2014 Mixtape

So I meant to write this annual mix tape post last 12-13-14, but again, work and other things ate up my time. That has been my constant excuse in the latter half of the year, but I hope that that will change as the year turns. Since I do not want to break tradition, I told myself I’d write a post during the holiday break, so I wrote some songs in my notebook…

…and found that I actually had a hard time filling up the 14 slots for this year.

It’s not that I had so many songs. It’s really more that I didn’t really have a lot of songs to choose from because I realized that I didn’t listen to so many songs this year because I was so busy. Too busy.

So annoying.

But I still made it, anyway – much thanks to my last.fm account for keeping track of all my music. Then I realized how different this year’s mixtape will be from 2013 and 2012…but it’s okay. It’s the good kind of different. :) I’ve been thinking of putting one together for my father for his birthday. Last year I got him some cool gadgets and he was really happy, CLICK HERE to see where I got them. Still working on his mix tape though, but may post it later this week!

1. Delight by Robin Nievera

[youtube YLHrxHfzFdM]

Things could change or rearrange
But I will delight in Your song

I wanted to include this in my half-year soundtrack, but I realized this fits better at the end of the year because the title of the song is my word of the year. :) I heard this during the Jars of Clay concert last year and I liked it a lot, and I listened to it over and over again back then, especially during the hard moments. I realized that I didn’t really listen to this recently, so I played it again as I was writing this and I smiled because yeah, I will delight in Your song. :)

2. Sink My Feet by Jillian Edwards

[youtube 5VgXiFKwJ3E]

I wanna sink my feet down in security
Unmoved by changing tides and
Shadow shifting lines
Then I’d see the stars, see the sun
And I’d see all that has been done

This song, like Audrey Assad’s Good to Me, came at the right time this year. It was the time when I was experiencing several changes in my life, coming from the things that happened in the previous year. There were so many things at this time in this year that was hard that I knew all I had to do was to sink my feet in His grace, because of all that He has done. :) This song still calms me down whenever I hear it.

3. Learning to Live Without by 3rd & Union

[youtube j2gqtU8Rl30]

I’ve finally loosened my grip
Because I refuse to go down with this ship
It sure wasn’t easy just letting you leave
But I’m learning to live with it

One thought when I first heard this: did they write this for me? Heh. I discovered this through The Better Story Project’s Love Club mix from the workshop I attended last January, and this was one of those sad yet hopeful songs in the mix. Also, yes, I did learn to live without this year. ;)

4. Between the Lines by Sara Bareilles

[youtube jsd1QDIiT7o]

I tell myself all the words he surely meant to say
I’ll talk until the conversation doesn’t stay on
Wait for me I’m almost ready
When he meant let go

For some reason, this song was on repeat for so many times in the past year, even when I don’t really relate to it. (Did I ever really relate to this? Hehe :P) I do remember playing this a lot while I was working on the novel, except I thought Rain and Mark were more Gravity. I don’t know – something about the sadness of this song just hits and I keep on putting it on repeat.

5. Good by Dave Barnes

[youtube wUWz3G_F-qQ]

Every day’s a gift that I’ve been given
Every breath feels like a second chance
And everything I’ve done heaven has seen
And God just keeps on forgiving me, and I
Do my best to change what I can

I remember watching the video for this and then getting all teared-up at Dave and Annie’s wedding scene. Hee. But really, this song reminds me of the good that has happened in my life, just as the title stated. And I guess this song also reminded me of forgiveness, which was one of the many things I prayed for this year. Admittedly, I didn’t listen to this as much as I did with the other songs, but this song never fails to make me smile when it comes up on shuffle. :)

6.  Should I Tell Them by Shaun Groves

[youtube k5I9EL2h24o]

Cause on every face I detect
The same questions I’ve posed to you
Like do you speak through the imperfect
Are we too dirty for your light to get through?
I want your light to get through

This song was an anthem I never got to share to my SFC friends, right after we started our Wednesday Jam CLP. I’ve had this song since college, but I only really felt the song when we were in the midst of our CLP. The 13 weeks of the CLP were some of my favorite weeks this year.

