THE 10 BEST CHILL SONGS TO VIBE TO THIS BLACK FRIDAY

Photo by Nick Owuor (astro.nic.visuals) on Unsplash

If you’re reading this, then that means you must have successfully emerged from your Thanksgiving food coma. Just in time for the Black Friday sales, baby! Only kidding. The last thing we need to be doing right now – you know, in the middle of a global hecking pandemic – is heading to the shopping mall, so instead, why not join me in taking it easy this weekend with the latest edition of We Are: The Guard’s Best Chill Songs? Simply grab a plate of leftovers and tuck into the following chill vibes from Paris Jackson, Tash, Samia & Anjimile, and more.

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PARIS JACKSON – EYELIDS

It’s difficult to write a sentence about Paris Jackson without referencing her famous father, but the 22-year-old couldn’t sound further from the man who raised her on “eyelids.” Featured on her recent debut album wilted, it’s a sweeping, folklore-esque ballad about the pain of memory, with Paris coming joined on vocals by Andy Hull.

TASH – THE GIVE AND THE TAKE

Australia’s Tash is the definition of effortlessly cool. Case in point: “The Give and the Take.” Featured on her forthcoming EP Volume 2, it’s another sultry piece of contemporary R&B from this young artist, with jazzy licks combining with Tash’s lush vocals for a listen that goes down like Irish cream liquor. FFO: Tom Misch, The Internet.

SAMIA & ANJIMILE – WAVERLY (ANJIMILE VERSION)

Just a couple of months on from the release of his debut album Giver Taker, Boston musician Anjimile returns today with a cover of Samia’s “Waverly.” Listen as the We Are: The Guard favorite puts a rustic spin on The Baby observational, with homespun acoustics intertwining with Anjimile’s comforting croon with Sufjan Stevens-esque ease.

KINGS ELLIOTT – I’M GETTING TIRED OF ME

Every once in a while, a song comes along that completely stops you in your tracks. “I’m Getting Tired of Me” by Kings Elliot is, for me, one of those songs. Written about the British artist’s battles with her deepest personal demons, “I’m Getting Tired of Me” is a courageous confessional that comes paired with the bravest video of the year.

ANSON SEABRA – WALKED THROUGH HELL

Sometimes you can do everything for a person, and it still isn’t enough. Just ask Anson Seabra, the Kansas City singer-songwriter who’s coming to terms with the fact that he’ll never be able to meet a lover’s expectations on “Walked Through Hell” – an aching, longing lament that’s already clocked up over 4 million plays in demo form on TikTok.

SASHA SLOAN (FEAT. CHARLIE PUTH) – IS IT JUST ME?

Queen of the Sad Girls Sasha Sloan enlists Charlie Puth for a fragile remix of “Is It Just Me?” “I only sing on songs I didn’t write when I wish I wrote them and this is one I really wish I wrote,” says Charlie of his decision to appear on the ode to unpopular opinions, with his soulful croon making quite the accompaniment to Sasha’s raw vulnerability.

JORDY & OSTON – TOMORROW

Rising pop stars JORDY and OSTON are reminding us of the importance of living in the present on the moving “Tomorrow.” “But I’m busy chasing tomorrow/I’m eating and sleeping and breathing and living tomorrow,” sing both artists on the delicately soft, affecting ballad, which was written as a coping mechanism of sorts early into lockdown.

LATE JUNE – SO FAR

This is pure, utter bliss. New Zealand producer Late June is taking us on a late-night drive through the city lights on his latest single “So Far.” Clocking in at just under two and a half minutes, “So Far” is a sparkling opus from the very first note to the very last note, with synths climbing like glittering skyscrapers at the tranquil midnight hour.

KLARA ELIAS – CHAMPAGNE

Iceland’s Klara Elias stands amid the shattered glass and broken ruins of a relationship on “Champagne.” “The song was written two days after the most difficult breakup I have ever been through,” writes Klara of the follow-up to “Paralyzed” – a gut-wrenchingly emotive piano ballad that hears Klara’s rasping vocals hitting right in the feels.

WILLOW & JAHNAVI HARRISON – RISE

WILLOW and Jahnavi Harrison are helping us to reach a state of mediative nirvana on “Rise.” Featured on their recent EP of the same name, the song hears the Los Angeles and British acts bringing together their love for spirituality with their innate pop sensibilities, with the final result making for a quite frankly transcendental experience.

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Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.