2024

Welcome back to 2024; and the BEATS that made it so.

(Warning: "There's going to be very little 2020s even ON this list, let alone 2024. As for "Upbeat" vibes from 2024, I haven't been living in very upbeat vibes since around Fall 2023).

First let's go back to YouTube, which, naturally, keeps track of my tracks through them and isn't about to lie...

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=LRYRN77O--uNmnrpC5qdw5BHU79kZGIs3TM_9

We'll kick off with a tearjerker brought to my eardrums again and again by the repetitive story of my situation with Madame-Current-Specific-Person...

Richard Marx: Right Here Waiting.

Embarrassing, right? I mean, you're still a GUY, right?

Yep, still a guy; and still a guy with a plus-sized soft side.

The bad news is that THIS could have been occupied by "Hold On to the Nights," "Until I Find You Again," or the far better "Should Have Known Better." (The one song that I DID actually do at karaoke at least once).

However, the honesty remains and (Thinks of her, "Right Here Waiting" springs to mind).

In speaking of where S.P. and I stand today...

Yeah; I went from the sappiness of Mr. Marx to the sappiness of "Chester See." It was introduced to me by accident and it DID kind of stick with me and my soundtrack between us...

You know something? This isn't just about 2024 and I've gone back and forth with her for a couple of years now; something about how I love her, she loves me, and we have a SHARED love.

I was wrong about us caring for and respecting one another. She cared about me enough to respect my feelings. I couldn't care enough to read the vibes of the room and respect her space. As to the friendship offered to me from her, I do consider her my best friend NOW; before, I wanted foolishly pursued MORE

FOOLISH, I know.

Okay; enough about my drama (for this writing).

Let's talk my KARAOKE list; even as of 2024.

For starters, I fancied myself as far better at performing Mr. "Garth Brooks" than I probably was.

Then, you get into a performance that I was convinced would get everybody in the mood to enjoy a good performance.

Well, it didn't quite measure up to the drum solo of my first attempt at Phil Collins (in a bar where I have heard "In the Air Tonight" from several bands now and KNEW how the regulars responded to the drum solo).

...You know what? We can all do our FUN karaoke songs; but too many of us have a muse that brings out our softer side all over again.

...and THESE were just the standout performances or songs that I did more than ONCE. (Not to mention the time that I couldn't even reach the karaoke stage without flipping [and stopping to upright] a table in my wake).

We've been through the heartache.

We've been through the FUN (and MORE heartache) of karaoke.

Then there were the tracks that I used for a good RUN.

Those that could get my heart BURNING into a brand new cardio level of a good run.

I could envision myself going on a run; and living on a prayer of a better and healthier body.

...I was, in fact introduced to a bit of extra music this year that didn't COME FROM yesteryear. I was familiar with Ariana through "Thank U; Next" but not yet through "Popular" from the "Wicked" soundtrack (all excellent music). I got introduced to "Taste" and "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter as well.

Well, that was my 2024 playlist; oh, and what I envision anytime a countdown to a new year comes up...

As always, thanks for reading and rocking with me; and before I go...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!