Azizam and the Best 2025 Summer Songs in USA

 

Which is your summer song this year? No ideas? Well, here you have a couple of lists to help you decide. First, you can check the American Top 40 chart July 12- 19 and look around if any tune sounds fun. A alternative/ indie/ electronic list was drawn up by Hazel Cills, Sheldon Pearce and Robin Hilton for NPR on July 1st, 2025's best songs (so far).

I have compiled a short-list of YouTube links to the songs that, one way or another, have struck a chord with me: Relationships by Haim, It's a mirror by Perfume Genius, Room of fools by FKA twigs, Gold rush by Lucius. Sabrina Carpenter has three hits on the charts, Taste, Bed Chem and Manchild- and, furthermore, the latter has been positively reviewed by Hazel Cills in Sabrina Carpenter can crack a joke, while Billie Eilish has two songs, Birds of a feather and Wildflower. Other international hits are Messy by Lola Young, Die with a smile by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Nice to meet you by Myles Smith, APT by Rosé & Bruno Mars, Too sweet by Hozier, and, last but not least, All the Way, by BigXthPlug, feat. Bailey Zimmerman, an original blend of rap and country music.

Azizam by Ed Sheeran is a catchy summer song that mixes British pop with Persian influences and has been a number one hit in many countries around the world, as you can read in the Wikipedia entry for Azizam. Here you can find a listening task for B1 and B2 students with the key for self-study, and a few interesting words that come up in the song: azizam, floor, wrapped, careless, [do it our] way.

Relationships, by Haim talks about the complexity of inner feelings, when reading the lyrics, B1 students can pick up expressions like: to be through, to be cought up in [something], to end up, to blame, guilty, averse to [conflict], to bring [you] down.

Listen, dance and enjoy your summer!

Backstage with Shakira

Shakira is in the middle of a tour in North and South America, "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women No Longer Cry)" and Mark Savage has interviewed the Colombian artist in the backstage of the Miami show for BBC News in the article "My kids are the reason I'm alive: Backstage with Shakira". The report peeps into all the seamstress and laundry work behind an international musical show with an interview to head of wardrobe, Hannah Kinkade, and it also revisits the recent personal upheavals of Shakira and how she has managed to get over every setback and relaunch her career. 

The first half of the article contains very precise fashion & music show vocabulary, colloquial expressions and interesting collocations but the sentences are quite short, so, it can accessible for B2 students and above, who can pick up words like: backstage, bowels, to be taped, on fire, a scrawl, to put on [a stadium tour], sold out, to polish, frayed nerves, a screaming [match], vibe, to stretch, seamstress, to sew, a catsuit, a [guitar] check, tuning, to hang around, a tumble dryer, to plumb in, a venue, wardrobe, a costume, to care for, to stitch, to scrub, an outfit, to scuff [their shoes], to stash [reserves of Gatorade], iced coffee, sticky [Miami heat], a trade-off, the underworld, a set, to stash away, to stud, a [sound] check, [non-]deceitful, to be flanked, a [police] escort, flared, a vest [top], flawless, the crew, to deliver, a quip, a wink, to be [full] out, to figure something out, one way or another, a pan pipe, a riff, a wristband, a workout, [the obsession] to pay off, a parade, a [tribal-knife] routine, to thrash, to howl, to bray, heartbreak, [personal] upheaval, to fall apart, [tax] fraud, to settle [a case], out of court, to prompt, an outburst, a barb, a string [of hits], to rack up [13 billion], streams, furry, a she-wolf, commitment, [to come] off [stage], to put together [a show], to make something happen, to carry you through, to break into [the Western pop market], precarious, humane, to catch up with [the BBC], to christen, a [powerful] statement, to underpin, to span [generations], to bounce around, a tender [ballad], to duet, mixed emotions, stressed out, [to stay] tuned, to tease. 

