MUSIC

11 Musicians Who Predicted the Future

These songs predicted the future.

The future, they say, is dark—not dark as in bad, just dark as in uncertain. But sometimes, people find ways to see in the darkness. Music seems to be one of those ways, and popular music in particular tends to be a harbinger of times to come.

Music's foremost clairvoyants include Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, and Kanye West, all of whom predicted the apocalyptic ennui and digitized realities that would define the future (or, our present). But other artists have had uncanny bursts of foresight inside their songs, envisioning distant political events and even predicting their own deaths. Here are some of music's strangest accurate predictions.

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New Releases

Norah Jones Quietly Persists With "I'm Alive"

The first song from her upcoming album features Wilco's Jeff Tweedy.

Norah Jones - I'm Alive

With seven studio albums to her name, Norah Jones has left an irrefutable impact on jazz and folk music of the 2000s onward.

But the Grammy-winning singer is also a fan of collaborations, too, having released albums with Willie Nelson, Jack White, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, and more. The latest to team up with her is Jeff Tweedy, who's become revered in his own right as the leader of seminal indie rock group Wilco.

Tweedy co-wrote and played guitar on "I'm Alive," the lead single from Jones' upcoming album Pick Me Up Off the Floor. In Jones' typical fashion, it's a loungey, piano-driven tune that centers on her trademark smoky vocals (Tweedy's son, Spencer, provides drums). Although the track feels generally calm, its message is especially harrowing for women in the current political climate. "She's crushed by thoughts / At night of men / Who want her rights / And usually win," she croons, though by the song's end, an air of hopefulness takes over. "I care a lot / I know the things I'm not / It's alright, it's OK / And it's not / Maybe things will change."

Listen below:

Norah Jones - I'm Alivewww.youtube.com

MUSIC

MUSIC MONDAY | Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes takeover

The artists recently premiered their music video and their EP-- with deep cuts from some of their favorite albums

Catapult - Daniel Ellsworth + The Great Lakes [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

If you like 1975 and Børns, you'll love these guys.

According to Billboard they are, "...a candy-coated nugget coming straight from Nashville that sounds ready to squeeze in alongside Børns and the 1975 on your fall alt-pop playlists." Well it's the middle of winter and we're still really into them. They recently premiered their music video for "Catapult" through Relix who called their work, " [a] series of rich, nuanced studio recordings." They released an EP entitled Chapter One just a week ago and Chapter Two is expected this Spring. This is all a part of their anticipated album Fashion out this summer taking the unique tactic of dropping the album in installments. These deep cuts can't be passed by.

Watch "Catapult" here.

Daniel Ellsworth, lead singer, remarks on "Catapult."

"Catapult' is a song about loving someone for their flaws, not in spite of them. It's about opposites attracting. It's someone saying "I'm a little crazy.You're a little crazy. Maybe we should be crazy together. When you find someone you really love, it's automatic. You love them through all the bullshit no matter what. I think there's a beautiful vulnerability in that. It's one of my favorite songs on the new record. I'm particularly proud of the arrangement we came up with. I love the way all the instruments play off each other and I love all the sounds we were able to dial in in the studio. I especially love Marshall's bass line. He always writes great bass lines, but this might be my all time favorite of his."

In the music video, Ellsworth dances with his wife. The two wear outfits as vibrant as their personalities though their performance style is silly and stoic. The video is interlaced with fun "couch hangs" with the rest of the band. Probably my favorite part of the video is how vibrant everything is but also how chill everyone presents themselves. I feel like this is pretty representative of falling in love right? Everything feels intense, but you do your best to keep your cool.

We wanted to know what Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes listens to. The band curated a playlist just for Popdust readers. Check it out here!

Dr. Dog | "I Only Wear Blue" (Marshall)

Guitarist Scott McMicken suggests that not only is the title of this song directly related to the fact that he only wore blue clothes for a period of his life, but also that this song is an apology to anyone. An apology based on the experiences we all have with each other, and the faults we all have as humans to over analyze and to not be faithful to each other. Regardless of the meaning this song moves in a beautiful flow, from a soft subtle opening, to a lighthearted bopping middle section, and then into a final burst of energy. Dr. Dog ends the song with the hook and a dirty guitar solo, making the payoff worth it.

Loved their playlist? Check out their new EP Chapter One here.

Follow Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter


Anie Delgado is a contributor to Popdust and is an actress and musician based in NYC. Follow her on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter and check out her music on Spotify. Press inquiries here.


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