Music Mood Board: Feel-Good Songs by Anderson .Paak
Music Mood Board: Anderson .Paak and His Soulful Impact
The first time I saw Anderson .Paak in concert was at Coachella in 2019. His set overlapped with Ella Mai's (a malfeasance on the festival's behalf, if you ask me), but I wanted to prioritise his stageing since he hadn't yet performed his Grammy Award-winning hit "Bubblin." My sister, however, felt more inclined to see Mai, who came on halfway through .Paak's performance. In an effort to compromise, I agreed to leave .Paak's act for the "Trip" singer — that is until I heard the intro of "Bubblin." We were almost to Mai's stage, but, honey, when I say I sprinted back to see .Paak, you would've thought I was training for the Olympics. I heard my sister calling me from a distance and telling me to wait up, but there's no "waiting up" when "Bubblin" is on. I arrived back at .Paak's stage, out of breath, right as he was telling the crowd to "look at the cash comin' in," and I fervently rapped along to the rest of the number. (By the way, we left .Paak's concert again after that, and my sister was able to see Mai sing her favourite song, "Boo'd Up." So, it all worked out!)
That anecdote perfectly summarizes the effect of .Paak's music. Its soul and energy make me laugh, dance, and dash across a lawn in 90-degree heat. It's fitting that he's known as the rapper with the best teef in the game. Not only is his smile captivating but his music is like a grin that transforms into a tune. That's probably why I've had the rapper on heavy rotation lately — his songs always manage to lift my spirits. So this week's Music Mood Board features 11 of my favourite songs from the California-born musician.
