I love music for many reasons — and as I’ve grown older, lyrics have become more and more important to a joyful listening experience. During the first few months of the pandemic, with an endless amount of time on my hands, I made a goal to explore the world of international music.
At first it was a challenge, as it was harder to relate to the lyrics of songs I had no understanding of. But there are plenty of resources out there to help you understand the meanings behind these lyrics, and if not, the artistic expression displayed by the artist can help you glean meanings of your own.
There is an unlimited amount of beautiful music out there, in every language. While five songs can’t represent the innate beauty of non-English music, I hope this mini-playlist can be a gateway for you to explore the vast realm of non-English music.
“Hasta la Raíz” by Natalia Lafourcade
Let’s start with the Spanish song. While this song may seem like a cop out for me since I am a fluent Spanish speaker, the mere cinematic beauty of the music makes it bone-chilling by itself.
Often heralded as one of the most influential Latin American musicians of the 21st century, Lafourcade’s discography is loaded with gorgeous, poetic songs. Her most recent output “De Todas las Flores” is undoubtedly her best full body of work, but “Hasta la Raíz” from her 2015 album ticks every box I have for a perfect song.
While the lyrics tug at your heartstrings, the ascending melodies and cinematic instrumentation envelop you in its atmosphere. Tightly picked acoustic guitars lull you into Lafourcade’s satiny vocals, and as the song develops, soaring strings subtly make themselves known before bursting into sonic bliss. The song truly makes you feel like you can fly.
“Hélio” by Tangolo Mangos
Venturing into a linguistic relative of Spanish, here we have the Brazilian rock band Tangolo Mangos.
Their 2023 album “Garatujas” is an explosion of genre fusions, all based in psychedelic rock. “Hélio,” while only five minutes in length, takes you on a sonic rollercoaster you’ll never want to get off.
The track has a brooding start, boasting a slow, menacing guitar drenched in reverb and a solitary harmonica squealing like you’re about to witness a Western fast draw. About a minute in, a stampede of drums and a racing bass line electrify the track like jumper cables starting a car.
Nearly every minute there is a tempo or tone change, and while some may find these never-ending changes of pace overwhelming, it is certainly not going to be boring.
“These Chains” by Mid-Air Thief
Finally leaving the romance language department, we now find ourselves in Korean folktronica with Mid-Air Thief. While genres can be an effective way to categorize artists, they are often limiting, and that is the case for Mid-Air Thief.
Folktronica, while a blend of two different genres, still feels restrictive for them. “These Chains” is a transcendent song, one that feels too good to be true. Opened with a wealth of fluttering acoustic guitar plucks, Thief’s entrancing falsetto feels like a weighted blanket on a cold, winter night.
Scattered glockenspiels and electronic textures are slowly added to the mix and gradually increase in volume and quantity until you are fully enveloped in the seemingly infinite sonic boom this song creates. You could either fully enclose yourself in the elegance or pick one of the many details to focus on. Either way, this song will leave a lasting impact.
“Arrival” by Parannoul
Keeping our feet planted in Korea, let’s talk about Parannoul. An anonymous musician who has been very active since 2021, their 2023 album “After the Magic” features ten otherworldly songs. While you could peg any of them as the album’s highlight, “Arrival” takes the cake for me.
Parannoul and Mid-Air Thief both shine with their electronic leanings, but where they differ is Parannoul’s arena-sized rock band sounds. Shoegazey indeed, everything in the track’s nearly eight minute runtime is coated in endless layers of reverb.
The song starts off fairly loud with a stunning amalgamation of pianos, drums and guitars, and just when you think it can’t get any more explosive, Parannoul ups the ante. After a meteoric start, the song tempos down with Parannoul repeating “I dream to you” over soaring synths, syncopated drum machines and muffed horns.
After that minute-long intermission from the intensity that once was, the shoegazey explosions erupt back onto the scene with somehow more intensity and more noise. Powerful, smashing drums, soaring electric guitars and running piano lines create a colossal, surreal soundscape that builds up inside you, and once it’s over it feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders.
“Amidinine” by Bombino
Last but not certainly not least, we are making our way to Niger with “Amidinine” by the Tuareg guitar hero Bombino (although the album was recorded in Nashville).
“Amidinine” is the opener to his album “Nomad,” recorded in the home studio of Black Keys’ musician-producer extraordinaire Dan Auerbach.
Bombino’s raw vocals (in the Tamasheq language) are backed wonderfully by his desert-blues guitar style, and Auerbach’s production style meshes seamlessly with Bombino’s sonic leanings.
Bombino’s repetitive, stomping guitars could soundtrack an epic venture across the Sahara, and that fact is only amplified with a measly blend of western production. It is a perfect combination of Bombino’s Nigerien soundscapes and Auerbach’s wild-wild-west style of production, and if you’re looking for a gateway into African rock music, Bombino’s “Amidinine” is a great place to start.
