The Adulting Playlist

Hey You!
How are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along? Or are you not feeling the ‘New Year New Me’ buzz? Well, I know that it can be overwhelming to come up with your New Year’s Resolutions. I know it is hard to silence the world and listen to our inner voice on what you would love to achieve. I know it is even more difficult to figure out how you will achieve your goals for this year. Here is what I will say.

• Whether you come up with a list of your new year’s resolutions or not, it is important to give some thought (definitely at your own time) on how you can continue to move forward.
• I read somewhere “Replace every ‘what if’ with ‘why the fuck not’” and I immediately
  thought this is such a powerful way to approach every doubt or fear that you might have this year.
• Reset and reboot. Reset and reboot. Reset and reboot as often as you need to.
  Anyway, I am here today to create an Adulting playlist. Papa papa papa oooo! I mean, judging from your Spotify Wrapped listening minutes statistics, it is safe to say that music is a free fix for most of you. Allow me to be you DJ for today. “Mr. DJ., Mr. DJ tuende kazi wewe…”
  a) Songs to listen to when grinding
  Now that we are in the ‘Hustler Fund’ era, you might as well listen to:
• All I do Is Win – DJ Khaled (feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross)
• Hustlin – Rick Ross
• Buga (Lo lo lo) – Kizz Daniel, Tekno
• Live Your Life – T.I., Rihanna
• Marathon Runner – Nyashinki
  b) Bedroom Playlist (or wherever y’all do it from haha)
• Earned it -The Weeknd
• Love On The Brain -Rihanna
• I Feel It Coming – The Weeknd, Daft Punk
• Creepin’- Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage
• Ride – SoMo
• Spice (EP Version) – Ravyn Lenae
  c) Here for the good vibes
• Sura Yako – Sauti Sol
• Time of Our Lives – Pitbull, Ne-Yo
• Am I Wrong – Nico & Vinz
• Cuff It – Beyoncé
• Finesse – Pheelz, BNXN fka Buju
  Most, if not all Afro beats are always good vibes. It is all in the beats! There is also this category of songs that you can barely understand what the artists are saying but they just make you happy i.e.
  ‘Geri Inengi’ – Wakadinali, SirBwoy, Sewersydaa, Scar Mkadinali and ‘Mc Mca’- Wakadinali.
  d) Songs to Dance Away to (especially in your room)
• Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars
• Shake Yo Bam Bam – Sauti Sol
• Etat Major – Extra Music
• Shut Up and Dance – Walk The Moon (Jump all you can while at it.)
• Danger Dinji – Movaz Warombosaji Nation, Brandy Maina
• Azonto – Fuse ODG, Tiffan Owusu
  e) Bad Bitch Energy
  SZA is always doing the thing! I literally could not pick out any song because I love them all. Anyway, here you go:
• Savage Remix – Megan Thee Stallion, Beyoncé
• About Damn Time – Lizzo
• Super Freaky Girl – Nicki Minaj
• I like it – Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J Balvin (No matter how old this song gets, it will always be a banger, right?)
• Get Into It (Yuh) – Doja Cat
• I’m That Girl – Beyoncé
  f) Best of Classic 105
  They say that the music your parents introduce you to becomes a part of you and I couldn’t agree more. Be it Lingala, RnB, Reggae, Rock, or Soul…it never leaves you. These got to be the best of Classic 105:
• September – Earth, Wind, and Fire
• Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
• Nightshift – Commodores
• Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
• La Isla Bonita – Madonna
• I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
  g) RnB Gen Z grew up listening to
  At the top of our lungs, we sang these songs as if we knew what romantic love was all about at 9 years old.
• So Sick – Ne-Yo
• Battlefield – Jordin Sparks (For this one we all shouted a bit extra. Why though? We were 7 years old! Was love really a battlefield then?)
• Mad – Ne-Yo
• My Boo – Usher
• No Air – Jordin Sparks, Chris Brown
• Let Me Love You – Mario
  h) Kenyan TBT
  If there is something we should never forget as we grow older are the Kenyan TBTs. Good times eh?
• Unbwogable – Gidi Gidi Maji Maji
• Fire Anthem – East African Bashment Crew
• Get Down – MADTRAXX
• Wasee (Githurai) – Mr Googs, Vinnie Banton
• Tukawake – K-Rupt
• Atoti – Gidi Gidi Maji Maji
  i) Songs to start your morning
• I Know Who I Am – Sinach
• Unstoppable – Sia
• Good Morning – Kanye West
• Dreams of Brighter Days – Busy Signal, RC, Silly Walks Discotheque
• Happy – Pharell Williams
• Can’t Stop The Feeling – Justin Timberlake
  j) When work/school sucks listen to:
• Everything Sucks – Vaultboy
• The Lazy Song – Bruno Mars
• Work from Home – Fifth Harmony feat Ty Dolla $ign
• Bored – Billie Eilish
• Work Hard, Play Hard – Wiz Khalifa
  Alternatively, instead of feeling ‘bleh’ about school or work, pick up a song that usually psyches you up and sing away!
  k) Love Songs
• Kesho Kutwa – Ethan Muziki
• Gumbody – Burna Boy, Jorja Smith
• For My Hand – Burna Boy feat Ed Sheeran
• Thinking Out Loud
• Kookoo – Elani
• Last Name – Nikita Kering
• Like I can – Sam Smith
• Head and Heart – Joel Corry, MNEK
  As you can see, this is where I thrive. The list is endless but please do listen to ‘Still’ by Liquideep.
  You can walk down the aisle with this soooong!
  l) Ujana ni moshi
  “Vunja mifupa kama bado meno iko…” Sawa?
• The Nights – Avicii
• We Can’t Stop – Miley Cyrus
• 22 – Taylor Swift (Forever 22, yes?)
• Short N Sweet – Sauti Sol, Nyashinki
• Kishash – Lilmaina
• Only God Can Judge Me- NSG, Mist
  m) Sad Nigga Hours
  It is normal to have downtime. Embrace it but not for too long. Remember what we agreed on?
  ‘Reset and reboot.’
• Time – NF
• Before You Go – Lewis Capaldi
• Fall Apart – Post Malone
• Everything I wanted – Billie Eilish
• Memories – Maroon 5
• When We Were Young – Adele (Also ‘I Drink Wine’. Heck, just listen to all of Adele’s songs.)
• Let me just put Eminem here. That’s it. That name speaks for itself.
  n) Reggae (just because no one can stop reggae)
• The Way You Do the Things You Do – UB40
• Three Little Birds – Bob Marley, The Wailers
• Baby I love Your Way – Big Mountain
• Kingston Town – UB40
• Sweat (A La La La La Long) – Inner Circle

As we adult, elevation/ worship songs become a part of us no matter our religious affiliation. I will
only suggest ‘Oceans (Where My Feet May Fail)’ – Hillsong United, because I have seen so many
people (of different religious affiliation) embracing its powerful message. Ideally, adulting also means sorting out your spiritual life, okay?
Lastly, songs in our mother- tongues…pure bliss I tell you, especially when all the aunties and uncles from your village are on the dance floor. You can’t help but join them.

Anyway I’d go on and on about Tracy Chapman’s, Nasty C’s, Brandy Maina’s, Major Lazer or Central Cee’s music but this list will do for now eh? Just add ‘Kasyoki wa Mitumba’- Serro and you will be all good. It has such a refreshing feel to it.

So, which of these bangers do you love? Which ones have I left out? Please tell us in the comment section.