Miguel is one of my favorite contemporary artists. He embodies influences of those who came before him and has his own unique and powerful magic to share. "Adorn" has probably been my most listened to song according to both iTunes and Spotify over the years. I repeated it well over a hundred times when it was released and never skip it on shuffle.
I was working in an office at the time, and my friend and I would listen to it almost competitively. I remember vividly looking across the room and seeing her dancing in her own little world.
I saw Miguel in concert in the summer of 2018. A pivotal time for me, I was not in a good place and I was on that particular day very hungover from a wedding and baby shower earlier in the weekend. I was so enthralled with his performance, but my presence was not there. I luckily took some mediocre videos and do have a shirt to remember it.
Miguel's purpose in my life has been his consistent ability to be there for me through his music. A song for every mood, an album to reflect his life chapters, at times I can relate, he has been a steady and stable force of nature for me. If I could go back to be more present at that concert, I would, but the appreciation of him and the alignment may not have transpired if things didn't unfold as they did.
During that concert, though I wasn't at my best, he made me feel better about being at my worst. It was the Ascension Tour promoting the album, War & Leisure. 'Ascension' was a prophetic and apt name for it and myself, given where I was headed on my journey.
I'm going to take us back to Wildheart with today's choice however. It was a tough decision because shuffling Miguel's entire repertoire is nearly a daily occurrence for me. And particularly on this date, it is extra special as it is his birthday. A total Scorpio.
There are the songs I know verbatim, okay most. "face the sun" features legendary love advocate Lenny Kravitz on the guitar and is the last poetic song off of Wildheart. The powerful rendition to close out the album leaves you on a high note as the reverberation permeates through you.
"face the sun" encapsulates that romantic realism I admire. It's the Hollywood idealism of love, but raw. The loyalty that ushers forth sensuality that evokes that ride or die mentality. When you know about the artist's personal life you can sometimes guess where their inspiration comes from. Miguel has co-created a beautiful partnership, which surely provides him with endless artistic inspiration.
The encapsulation of knowing someone wholeheartedly whilst knowing yourself is so empowering and provides for a dynamic and enigmatic kind of love. It's a very truthful approach to love and that is why I chose "face the sun" in particular. Well to start. Miguel will likely resurface again at some point on the Weekly Playlist and deservedly so.
