DJ Jim Q's Playlist: Free

Happy New Year, welcome to 2022! The first theme of the year is Free and we can thank the Charlotte chapter for selecting this optimistic inaugural theme. It’s a nice one to start a new year with for sure. I’m ready to shake free from the burdens of this last year, how about you? For me, this previous year has been somewhat isolating, at least physically. I have found a number of tactics to assuage the feelings of reclusion. Music has always been a welcome escape from my own thoughts. The most visceral songs can transport my mind to other realities. Similar to the way reading taps into the mind’s eye, the best music can evoke sensory illusions and conjure vivid experiences within your imagination. Free show! Maybe a few of the songs on this month’s playlist can take you there.

There were so many songs to pick from this month. It seems every artist, era and genre touches on themes of freedom. The challenge was keeping the list reasonably concise and also not repeating songs from previous playlists, namely the Release playlist from just a few months ago and the Freedom playlist from all the way back in 2014. The Freedom playlist also happens to be the very first official playlist I compiled for the CreativeMornings community. And since you’re already in a free state of mind, it might be a good time to revisit those playlists to continue the ride.

Liberated and unrestrained, listen with abandon, the theme this month is Free. As in freeform, and freewheeling, and free-of-charge. Over 40 songs of uninhibited, unconstrained, and unimpeded compositions replete with narratives of liberation and freedom. From the soul queen of New Orleans Irma Thomas, to diva duo Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, to Aussie agro auteurs Amyl and the Sniffers, tune in, let loose, it’s a free-for-all.

Happy New Year and thank you for listening. If you enjoy these playlists please give me a shout on Twitter and be sure to follow me on Spotify. See you next month.