If you want to watch the Mexico show of Shakira's "Women No Longer Cry" tour, you can click on the YouTube link below:

Caged Bird

 

"Caged Bird" is one of the most famous poems by Maya Angelou. It talks about freedom through the allegory of two birds, a free bird and a caged bird that have utterly different experiences of life, but, paradoxically, the one who sings of freedom is the caged bird that longs for it from behind the bars. Here is a lesson plan for B2 students and above with listening and speaking tasks and the key, and just below you can find a link to a video from Poems by the Pound where Caged Bird is recited. Some interesting words are: to leap, to dip, to stalk, to be clipped, a trill, a worm, the lawn, a grave. For further information about the poem, you can check the Caged Bird Video Summary by GradeSaver,  and an analysis of the poem: Review of Maya Angelou's Caged Bird by the young poet and Medical Laboratory Science student Chidiebere Sullivan Nwuguru.

Maya Angelou's metaphor of the caged bird has inspired other modern artists. A very good example is American rapper J. Cole in his song "Caged Bird", that talks about the frustration of a young black person who has been jailed and reflects about freedom, about his fellow black inmates, about an unfair society, and about his own mistakes. The rhythm, the rhymes and the alliterations in the lyrics, together with the pathos of the words, contribute to the poignancy of the song -perhaps you can compare this song to Maya Angelou's poem. Here you have a link to the lyrics of Cage Bird (feat. Omen) with the Spanish translation and below you have the official video of the song, which is recommended for C1 students.

Diamonds and Rust: Joan Baez and her Relationship with Bob Dylan

Love is the driving force that gives us the extra energy to help and sacrifice for our beloved ones. It is the only feeling that makes sense of the craziest decisions, of selflessness and generosity beyond any rational restraints; love is the the fuel for unstinted creativity.  Yet, love can be bitter and sweet. When you feel your lover takes your sacrifice for granted and no longer makes the effort, when passion is followed by indifference, and bliss by disdain, when you have an on-and-off relationship that seems to be stuck in a dead end street, then "diamonds" become "rust", the metaphor that Joan Baez found to describe her relationship with Bob Dylan after a sudden phone call ten years after their break-up.

"Diamonds and Rust" is a haunting song, one of the best songs ever written, it is a moving song, full of winter sun and chilly shade, but the melody and the words unveil the serenity, the maturity and the power that Joan Baez felt when she revisited her youthful relationship with Bob Dylan. Here you can watch a video without subtitles of "Diamonds and Rust", next you can find a lesson-plan for B2 students with listening and speaking tasks and the answer key (and the same document in PDF). Some interesting words to be found in the song are: damned, a ghost, robin egg blue, lousy, a booth, the midwest, a cufflink, rust, to burst, to stray, the Madonna, on the half-shell, unharmed, a crummy [hotel], to mingle.

If you want some background information about the song, you can check out the post "Stella: 'Diamonds and Rust' by Joan Baez" written by Elaine Irvine on the NPR affiliated radio station KRUI-FM, from Iowa University, which is suitable for C1 students. On BBC Sounds you will also find an excellent radio documentary about the song, Soul Music: Diamonds and Rust, which has no script and can be recommended for C2 students. Finally, the most ardent fans of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, can read "Diamonds & Rust, Joan & Bob, 1960's - 1980's", a thorough musical and personal biography published in the Pop History Dig, which is recommended for Experts, that is, for students beyond C2 level.

Below you can watch another video of the song with English subtitles and pictures of their relationship:

Taylor Swift Remembers Dylan Thomas in "The Tortured Poets Department"

Rowenna Hoskin recently wrote a short article for BBC News, "Why is Taylor Swift singing about Dylan Thomas?", where she explains the references to the Welsh poet and the Chelsea Hotel in the pop singer's latest album. This article is suitable for B2 learners who will find words like: to wake up to [a new album], to name-drop, to sell out, a gig, to release [an album], a staple [poem], a memorial service, to settle, [to set] a template, stabbed [to death], to rake in [$1.04 bn], to crash [a ticket site], resale [tickets], a scammer, to dupe.

