My Playlist With… Layla Kardan

A playlist has to include... a mix of new sounds with my staple artists: Sade, Prince, Donny Hathaway, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Portisehead, Hiatus Kaiyote, India Arie, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and some hip hop and rap legends like A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac, The Roots, The Fugees, and Andre 3000. Some of the newer artists I like are James Blake, Channel Tres, Khurangbin, Jungle, Sault, Sevdaliza, Solange, Rosalía, Cleo Sol and HER. I’m always on the hunt for fresh sounds.

The ultimate road trip playlist... tends to include more classic and fun tracks like Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and Papas, Lovely Day by Bill Withers, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding, Jammin’ by Bob Marley & The Wailers and Master Blaster by Stevie Wonder. All the timeless tracks that make you feel nostalgic and help pass the time.

My favourite album right now is…. Cleo Sol’s Heaven. She just had a baby, and is such a profound artist in today’s world, so I really relate to her lyrics and music – the melodies are soulful, deep and ethereal and I love the live instrumentation. All the songs are beautiful, but I love Self.

My favourite album of all time is... The Best of Sade. She’s just the most legendary artist. Her style, aura, personality, voice, stage presence and music… it’s had the biggest impact on me. 

In terms of classics... I love to listen to classic jazz standards by my favourite artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Billie Holiday and Chet Baker. 

One of my favourite artists of all time… is Erykah Badu. Her music has been such a big part of my evolution – both musically and spiritually. 

For a girl's trip, I would suggest... Push It by Salt n Pepa, No Scrubs by TLC, Don’t Let Go by Envogue, and Fantasy by Blackbox. These are songs I blast with my girls; empowering and fun. 

If I'm getting for a night out, I would play... Topdown by Channel Tres or I’ve Been In Love by Jungle. 

When I want a good cry, I like to play... Pearls by Sade. It makes me cry for all the women who struggle with injustice. Giving Up by Donny Hathaway and My Mind by Yebba always gets me, but my ultimate sob track is To Make you Feel My Love by Bob Dylan.

At the end of a long day, I like to play... Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix. It is one of my favourite songs ever. Or maybe All Of Me by Mark de Clive-Lowe. It takes me on a journey through space and time. Also, Really Love by D’Angelo is a song I can really get lost in. 

Before getting ready for a live show, I will always play... Aretha Franklin. Either I Say A Little Prayer or Respect to get me into my female power and also inspire me to project my voice. She was such an amazing and powerful artist.

One of my favourite songs to perform is... I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone or my own song, Goddess. That song changed my life.

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