7. Grateful by YFC Liveloud

[youtube gYpUKA9h8zM]

I will lift Your name on high
I’ll forever worship You
I will serve You with all of my heart
‘Coz You are my God, I’ll forever be grateful

When I transitioned to my new job sometime mid 2014, I struggled so much with the transition that I wondered if I made the right choice, and I wondered if I should get out. I felt that God wanted me to be there, though, but it was so hard to sit still. Until I heard this song at one of our SFC events, and I got reminded of one thing I was missing: to be grateful. This song helped me get through so many challenging times at work, and it still gets me through.

8.  Dati by Sam Concepcion, Tippy dos Santos, and Quest

[youtube 1llVoFQYoWM]

Diba’t ikaw nga yung reyna at ako ang ‘yong hari
Ako yung prinsesang sagip mo palagi
Ngunit ngayo’y marami nang nabago’t nangyari
Ngunit di ang pagtingin ay gaya pa rin ng
darararada dati, darararada dati

I cannot relate to this song at all, but this has caused me major LSS ever since I heard it. Heh. I still smile when I hear this, and I still want to write a story based on this. :D

9. Love Is Here by Tenth Avenue North

[youtube 7sBuajPzBTw]

Love is here
Love is now
Love is pouring from His hands, from His brow
Love is near it satisfies
Streams of mercy flowing from His side, yeah

I heard this song at our SFC Metro Manila Regional Conference, after it was used for one of the videos. I downloaded it and put it on repeat. I have this in the songs that calm me down, too, and during hard times, I remind myself that love is here, love is now.

10. Helium Hearts by Jason Reeves

[youtube bhXjjccn0aQ]

Cause we’re on fire
Walking love’s highest
Burning wire
Helium hearts
We’re falling skyward
We’re never coming down

I finally gave in to Spotify late this year, but since I’m not so adventurous with my music, I searched for artists that I liked and then tried to look for several artists that were recommended because of the ones I liked. I found Jason Reeves again, since I knew him from two years back, and then played his entire discography. I also cannot relate to this song, but this is the catchiest one that I kept on humming after I played it. :D

11. On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

[youtube w5tWYmIOWGk]

‘Cause I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
I’m on top of the world, ‘ay

This song was playing on the plane that we rode on the way to Bangkok, and again, major LSS. We also started singing this when we were climbing temples in Bangkok and Siem Reap – especially the vertigo-inducing ones! – and it stuck. :)

12. Shake It Off by Taylor Swift

[youtube nfWlot6h_JM]

But I keep cruising
Can’t stop, won’t stop moving
It’s like I got this music
In my mind
Saying, “It’s gonna be alright.”

As I mentioned in a previous post, I jumped into the 1989 Taylor Swift bandwagon soon after it was released and I had Shake It Off on repeat in the midst of all the stress. It actually worked, and I had an earworm for weeks. :P (But my favorite song in the album is Style :D)

13. Hallelujah by Bethany Dillon

[youtube Y-W7Md6mv74]

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever’s in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever’s in front of me
I’ll choose to sing hallelujah

This song was really something I used to sing in college when I was in the midst of dealing with my thesis. I also sung this when I was dealing with the aftermath of Ondoy in 2009. Now I found myself singing and playing this song again when things got a bit hard in the past few weeks. It’s a daily reminder to keep praising, regardless of what is in front of me, because really, what else is the best thing to do?

14. Our God by Chris Tomlin

[youtube NJpt1hSYf2o]

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

This song is probably the most important of all of the songs here, because it reminds me of something that I prayed for a lot this year: for God to lead me to His victory. There were so many challenges in this year that I thought I couldn’t face, that I would fold, but I realized as I looked back that I remained standing because of His grace. Truly, if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

* * *

So this playlist didn’t have as many ~feels~ as the previous ones did, but…it’s okay. Maybe it’s a sign of maturity of sorts. Or that I am really done with some things, which is good as well. :)

Here’s to more songs in 2015. #Feels optional (if we are still using that term by then haha). :D