Jill’s Top 5 April In Rotation Picks

Written by Jill Hopkins on April 19, 2021

Spring has sprung in Chicago, and you know what they say: April showers bring… fresh new music! Jill Hopkins chose some of her favorite songs from our In Rotation playlist to wash away this long winter.

Luminous – “Regular”

Dang, Luminous. If this is how you do on the regular, what are special occasions like? I may not be ready for how hard the songs go on Christmas Eve or Mother’s Day.

The SNL sketch from a couple of weeks ago about the weird little flute in hip hop songs has nothing on the horns that run through this track. Oooooweeeee! This one is coming in hot.

SB, Genesis 7 – “Reppin the GO”

After the week this city and its people have had, a love letter to Chicago is just the salve we need. Especially when it takes the good with the bad. A sugar-coated mash note wouldn’t feel real, but this “lived experiences set to smooth beats” is as authentic as it gets.

Nelson Alfren said “Loving Chicago is like loving a woman with a broken nose,” and this song embodies that perfectly.

JBRO Bugatti – “PLAYA”

Did I take three years of Spanish in high school? Yes.

Was that a long-ass time ago? Also yes.

So, I sadly don’t understand the entirety of “PLAYA,” but the beachy vibes it lays out (I didn’t forget everything) make me want to pay more attention to the Duolingo owl when he bugs me about continuing my lessons.

Splish splash. This song is a vacation in just two and a half minutes, and boy did I need it.

Mike Meraz – “The Fix”

I just started with a new therapist (TMI), and it maybe sounds like I could just be going to Mike Meraz instead. This self-reflective banger *new genre alert* lets us know that Mike, like so many of us, is on a journey of care for ourselves and others. And while it may not always go as planned, the important thing is that we try.

I just wish any one of my journal entries rhymed. I might be on a whole new adventure.

Zoe Yovela – “Sun”

In the morning I don’t like being told what to do. Alarms are the worst, and I suspect everyone who claims to be a “morning person” is a liar.

But, Zoe Yovela seems to have cracked the code on waking up. This song is a gentle affirmation of the spirit, and a gorgeous imploring nudge to rise and welcome what could be a beautiful day.

I think I’ll add this to my morning routine. I need all the AM help I can get.