Tamantha Ryan also covered the story for Page Six, a celebrity news magazine, and wrote "Who are Dylan Thomas and Patty Smith? Meet the poets Taylor Swift mentioned on TTPD" to let young readers know. In the accompanying video the reporter says that Taylor Swift's new album also includes disses at her nemesis Kim Kardashian (check out "From VMAs Drama to 'thanK you aIMee': a Timeline of Taylor Swift's Feud with Kim Kardashian, Kanye West" in Rolling Stone), other scathing songs aimed at her former boyfriends (Matty Healy, Joe Alwyn, John Mayer), as well as a loving allusion to her current sweetheart Travis Kelce. This article and video is suitable for C1 students who will encounter interesting words like: to release [an album], to catch the eye, the title track, to scroll, a swelling, fatty, roistering, doomed, tenant, to file a lawsuit, gentrification, an accolade, outspoken, disdain, a condition, to place [a child] for adoption, [her] late [husband]. The short accompanying video is fast, colloquial and has no subtitles, so it is recommended for C2 students, who will hear: to hold my typewriter, an installment, to take aim at [people], to call out, bronze, spray-tanned, a bully, to spell out at, a fair share, seemingly, lovingly, to allude to [somebody], a bunch of, her ex[es], a front man, to revisit, an [age] gap, when it comes to [those exes], jokingly, fitting, to chime in [on X about her track], [to get] wrecked, scathing [songs], to avenge.

If you want to read a full review of the album, you can check "I judged Taylor Swift's album immediately after it came out. Here's why I was wrong", written by Oliver Darcy for CNN. This text is recommended for C1 students and above, or you can listen to the NPR programme Pop Culture Happy Hour "On 'The Tortured Poets Department,' Taylor Swift spares no one" (34:01) where the host and two experts discuss the album and play some clips of outstanding songs. This radio programme is rather complex linguistically, but with the help of the script, it can be accessible to C2 "Swifties", who will find words like: to span, ticked off, unpack, underdog, compelling, to suck me in, corny, unhinged, to toss around, to hearken, samey, [synth-pop] beats, [first] arc, opus [fatigue], to buckle under [their own weight], grievance, a [public] darling, a bop, hype, jock jams, defiance, catchy, snippet, to rep [for an artist], zany [sense of humour], [send your head into a] tailspin, to stink, to gasp, to stand the test of time, clunky, to wrack your brain [around this record], to scroll [across the page], scathing, to rip [everything] down, bleachers [warmer], to kick in, to finagle, to wield [power], stealthily, to winnow down to, [high] kicks, to epitomize, cheeky, boppy, to groove, to mess [her] up, a full-blown [message], to hint, [teenage] petulance, a tantrum, to scold, to cater for [vipers], empath's clothing, taken aback, to craft [a narrative], to rip [apart a narrative].

Below, you can watch the official video of the title track, "The Tortured Poets Department" with lyrics, and here you can find a fill-in-the gap task with the lyrics of the song for B2 level with interesting words & references like: spike, Charlie Puth, to scratch, a retriever, pounding, undone, cyclone, to screw up, to decode.

For further information, you can see here a past entry about Dylan Thomas and the poem "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" with a lesson plan for C2 students.

 

Yerai Cortés at the Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival in New York

As Yerai Cortés' and C. Tangana's documentary "La Guitarra Flamenca de Yerai Cortés" is due to be released on December 20, 2024 you can listen to Yerai Cortés's gifted guitar performance ("duende") in the WNYC segment The Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival Comes to New York where he performed 4 live songs and was interviewed by Alison Stewart, together with Julio Martí, on the radio show "All of It", to present the Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival in New York, back on February 20, 2024. 

You will find Yerai's first guitar performance at 03':40", a mini interview to Yerai at 07':00", a second song at 10':19", a third live performance at 16':29", a second short interview to Yerai at 17':29", and a closing song at 18':22". You will definitely enjoy it, Yerai is an outstanding young flamenco guitarist!

You can read the rest of the original entry about The Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival in New York below:

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The Paco de Lucía Legacy Foundation has organised a flamenco summit in New York, from the 20th to 24th February, to pay tribute to the guitar maestro where top flamenco singers, dancers, guitarists and other Latin & jazz music stars, have offered concerts in the Carnegie Hall, in the Town Hall and in other venues. The Instituto Cervantes NYC has also collaborated in the Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival with the presentation of Paco de Lucía's Biography and the Puro Flamenco concert, and the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute has also helped to publicize the initiative. 

