11 March 2023 - Drake - God's Plan

Canadian rap artist Drake has released a LOT of singles.  Literally, more than 140 in his 14-year-so-far career.

His biggest worldwide hit by far is this one, from 2018.  Written by Aubrey Drake Graham and a bunch of other people, the bigger story here is the video, where Drake really gave away almost $200,000 to random Miami residents (the video implies almost $1 million, but I assume not everything was done on camera).

But videos don't get to be the #1 song of the year as determined by Billboard, as this song was in 2018. This song was - it also spent 11 weeks atop the weekly charts - and was only knocked down by another of his own songs.  In total, Drake spent 29 of the 52 weeks of 2018 topping the Billboard pop charts - which is absolutely gigantic. 

By the way, in total, Drake has spent 54 weeks topping the Hot 100 - which is 5th most all time - Mariah Carey, Elvis Presley, Rhianna and Beatles are the only artists with more,  He's also got the most #1 debuts on the chart, with 7 - including both this single and the one that replaced it ("Nice For What"), the first time that a #1 debut replaced a #1 debut at #1.  

It's pretty standard Drake-brand hip-hop, but also, it's got some real feeling behind it, so there's that. 

10 March 2023 - Rêve - Tongue

I figured, why let œ have all the clipboard fun?  Let ê get some play!

Seriously, the artist known legally as Briannah Donolo grew up in Montreal, Quebec... and started with music at a very early age.  A cunning linguist herself, she speaks both English and French, and yes, her music is in English, even with the non-standard English-language letter in her name.

Rêve brings an electronic sound that does not feel out of place in the club - a sexually-charged club that serves tongues at mealtime, but still.  The song is definitely not safe for work, as it is pretty overt in its sexuality - it's not talking about lengua tacos, unless that's some kind of euphemism, in which case, it IS talking about lengua tacos, if you know what I mean, winky-face emoji.  

This fresh new Canadian artist is nominated for THREE Juno Awards this year, which will be awarded Monday, and I'm not gonna lie - I'm rooting for her.

If you prefer your music without body parts on a platter, but with the same entendre-filled lyrics, but also, you aren't prone to seizures, go ahead and check out Rêve's performance below.  

9 March 2023 - Corb Lund ft. Hayes Carll - Bible on the Dash

When most people in the U.S. think Canadian country the first thought likely is Shania Twain. And while that’s a pretty picture it’s akin to putting ketchup on fries.

Canadian country to me starts, but nowhere stops with Corb Lund.

Corb’s been doing his thing for almost 30 years. His sound is definitely western. The dude can write straight-up sentimental classic country, but he’s actually at his best when he lets his freak flag fly.

“Bible on the Dash” with Hayes Carll (who is American, but we’ll forgive him) is one of his freakiest…and best. In fact, I’d say this may be grooviest song ever. And it’s funny. Dig.

8 March 2023 - Korea Town Acid - Telepathic Communications

I looked at the date I first discovered Korea Town Acid.

March 8, 2022.  It was a candidate for last year's #MapleLeafMarch.  Probably because Korea Town Acid was a 2022 Juno Award nominee for Best Underground Dance Single of the Year (not for this song).

In this video, we see a woman looking at times disinterested and bored as she explores what appears to be Toronto at night.  That woman has a name.  Her name is Jessica Cho - born in Seoul, Canadian since a very young age, and based in Toronto.  Jessica Cho is Korea Town Acid.  Korea Town Acid is Jessica Cho.  

Musically, the song is 100% electronic, with what sounds like lasers punctuating an ambient beat.  An ominous voiceover accompanies the captivating music.  

7 March 2023 - Cœur de Pirate - Adieu

You know, we write these posts of English-language QWERTY keyboards.  There's no œ key.  It takes some effort for us to CONTINUALLY write about Cœur de Pirate.

And yet, here we are.  Writing about Cœur de Pirate again.

Ms. de Pirate (You know I know her real name, people.  Issa joke) has released eight album.  Seven of them are really really good, and a couple of them are among my personal favorites of all time.  The eighth is her sophomore album, Blonde.   

But, to be fair, I didn't love all of the other seven right away (Roses and Perséides, absolutely I did from first listen), and that's what's happening with Blonde as well.  It's growing on me.  It's songs like this one - a clever pop song with a double bassline and a wicked video with a Bewitched theme (Cœur de Pirate as Serena) - that are selling me on this album.

If you don't know French, you don't know that this is a sad breakup song - and a raw one at that, early in the process, when you don't want to see the person.  On her native instrument, the piano, Cœur de Pirate really drives the true underlying sadness of the song home.  

6 March 2023 - Isabella Lovestory - Sexo Amor Dinero

Wait a minute.

That's not French OR English!

That's right, gentle reader.  Isabella Lovestory is a Latina artist based in Montreal.  Her edgy music is definitely performed tongue-in-cheek, primarily in her native language of Spanish (she was born in Honduras, but Canadian since her mid-teens), Reggaton with a strong women's empowerment undertone might be unexpected in Canadian music, but here we are.  

Of course, "Lovestory" isn't a traditional Honduran last name.  Her last name is Rodriguez.  This is a persona - she is both a musician and performance artist, and she has fun with it.  Music is meant to be enjoyed, even if she is singing about "amor hardcore".  

She is certainly an artist to watch.

5 March 2023 - DVSN - Don't Take Your Love

Most of the year, we are a five-day-a-week blog, at most.

In #MapleLeafMarch, there's too much content for five days.  So, we step it up to all seven.  This is why we're posting on a Sunday.

Today, we're going back to the 1990s.  No, wait, this song was released in 2022.  I'm sorry.  I just heard the song and I thought for sure that it must have been from the 1990s, given the sound I was hearing.   

No, DVSN (formerly dvsn - not a joke) are a modern duo, active since 2016 and signed to Drake's label.  Drake wasn't even on DeGrassi in the 90's yet.  The sound sure does bring back memories of 90's R&B, but the freestyle feel points more to modern hip-hop, so I guess it's a fusion piece.

The duo themselves are pretty renowned in their own right, with one half of them being the producer behind some of Drake's biggest hits, which is probably why Nineteen85 has a few Grammy nominations (and a win, for Best Rap Song - "Hotline Bling", which he co-wrote and produced- in 2017) in the past on top of the Juno nomination for DVSN this year.  

Also, they're Canadian.  I feel like I have to say that.  This video was clearly filmed in Toronto, their hometown.