Music is a magical force. It can conjure emotions inside you that you didn’t even know were there. The world is full of music, inspired by so many cultures, and sung by so many voices and composed with dozens of instruments. Listening to music from different places is an invigorating way of learning and sharing ideas, and traditions. Some songs we associate with distant memories, or long lost friends. We all have a soundtrack. In the true spirit of the cosmopolitan, I am compiling a list of tunes sung by artists from various parts of the world to coincide with, let’s say summer (winter for the Southern Hemisphere, of course, yearlong sweltering for us tropical inhabitants).
1.Norway: Sigrid – Don’t Kill My Vibe
Honestly, Sigrid seems like such a cool girl. I wouldn’t mind being friends with her. Don’t Kill My Vibe is the type of song that gives you a soaring feeling, like you’ve grown wings from your back and there’s a refreshing breeze lifting you up from all the naysayers in your life. If you need an injection of energy, confidence, or bliss, give it a listen.
2. New Zealand: Lorde – Green Light
From Norway to New Zealand, we find another young talent, Lorde. Green Light is a definite evolution in Lorde’s musical style. Pure Heroine, her debut album, was a chill, almost disaffected, teenage view of life. Green Light still has the chill factor, but it’s more upbeat despite being about heartbreak. It’s energetic, it’ll make you want to dance, there’s something unusual about it, but it’s still very pop. It’s all about releasing whatever’s been holding you back in life.
3. South Korea: Seventeen – Don’t Wanna Cry
K-pop has really cast its magic on the world in recent years. Seventeen is a boy band consisting of 13 members divided into 3 factions: vocals, hip-hop, and performance. For me, when it comes to K-pop groups its important to consider the whole package. Their music videos are amazing! The dancing, the style, the quality. It’s all incredibly entertaining. I love this song, especially for the summer. It’s the sort of lovelorn, soft-pop ballad you can listen to while hanging with your friends next to some body of water with your shades on.
4. USA + Canada: Lana Del Rey ft. The Weeknd – Lust For Life
Have you been searching for that particular sultry song to match the sultry weather? Well, search no longer. Representing North America, Lana and the Weeknd have you sorted. In typical Lana Del Rey style, it’s romantic in the way that it makes you want to push a flower crown onto your head, sit on the grass, and sigh wistfully about nothing. It’s the perfect Bohemian love song (something about it reminds me of Moulin Rouge, but with classic Hollywood flair). There’s something beautiful about life in all its imperfections; at least that’s the sense I get from this song.
5. Puerto Rico – Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
It seems I would be remiss to not include this song. It’s massively infectious. It’s so popular it’s inspired memes, and its music video has about 1 billion (!!!) views on youtube (and it’s not even the version with Justin Bieber). It’s a feel good song, sensual, and invigorating. It makes you wish you had learnt latin dancing. You can try anyway (at your own risk).
Ari Frenchie Library 
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