Alison Stewart, host of All Of It on WNYC, interviewed the artistic director of the festival, Julio Martí, in the segment The Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival Comes to New York, they talked about Paco de Lucía, the history of flamenco etc. whereas budding guitarist Yerai Cortés played a few melodies. Mr. Martí's Spanish accent might make it easier for Spanish learners to understand  this 19 minute interview which, therefore, can be accessible to B2 students even without the support of the script. The vocabulary is quite basic, but you will come across some interesting words like: to kick off, to blend, to perform, a venue, legacy, a god, to accompany, a hit, to approach, incredible,a gypsy, a Jew, a Muslim, a mixture, a lineup, a grand finale, a marvel.

Photojournalist Gabriele Holtermann reported on the concert and opening cocktail hour at the Carnegie Hall for AM New York Metro with the article Carnegie Hall honors the life and legacy of flamenco artist Paco de Lucía and published some photos of the social event. This article is also suitable for B2 students who can find American words and expressions like: to kick off, legacy, to feature, to honor, undeniably, to fuse, stage, to give [his brother] a shot, to surround, to joke [about], humble, a [character] trade, [to be] grateful, [his main] goal, amazing, touching, to pass away, an award, to mourn, to be overwhelmed, super [full of anguish], cheerful, upcoming [events],[de Lucía's] kids, to attend.

Below you can watch a video of Spanish flautist and saxophonist Jorge Pardo's performance in the Carnegie Hall.

And this is the grand finale of the flamenco fiesta to celebrate Paco de Lucía:

Flowers by Miley Cyrus on Valentine's Day

For Valentine's Day 2024 there are a number of texts to read and listen to. Below you can watch the Miley Cyrus Backyard Sessions video of her hit "Flowers", which recently won the Grammy Record of the Year Award, and do a fill-in-the gap task for B2 students and check it with the key. You can try to figure out what the lyrics talk about, and if you need some background information about the personal references included in the song, you can read the Glamour article "Miley Cyrus Opend Up About the Origins of her Hit Song 'Flowers", which can be suitable for B2 students. You will find interesting words like: chart-topping, cover, release, a refresher, the chorus, empowering, to wallow, to fake, to make [it], to rebuff [the idea], [album] rollout, to be littered [with something], clues, the craft, to trick, to set [something] on fire, on the nose, [an] outlandish [theory], alledgedly, a tuxedo.

If you want to find out how Artificial Intelligence is changing dating apps, you can read the Cosmopolitan article "How the AI Revolution is Coming for your Dating Life", which publishes the results of a survey about the attitude that actively dating millenials and Gen Zers have on the use of AI tools for dating. But for a more personal prediction on your own Valentines' Day, you can check out your horoscope in the article Your Valentine's Day Horoscope is Here and learn how your Valentine's Day 2024 is going to unfold today, whether you are single or you are in a relationship. These two articles are suitable for C1 students.  

Happy Valentine!

Grammys 2024: Highlights & Lowlights

The major winners of the 2024 Grammy Awards were Taylor Swift for her album Midnigths, Miley Cyrus for her record Flowers, Billie Eilish for her song What Was I Made for?, SZA for her R&B song Snooze and her duo with Phoebe Bridgers in Ghost in the Machine and Boygenius for the best rock song, The Record. 

Mark Savage reports The highs and lows of Grammys 2024 for BBC News, and gives some insights into the world music awards par excellence.

