VOICE WITHIN
Christina Aguilera
Life has slowly and gracefully taught me to listen to the voice within. You will never get lost if you let yourself have deep & quiet conversations with yourself. Kudos to Christina who already knew this invaluable truth when she was only 20 (or so)!
LOSE YOURSELF
Eminem
I apologize for the explicit language, but you just need to lose yourself in whatever you do. Focus. Concentrate. Forget about everything else. The rest will take care of itself.
MIRRORS
Justin Timberlake
I understand Justin Timberlake's first solo album as an expression of how deeply he was injured back then in 2002. But after more than a decade, he came back as a full-fledged, recovered man with much deeper appreciation of love. I appreciate JT for making music that helps us to see the transition he went through over the years.
LONELY (ACOUSTIC)
Justin Bieber
I have a favorite song from another Justin. First, I apologize for some inappropriate language in the song, but I really love music when an artist shares his inner struggles and shows his growth from them. With him finally expressing his inner self, I feel that Justin Bieber as an artist and his music have become meaningful and beautiful.
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By the way, it is interesting that this Canadian singer does not have [æ] in his phonetic inventory. For instance, you do not hear [æ] in words such as "past" (1:15) and "glass" (1:18).
GOD IS
Kanye West
This is a religious song, but I appreciate Kanye West for sharing what he went through in the past. He says that he can communicate his message only through music, not through words. And indeed, his life is condensed in this 3-minute piece, and I call it a gift.