnnyswim.
How’s this for a romantic career? The folk duo known as Johnnyswim are husband-and-wife team—Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano. Photo via NPR.org.

Between indie-pop, indie-folk, lo-fi indie or just music wrapped into a ball called “alternative,” our team listened to a lot of it. We put on our cuffed jeans and oversized jackets and set up these artists on our Urban Outfitters’ record player:

  • Noah Kahan, “Mess”
  • Rainbow Kitten Surprise, “All That and More (Sailboat)”
  • The Head and the Heart, “Honeybee”
  • Car Seat Headrest, “Sober to Death”
  • The Lumineers, “Ophelia”
  • Lake Street Dive, “You Go Down Smooth”
  • The 1975, “Love If We Made It”
  • Henry Jamison, “Through a Glass”

Love both those artists for their sound but also because they write their own music- that’s big for me when I’m listening to artists. I just feel like it makes such a difference when people are recording and performing stuff they’ve made. There’s a lot more heart in it.

Beth Cunningham,content producer, on her artist of the decade, Johnnyswim, and artist of the year, Noah Kahan.

Some of our music taste threw it back a decade or three.

The Beatles are some of the team's music taste.
I would legitimately wear every single one of these outfits today. Probably not the haircuts though. Photo via Pinterest.

Just because there’s so much good new music doesn’t mean it’s all our team listened to. Fueled either by nostalgia or just the fact that the best artists never grow tired, we love a nice #TBT.

“My parents introduced me to the Beatles at a young age and I’ve pretty much never stopped listening to them… they never get old!”

Nathan Watson, content producer

From the 60s to the early 2000s, some of our team’s top musicians were these throwbacks:

  • Sam Cooke
  • Rolling Stones
  • The Maine (started in 2007, The Maine continues to release new music)
  • The Beatles
  • The Doors, “End of the Night”
The Maine.
The Maine looks like how my friends and I roll up to every function. Photo via ticketfly.com.

“The reason I love them so much is because my best friend and I bonded over their music in high school, and to this day their music is like the soundtrack of our friendship. We’ve gone to see them together every time they’ve come to town, and I plan to keep doing that as long as they keep coming to Birmingham.”

Lauren Moore, content producer, on her most listened to artist of the year and of the decade, The Maine.

Pop music didn’t escape us either.

Pop-singer Lizzo against an orange background.
Between her hitting No.1 on Billboard hot 100, ad partnership with Absolut Vodka and 8 Grammy nominations, Lizzo’s fame skyrocketed in the past year. Photo via Pinterest from Rolling Stone.

Sometimes you just need that extra motivation only a Swift or a Lavigne can give you. Pop was on our team’s workout playlists and helped us relax when we needed some stress relief.

“Love’em because it’s like I got this music in my head sayin’ it’s gonna be alright.”

Jacob Blankenship, content producer, on his most listened to artist of the year, Taylor Swift

The team’s 2019 pop lineup was run by women:

  • Lizzo, “Good as Hell”
  • Billie Eilish, “Bury a Friend”
  • Taylor Swift
  • Avril Lavigne, “Head Above Water”
Billie Eilish
At only 17 years old, Billie Eilish is worth roughly $6 million. At only 17 years old, I was worth roughly $3. Photo via E!News.

2020 is a few short weeks away— here’s who we want to hear more of in the new year.

Raveena performing at NPR's Tiny Desk Concert.
Like most of my favorite artists, I totally fell in love with Raveena’s sound after watching her Tiny Desk Concert on NPR. Photo via NPR.org.

Whether they’re a new band we just discovered, a favorite artist who is releasing new music or someone we don’t plan to give up, check out out who will be on our Spotify 2020 Wrapped:

“Coldplay because their new album just came out and it’s FIREEE”

Chaise Sanders, content producer, on who she wants to hear more from in 2020
  • The War and Treaty
  • Violent Femmes
  • Raveena
  • Chris Stapleton
  • Anderson .Paak 
  • Vance Joy

“I’ll never get tired of The Lumineers. Everything they create is amazing. Discovered them this decade and will be following them well into the next. My daughter’s loved them since she was probably 5, and I love having that in common with my future concert girl.”

Patience Itson, content producer

Who did you listen to most in 2019? Give our team some suggestions by tagging us on social @bhamnow.

Irene Richardson
Irene Richardson
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