This article is suitable for B2+ students, who will find new words like: a bang, gracious, an even-handed [night], to scoop, the highlights, the lowlights, the takeaways, a feat, hazy, a dream-scrubbed [collection of songs], box office, to boost, to prompt, to stem from, keen, a standing ovation, raw, painfully, an aneurysm, to catch a dusky [vocal tone], laden with [significance], moving, a medley, to shroud, a frisson, a burst, to fizzle out, to fling [around], an escapee, wrestling, off-script, allotted [time], wide-ranging, ramble, off the bat, to reminisce, a sippy cup, to joke, to snub, to embarrass, to stun [the audience], a disorder, stiffness, limbs, to resume, alt-rock, delusional, to pick up, sold out, to step up, thoroughly, soaked, to embroil, [to close] the gap, to figure out, to attend, to put pen to paper, a cave, a caveman, torture, a coup, to duet, to tempt, to cover, a signature [song], haunting, to pick out [the riff], to grin, off-mic, a solo, humbling, to be fond of, a requirement, to beam, insane, a venue, a gig, underwhelming, to put out [a single], a rate, brand new, to gyrate, a scaffolding, a swordfight, rendition, tear-jerking, to ooze, medley, touching, a stirring [rendition], to foil, to steal the show, shimmying, to pose, backstage, to vindicate, a break-up, to sum up, to swing, to let go, parenthical, an aside, a [mic] drop.

Below, you can watch the song "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eillish.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas & Let It Snow by Michael Bublé

'Twas the Night Before Chirstmas is a poem originally written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1987 with the title "A Visit (from St. Nicholas)", and still today, it is a favourite bedtime story for children on Christmas Eve.

Here you can find a fill-in the gaps task & key for B2 students based on Michael Bublé's rendition of 'Twas was the Night Before Christmas, with a direct link to YouTube below, and my transcription of Bublé's version plus Moore's original poem.The task is rather easy, but the vocabulary includes many descriptive words which are more C1 level than B2, you will find these expressions: to stir, a stocking, to be nestled, snug, sugar-plums, 'kerchief, cap, to settle down, a nap, the lawn, the clatter, to spring (sprang, sprung), a flash, to tear (tore, torn), a shutter, the sash [window], the breast, new-fallen [snow], the lustre, a sleigh, a reindeer, to whistle,  the porch, to dash away, a hurricane, to mount, the coursers, a twinkling, to prance, to paw, a hoof, a bound, a fur, to be tarnished, ash, soot, a bundle, to fling (flung, flung), a pedler (Am Eng), to twinkle, a dimple, merry, the cheeks, droll, to be drawn up, a bow, the chin,the stump, a pipe, [to hold] tight, to encircle, a wreath, a broad [face], a [round] belly, a bowlful of jelly, chubby, plump, jolly, an elf, a wink [of his eye], a twist [of his head], to dread, a jerk, to lay [a finger], to give [a nod], to rise (rose, risen), a whistle, the down [of] a thistle, [out of] sight.

If you want to listen to another Christmas song by the contemporary clooner from Canada Michael Bublé, you can play the song Let It Snow, and do another fill-in the gap task with its key, which is also accessible to B2 students. Some interesting words you will find here are: frightful, delightful, to pop, [the lights are] way [down] low, to kiss good night, [to hold somebody] tight. 

 

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You can find more texts and recordings about Christmas on the following entries in this blog: Christmas (18/12/20), The Magic of Christmas (25/12/22).

Latin Grammy Awards 2023

The Latin Grammy Awards Ceremony travelled to Seville (Spain), outside the USA for the first time in its 25-year history, NPR reported last Wednesday "in a 19-million move to expand the global reach of the event and to promote music programming in the region of Andalusia". 

El País highlights the "winners" of the night: Mexican Natalia Lafourcade's for singer-song writer, Shakira's three grammys for urban/fusion performance, best pop song and for song of the year, and fellow Colombian Karol G. for album of the year, best urban music album and best urban/ fusion performance. Finally, El País points out that Rosalía was "the artist who shone the most on stage", 

Next, you can find a link to each of the winning songs and videos in the main categories to illustrate the 2023 crop of Latin music: Karol G - Mañana será bonito; 

