Have you ever been near a family so kooky, so creepy, that they’re known to be one of the most beloved families in television sitcoms? Look no further than The Addams Family. Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the newest rendition of The Addams Family sitcom show stars the intelligent and deadly Wednesday, who’s about to be whisked away on an adventure to investigate the mysterious murders that surround her new school, Nevermore Academy. The title of the show is called Wednesday; simple, right?
With the show on its way to Netflix on November 23rd, YEM has compiled together a playlist that embodies one of the spirits of The Addams Family to promote its release, which is ‘flipping expectations’! This household has always been advertised to be an inverted satire of what lies beneath a typical American household in the 20th century, so for those who are new to the Addam’s Family as a whole, this theme will serve as a great introduction to what Wednesday will hold. These songs may not be accompanied by a certain The Hand and Lurch, but it should be expected that the songs here were made by very talented artists.
First up is “Wisdom Tooth” by Wallice, a single that was released in November of 2021. The title alone draws some heads, doesn’t it? Wisdom Tooth was made by singer-songwriter stationed in LA, Wallice, and her best friend marinelli. Don’t let the title mislead you, however. While the inspiration behind the song did originate from Wallice’s experience with her wisdom tooth, she has mentioned that the removal conveys a sign of physically growing up. Now, how does this embody flipping expectations, you ask? Wallice had ‘flipped’ the expectations of how others see the sign of the removal of a wisdom tooth. While others mainly see that the removal is just the daily process of growing up, Wallice saw more beneath it and merged that experience with other kinds of experiences, such as breaking away from someone in your life. If you like something similar to “Wisdom Tooth”, check out more of Wallice’s music.
Yunѐ Pinku is a Malaysian-Irish producer and songwriter who released her debut EP, Bluff on May 2022. Her music was described to be exploring the aspects of a young person’s life within the time of 2020, while also acknowledging the astronomical changes that were made to oneself during the time of the pandemic. Yunѐ comments that the track is supposed to show what is done in a single year. One can argue that you can’t experience a whole year as simply as you’re able to, especially in about four minutes, but she spins that expectation beautifully through this single thought on how to best describe it: skate culture. Yunѐ describes a single year to be constantly shifting within the realm of free culture, which is arguable, true to form.
Breaking away from the rap music for a moment, how about listening to a few tracks by the band Pretty Sick, fronted by Sabrina Fuentes? The band’s song “Superstar” flips the script about a romantic or platonic relationship, and essentially becoming a doormat to receive any sense of affection. There’s also “Karma” by Ayra Starr, whose title and music flip the perspective of her meaning of karma under Arya’s account. Karma is often noted to be used negatively, but for Arya, Karma became someone that was there for her.
Vancouver-raised artist EKKSTACY released the track “it only gets worse, i promise” under his album NEGATIVE, back in 2021. His music is best described to be cathartic, where EKKSTACY will take his own experiences and direct them toward his music. Upon receiving the well-deserved success from his album NEGATIVE, with “it only gets worse, i promise” being one of the few, prominent tracks in that album, he is ready to start on a whole new chapter in 2022. His tracks have become less dark as of 2022, and it should be noted that his music still holds the same genuine and therapeutic feelings that fans adore to this day.
“18 & Over” by Nia Archives showcases a reggae-jungle tune and fuses it with her Jamaican heritage, happily commentating that the song resonates not only with those in the older and younger generation. Another artist who flips expectations is SIPHO, whose track from his latest EP, “SHE MIGHT BLEED”, “Beady Eyes” tells the tale of sabotaging others and yourself, while also knowing your actions. A track that tells a story that’s a bit different from other artists, and it’s one that’s adored by his fans.
Have you ever heard of “Water Sign” by SPIDER? Her music is a tad different, but it’s through that thought does her song flip expectations. The inspiration for “Water Sign” comes not through personal experience, but from the androgynous, Nigerian deity, Olokun. SPIDER has mentioned in length that Olokun embodies the darkness within humans and has commented that “Water Sign” acknowledges how powerful the feeling of sensitivity can be. If you’re interested in even more pop music, check out “Strong for Me” by Tamera Foster on her album “Afrodite”. Her song reveals that this was made while she was in a state of huge power and that giving away love, to only be reciprocated repulsively can break someone and turn them into a colder person.
Here’s an artist that you might know, Ed Sheeran with his release “Celestial”. While this song does fit Ed’s modus operandi on relationships, this is ‘flipped’ due to how this song was released, compared to his other releases. The song was accompanied by the latest trailer and newest release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, a whole new avenue that Ed has never explored before. Congrats to Ed for “Celestial”’s release!
If you’ve been reading our articles for a while, you’ll recognize this next artist. Joshua Bassett’s track “I’m sorry” from his EP, “Different” is not about loss or even death, but it’s about the guilty feelings that accompany the singer for being unable to say, ‘I love you’ and telling that person to blame you. If that inspired you to listen to more music like that, how about listening to Vintage Boring with their EP, “Liar’s Club” and their song “Waterless”? The bands’ songs, much like “Waterless”, explore the rare avenue that is escapism.
Have you ever heard of Yard Act? Their song “The Overload” was released back in September of 2021, but this song changes the script for its narrative. The artists state that the song serves as an overture for the album, all from the perspective of not someone in love, but someone who sits in the bar and hears all kinds of conversations from different characters. They serve as a medium with their views and beliefs, and the artists feel as if this is a fairer representation of how we humans act as we are now.
The Velveteers with their “What A Smile Can Hide” in their album “Nightmare Daydream” is next on this playlist. While some artists tend to be more focused on the words behind the person, The Velveteers does this a bit differently by singing about how a single smile can hold more secrets than the words that leave one’s mouth. If that tickled your fancy, how about GAYLE and her track “god has a sense of humor” from her album “a study of the human experience volume two”? This song is a tad different from other songs because of how torn this song is, teetering between the edges of holding hope and cynicism.
Billie Ellish and her song “TV” matches the theme thanks to one of a few factors: to her, it has been a while since she wrote a song that is released to the public without going through the procedure of setting a date to shoot a music video and the like, and it’s through that nostalgia did she flip expectations. The other artist is Harry Styles and his song, “As It Was”. This song is a tad different from others when it comes to the concept of change, whereas some claim that change is terrifying or a whole new adventure, Harry changes the perspective of that and claims that change is accepting.
Have you heard of Holly Humberstone? She’s a musician from Grantham, England and her track “Scarlett” is a whole new story. The track is inspired by her childhood friend, and the song takes the perspective of said friend that follows her one-sided relationship with her past boyfriend. Holly took that time to slowly help her friend through the breakup process, and from there, this song was made in not only her friend’s honor but also as a means of messing with the guy who messed with Holly’s friend. Way to go, Holly and her friend!
Take a listen to Mia Rodriguez, an internet personality from Syndey, Australia who sang her track “Billion Dollar Bitch” with her collaborator, Baby Tate. This song is different, and how you might ask? Its message of wanting to feel like a rebel is why! This song was made within the cusp of the pandemic, and it’s not often you hear a song like this about feeling confident about yourself. And finally, listen to Thomas Headon’s track “Nobody Has To Know”, who changes the thoughts of regular relationships by writing about the innocence of a relationship.
