MUSIC MONDAY: SZA

Music Monday is a new category I want to introduce for all the "Schreibtischhelden" aka "desk heroes" that have a hard time to kick off the week at work and need some inspiration and motivation. You might wonder what a "Schreibtischheld" or "desk hero" is? I know it's really bad English and might not make sense to you, if your native language is not German. But hey, this is what the blog is for: It's about international understanding and learning long ass German words that sound weird and that you can't translate in any other language, right?! 

So, let me try to explain it to you. It's actually a great lesson about German humor and irony. - Yes, we do have some kind of humor. - The way I understand it, is that you are a regular person with a 9 to 5 job and not a real life hero, but behind your desk you act like the "hero" (in a sarcastic way) that you think you are or always wanted to be. A tragic life story about unfulfilled dreams and getting on with life... Ok, maybe we don't have humor and are just dark. So back to good music...

Today, I want you to introduce you to SZA (/ˈsɪzə/siz-ə). She's a beautiful young artist that embodies BROWN | STRONG | FEMALE. The thing I love about music is that it's an international thing that everybody in the whole world knows of and does. And if you just dig deep enough, under the mainstream dictation of looks and sounds, you can actually find artists that you personally connect to and that represent you. And SZA is such an artist to me. She's a beautiful, strong women of colour, a millennial that tries to find her way, a muslim girl that grew up in an America or a world post 9/11.

I love her music because it represents her and a different narrative. She's an artist that doesn't put herself in one category. She just makes that kind of music because it makes sense to her. Her music reflects all the different sensations of a globalized world we all have to process. Her new song "Drew Barrymore" is a prime example of that. To me, it sheds light on feminism, self love, self worth and relationships with lyrics and a sound that are strong and vulnerable at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meka6L6qXzw

My favorite parts of the song:

I get so lonely, I forget what I'm worth We get so lonely, we pretend that this works

I'm sorry I'm not more attractive I'm sorry I'm not more ladylike I'm sorry I don't shave my legs at night

Cause it's hard enough you got to treat me like this Lonely enough to let you treat me like this

I hope you enjoyed this new category. Let me know in the comment section below and don't hesitate to share artists that you enjoy!

xo, MadVoyage

Photocredit: http://www.instyle.com/news/sza-coachella-2016-interview