Explaining 2021 Repeat

I’ve been dreading this moment. Finally, the end of 2021 is near, and the time of best lists is upon us. For the past weeks, I’ve been struggling with the idea of putting together a “best of Weekly5”—and I wasn’t quite sure why.

Giving it some thought, I realised: Who am I to tell anyone which songs are the best? The fact is: I’m just one guy passionate about music. I don’t have any authority or credentials to justify a harsh selection process other than my own taste. And music is a highly personal subject. Judging one’s taste can be an attack on the core. It can get ugly.

However, I’m fortunate enough to have a small but beautiful community (yes, that’s you) that every week tunes in to check what I recommend. Still, an audience, too, isn’t a sign of any competence.

And yet, I still wanted to recap somehow the first year of Weekly5. There were 175 songs in 35 editions and ten tracks more if you count the “Killed Darlings Part One and Two”.

What to expect

Although Weekly5 is driven by specific values, it remains a deeply personal project. It’s a tool for me to dedicate time for discovery. The newsletter is a by-product of this endeavour, the force that makes me sit down every week and just listen to music.

So I took a similar approach to reflect on all the songs curated this year. It’s called 2021 Repeat. The concept is simple: I’ve chosen songs that still stick around in my rotation. That doesn’t mean that the other songs are bad or I regret selecting them. On the contrary, I stand by my choices, but some of the songs stuck my chord just a bit more.

Now, let’s get down to the facts: I’ve included 40 songs for this format, a number far too big to cramp into one post. There will be four editions, ten tracks each. The first newsletter will hit your inbox on Sunday.

I’ve tried to kind of cluster the songs. It was a challenge, and I couldn’t find a proper metric. However, the songs are somewhat grouped according to their atmosphere.

Here’s what you can expect:

1. Dark/Melancholic
2. Beats/Pop
3. Smooth/Groove
4. The Essentials

The last edition will be a special one with the ten songs that accompanied me the most in 2021.

Okay, that’s it for the explanation part. I feel there’s a need to be transparent about my approach to this “not really a best of” thing. And I hope that you will enjoy recap this, once again, challenging year.

In the meantime, I would be very interested in your personal favourites. So hit reply to this email and tell me which artists, records, or songs you particularly loved in 2021. And no, they don’t have to be part of Weekly5.

If you are willing to share, I can compile your recommendations in a special edition. That would be a beautiful ending to this year.

All the best,