One thing we have a lot of here at The Root is music enthusiasts. We even have a Grammy-nominated artist (The Glow Up Managing Editor Maisyha Kai) amongst our ranks. The musical appreciation runs deep. Once upon a time not long ago, The Root created weekly music playlists, curated by the staff and upped onto Spotify. It’s been a while since that was the order of the day, but it’s a new dawn, it’s a new day so welcome back welcome back welcoooooooome back!
Every week on Friday, a themed, staff-curated playlist will go up on The Root’s Spotify. The song list will also be included here along with the staffers who selected the songs. This week’s theme is “A Lovely Day,” both in honor of and in memoriam for Bill Withers who passed away on March 30, 2020, and includes songs that make us think of “a lovely day,” so named after one of Bill Withers’ most famous and uplifting tunes. Who couldn’t use a lovely day right about now? Enjoy!
“A Lovely Day” (4/17/2020)
Danielle Belton
The Brothers Johnson “Strawberry Letter 23”
Monique Judge
The Clark Sisters “You Brought The Sunshine”
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly “Golden Time of Day”
Corey Townsend
The Temptations “My Girl”
Minnie Riperton “Loving You”
Etta James “A Sunday Kind of Love”
Earth, Wind & Fire “September”
New Edition “Mr. Telephone Man”
Anne Branigin
Princess Nokia “Soul Food y Adobo”
The Delfonics “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love)“
Weldon Irvine “Morning Sunrise”
Wilson Simonal “Nem Vem Que Não Tem”
Jay Connor
Sounds of Blackness “Optimistic”
The Winans “Paradise”
Blackstreet - Happy Song (Tonite)
The Notorious B.I.G. “Sky is the Limit”
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince “Summertime”
The Dove Shack “Summertime in the LBC”
Bill Withers “I Want to Spend the Night”
Jodeci “Get On Up”
Maiysha Kai
Bill Withers “Use Me”
Natalie Cole “La Costa”
Aretha Franklin “Day Dreaming”
Mary J. Blige “Beautiful Ones”
Emily King “Distance”
Joe Jurado
Gil Scott-Heron “I Think I’ll Call It Morning”
Tonja Stidhum
Stevie Wonder “Sir Duke”
Michael Harriot
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly “Happy Feelings”
Ice Cube “It Was a Good Day”
The Roots “Lazy Afternoon”
Felice Leon
Nina Simona “Here Comes the Sun”
Genetta Adams
Johnny Kemp “Just Got Paid”
Saskia Kercy
Jill Scott “A Long Walk”
Panama Jackson
The Originals “Sunrise”
Roy Ayers Ubiquity “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”
Destiny’s Child “Free”
The Blackbyrds “Mysterious Vibes”
Amel Larrieux “For Real”
Mahalia feat. Ella Mai “What You Did”
PJ Rickards
DeBarge “I Like It”
John Holt “It’s A Jam In The Street”