Natalia Lafourcade - De todas las flores; Julieta Benegas -Tu Historia; Shakira & Bzrp - Music Session, Vol 53; Joaquina - Quise Quererte; Niña Pastori - Bon Día (Camino); Andrés Cepedo - Décimo Cuarto: Karol G fet. Shakira - Tqg; Tego Calderon La Receta; Eladio Carrión y Bad Bunny, Coco Chanel; Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52;  Molotov - Sólo D' Lira; J Diamante Eléctrico y Adrián Quesada Leche de Tigre; Juanes - Vida Cotidiana; Lasso - Ojos Marrones; Monsieur Periné - Prométeme (Bolero Apocalíptico); Dante Spinetta - El Lado Oscuro del Corazón; Grupo Niche y Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia - Niche Sinfónico; Carlos Vives Escalona La Historia (Nunca se Había Grabado Así); Romeo Santos - Fórmula, Vol. 3 y Sergio Vargas - A Mi Manera; Omara Portuondo - Bolero a la Vida; Luis Fernando Borjas - Qué me Hiciste (5: 10 am); Fonseca y Juan Luís Guerra - Si Tú Me Quisiste; Christian Nodal - Forrajido EP2; Julión Álvarez y su Norteño Banda- De Hoy En Adelante, que te Vaya Bien; Juan Treviño - Para Empezar a Amar; Carin León - Colmillo de Leche; Grupo Frontera feat. Bad Bunny - un X100to; Camilo Valencia & Richard Bravo - Made in Miami; Vicente García - Camino al Sol; Quinteto Astor Piazzolla - Operation Tango; Chucho Valdés & Paquito D'Rivera - I Missed You Too!; Marcos Vidal - Lo que Vemos; Eli Soares - Nós; Xênia FranÇa, Em Nome da Estrela; Planet Hemp - Jardineiros; Planet Hemp feat. Criolo - Distopia; Martinho Da Vila - Negra Ópera; Joao Donato - Serotonina; Marília Mendoça - Decretos Reais; Gaby Amarantos - TecnoShow;  Tiago Iore - Tudo O Que A Fé Pode Tocar; Danilo & Chapis - Vamos al Zoo; Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra - Huáscar Barradas Four Elements Immersive Sympohony for Orchestra and Chorus; Pacho Flores feat. Paquito D'Rivera - Concerto Venezolano; Edgar Barrera; Nathy Peluso, Félix Bollaín & Rogelio González - Estás Buenísimo; Camilo & Camilo Ríos - Camilo: El Primer Tour de mi Vida (trailer).

If you are interested in fashion, Variety magazine shows the Best Pictures of the Latin Awards 2023. 

The NPR story can be read by C1 students and above who will come across interesting vocabulary like: so what?, to head to, to lead up to [the events], to take over, a deal, a telecast, cliche, a boundary, to host [acoustic sessions], to stress [that], to echo, to stoke [controversy], on the heels of, to raise eyebrows, to dabble in [tropical genres], a backlash, [a debate] to unfold, to hint  [at questions], to uplift, whitewashed, satinized, scrutinize, barely, the [Florida] branch, the rate, ongoing, contention, stark [criticism], to snub, a breakthrough, allegations, to harass, [highly] pubicized, diaspora, a [colonial] tag, the birthplace, to carry [political] implications, race, tricky, to mirror, in flux, to set out [to solve], to fulfill [a mission], mainstream [music], [profound] underrepresentation, to be looked down [upon], unabashedly, groundbreaking, a queer [woman], to be dubbed, to play a pivotal role, glaringly [absent], vast [diversity], to undervalue, a boundary-pushing [player], to champion.

The El País report, can be read by B2 learners and above, who will find interesting words and expressions like: to sneak  [into the urban genre], to thrill, to crash [the party], a singer-songwriter, [to feel] broken, the overwhelming [precence], a gala, to shine [the most], poise, stature, a bird's eye view, to come out [first], a top-selling [singer], to be eligible [for an award], to stage, to be gripped, sorrow, resounding [modernity], guts, a dagger, clappers, props, [to give them] a twist, unleashed, to stand out, stingy, [latest] harvest, to border [the absurdity], to get [their interpretations] off the ground, the broadcast, to fit in, to hold your own, a kid, [to have a lot of] nerve, morale, a tenet, deceased, solitude, refreshing naivety, to set foot on [a stage], touching.

For the Spanish/ English bilinguals following this blog, below you can find a direct link to Nathy Peluso's, official video of  "Estás Buenísimo" in Spanish, winner of the Best Short Form Music Video, by Félix Bollaín & Rogelio González: