#2000smusic — Public Fediverse posts

Song of the Moment: Kandi – “Don’t Think I’m Not”

"Don't Think I'm Not" was released as the lead-off single from Kandi's 2000 album, Hey Kandi...

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/22/song-of-the-moment-kandi-dont-think-im-not/

#Music, #Kandi, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #RAndB, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Kandi – “Don’t Think I’m Not”

"Don't Think I'm Not" was released as the lead-off single from Kandi's 2000 album, Hey Kandi...

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/22/song-of-the-moment-kandi-dont-think-im-not/

#Music, #Kandi, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #RAndB, #AeschTunes

Outkast Play “Ms. Jackson”

Listen to this track by Dirty South progressive hip hop innovators Outkast. It’s “Ms. Jackson”, the second single from their landmark record Stankonia released in October of 2000. That record received rave critical reviews across the board. It also made an impact on the musical landscape as a whole from within hip hop as well as without. It certainly helped open up the possibilities for hip hop artists working in the south. By the turn of the century, the traditional east-west divide was no longer the only game in town. Outkast were on the vanguard of that movement.

“Ms. Jackson” received heavy radio play all over the world as a popular fixture on playlists alongside pop songs of all styles. Among other songs on the record, this hit tune is the product of a new creative approach between creative heads André 3000 and Big Boi. They pair acrobatic rapping, beats, and samples with varied instrumentation, a singable chorus, and more complex song structures. On the album as a whole, Outkast reference psychedelia, funk, and rock fused together with modern hip hop into something new. In doing so, they lean into classic styles of the past while also pushing the envelope into more experimental territory.

There’s even a heavy shot of the confessional singer-songwriter storytelling element in this song. “Ms. Jackson” offers clear narratives that outline characters and their motivations with a complex set of perspectives. To create that effect, André 3000 considered his own life experiences and worked alone with an acoustic guitar to work out his ideas at home. Big Boi worked primarily in their recently acquired Stankonia studio in Atlanta. In part because of that separation, this song and many of the other tracks on the album depart from the norm to what was happening in hip hop by the end of the Nineties and set a template for others in a new century.

“Ms. Jackson” tells a true story, or certainly a true set of sentiments between real people. From the mid-Nineties to the end of the decade, André 3000 was in a relationship with then up and coming R&B singer Erykah Badu who became the mother of their son. “Ms. Jackson” touches on that story, with the titular figure being Badu’s mother in André’s verses. The pleas for forgiveness in this tune are heartfelt on his part in the context of his break up with Badu. But this song is more nuanced than just being a straightforward confessional piece full of personal remorse, regret, and a trillion apologies. That is only one single perspective in a song that deals in wider themes beyond that one situation.

Big Boi’s contribution is not specifically directed at Badu or the real Ms. Jackson at all even if his recriminatory tone was purportedly not entirely welcome when Badu heard the song. His verses (one and three) centre around how ugly break ups can get from a more general perspective. To be fair, the shift in perspective between Big Boi’s verses and André’s wasn’t immediately obvious to many on first listen. Yet his verses paint a starkly realistic and painful picture of how break ups so often play out between two people and their respective familial camps. The children in the middle of that conflict are often reduced to points of leverage used by one party over another and vice versa.

André’s story is the more introspective picture of a relationship breakdown. But it’s no less illustrative of the costly toll it takes on everyone involved. In his verses, he ponders how easy it is to lose ground as perspectives shift from the puppy love of youth to the complexities of love in adulthood. He examines the responsibilities, obligations, and changing perspectives that go beyond idealized views of relationships and romantic feelings. Further to that, André’s narrator suggests how disconnection from a lover’s family when love breaks down can be just as significant a loss as the break up itself. Speaking directly to his lover’s mother speaks volumes on that front.

This exchange between the two perspectives between André 3000 and Big Boi on “Ms. Jackson” creates a compelling contrast. Even if they come at the subject of marital and familial breakdowns from entirely different angles, the common denominator running through the whole song is plain old agony. Break ups always hurt—some more than others, but always with a certain amount of misery on both sides as a given. When love, acceptance, and inclusion so easily turn to acrimony, rejection, and separation, how could it not? “Ms. Jackson” demonstrates how complex these states of affairs can be, infused with anger, grief, remorse, disconnection, and utter loneliness.

As a song on the radio, “Ms. Jackson” was evidence of a maturity spike across the pop music spectrum as a whole by 2000. Like the movement of a lot of rock music during the Nineties and into the new century when compared to the widespread casual misogyny of the 1980s, things had changed in hip hop, too. Blurry edges and emotional grey areas that were more true to life replaced the simplistic divide between men and women and who might be to blame for relationship breakdowns.

In this, “Ms. Jackson” was innovative as one of the most emotionally complex songs of the era in any genre. It approaches the very well-traveled pop music subject of break ups in a new way, with everyone in the narrative as flawed as each other instead of either party being a hero or a villain. It’s a human drama, with anger, hurt, and feelings of guilt still present. But along with that, so are the realities of claiming ownership of one’s mistakes, taking responsibility for caring for innocent parties, and paying proper respect to those one has hurt, even if one’s own heart is also broken.

Because this song is based on real events and involving real people, a question that arose at the time and soon after this song achieved popularity was simply this: what did the real Ms. Jackson think of this big hit song bearing her name? Well, she loved it. It even resulted in purchasing a personalized licence plate, the wording of which is pretty easy to guess.

Outkast put out two more albums after Stankonia before breaking up in 2007 and then only briefly reuniting in 2014. They were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2025, recognized today as the most successful hip hop duo of all time.

Big Boi is an active solo artist, record producer, and actor today. Catch up to his more recent movements at bigboi.com.

André 3000 took a long hiatus from his music career with some of that time spent pursuing an acting career. In 2023, he put out his solo record New Blue Sun, his first recording in 17 years. That album is not a hip hop record, but rather one that finds him exploring instrumental new age flute music. Learn about that release right here.

Enjoy!

Outkast Play “Ms. Jackson”

Listen to this track by Dirty South progressive hip hop innovators Outkast. It’s “Ms. Jackson”, the second single from their landmark record Stankonia released in October of 2000. That record received rave critical reviews across the board. It also made an impact on the musical landscape as a whole from within hip hop as well as without. It certainly helped open up the possibilities for hip hop artists working in the south. By the turn of the century, the traditional east-west divide was no longer the only game in town. Outkast were on the vanguard of that movement.

“Ms. Jackson” received heavy radio play all over the world as a popular fixture on playlists alongside pop songs of all styles. Among other songs on the record, this hit tune is the product of a new creative approach between creative heads André 3000 and Big Boi. They pair acrobatic rapping, beats, and samples with varied instrumentation, a singable chorus, and more complex song structures. On the album as a whole, Outkast reference psychedelia, funk, and rock fused together with modern hip hop into something new. In doing so, they lean into classic styles of the past while also pushing the envelope into more experimental territory.

There’s even a heavy shot of the confessional singer-songwriter storytelling element in this song. “Ms. Jackson” offers clear narratives that outline characters and their motivations with a complex set of perspectives. To create that effect, André 3000 considered his own life experiences and worked alone with an acoustic guitar to work out his ideas at home. Big Boi worked primarily in their recently acquired Stankonia studio in Atlanta. In part because of that separation, this song and many of the other tracks on the album depart from the norm to what was happening in hip hop by the end of the Nineties and set a template for others in a new century.

“Ms. Jackson” tells a true story, or certainly a true set of sentiments between real people. From the mid-Nineties to the end of the decade, André 3000 was in a relationship with then up and coming R&B singer Erykah Badu who became the mother of their son. “Ms. Jackson” touches on that story, with the titular figure being Badu’s mother in André’s verses. The pleas for forgiveness in this tune are heartfelt on his part in the context of his break up with Badu. But this song is more nuanced than just being a straightforward confessional piece full of personal remorse, regret, and a trillion apologies. That is only one single perspective in a song that deals in wider themes beyond that one situation.

Big Boi’s contribution is not specifically directed at Badu or the real Ms. Jackson at all even if his recriminatory tone was purportedly not entirely welcome when Badu heard the song. His verses (one and three) centre around how ugly break ups can get from a more general perspective. To be fair, the shift in perspective between Big Boi’s verses and André’s wasn’t immediately obvious to many on first listen. Yet his verses paint a starkly realistic and painful picture of how break ups so often play out between two people and their respective familial camps. The children in the middle of that conflict are often reduced to points of leverage used by one party over another and vice versa.

André’s story is the more introspective picture of a relationship breakdown. But it’s no less illustrative of the costly toll it takes on everyone involved. In his verses, he ponders how easy it is to lose ground as perspectives shift from the puppy love of youth to the complexities of love in adulthood. He examines the responsibilities, obligations, and changing perspectives that go beyond idealized views of relationships and romantic feelings. Further to that, André’s narrator suggests how disconnection from a lover’s family when love breaks down can be just as significant a loss as the break up itself. Speaking directly to his lover’s mother speaks volumes on that front.

This exchange between the two perspectives between André 3000 and Big Boi on “Ms. Jackson” creates a compelling contrast. Even if they come at the subject of marital and familial breakdowns from entirely different angles, the common denominator running through the whole song is plain old agony. Break ups always hurt—some more than others, but always with a certain amount of misery on both sides as a given. When love, acceptance, and inclusion so easily turn to acrimony, rejection, and separation, how could it not? “Ms. Jackson” demonstrates how complex these states of affairs can be, infused with anger, grief, remorse, disconnection, and utter loneliness.

As a song on the radio, “Ms. Jackson” was evidence of a maturity spike across the pop music spectrum as a whole by 2000. Like the movement of a lot of rock music during the Nineties and into the new century when compared to the widespread casual misogyny of the 1980s, things had changed in hip hop, too. Blurry edges and emotional grey areas that were more true to life replaced the simplistic divide between men and women and who might be to blame for relationship breakdowns.

In this, “Ms. Jackson” was innovative as one of the most emotionally complex songs of the era in any genre. It approaches the very well-traveled pop music subject of break ups in a new way, with everyone in the narrative as flawed as each other instead of either party being a hero or a villain. It’s a human drama, with anger, hurt, and feelings of guilt still present. But along with that, so are the realities of claiming ownership of one’s mistakes, taking responsibility for caring for innocent parties, and paying proper respect to those one has hurt, even if one’s own heart is also broken.

Because this song is based on real events and involving real people, a question that arose at the time and soon after this song achieved popularity was simply this: what did the real Ms. Jackson think of this big hit song bearing her name? Well, she loved it. It even resulted in purchasing a personalized licence plate, the wording of which is pretty easy to guess.

Outkast put out two more albums after Stankonia before breaking up in 2007 and then only briefly reuniting in 2014. They were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2025, recognized today as the most successful hip hop duo of all time.

Big Boi is an active solo artist, record producer, and actor today. Catch up to his more recent movements at bigboi.com.

André 3000 took a long hiatus from his music career with some of that time spent pursuing an acting career. In 2023, he put out his solo record New Blue Sun, his first recording in 17 years. That album is not a hip hop record, but rather one that finds him exploring instrumental new age flute music. Learn about that release right here.

Enjoy!

Song of the Moment: Mya -“Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do)”

"Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do)" was released as a single from Mya's 2000 album, Fear Of Flying.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/16/song-of-the-moment-mya-case-of-the-ex-whatcha-gonna-do/

#Music, #Mya, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #RAndB, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Mya -“Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do)”

"Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do)" was released as a single from Mya's 2000 album, Fear Of Flying.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/16/song-of-the-moment-mya-case-of-the-ex-whatcha-gonna-do/

#Music, #Mya, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #RAndB, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Dream – “He Loves U Not”

"He Loves U Not" was released as the lead-off single from Dream's 2001 album, It Was All a Dream on August 22, 2000.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/15/song-of-the-moment-dream-he-loves-u-not/

#Music, #Dream, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Dream – “He Loves U Not”

"He Loves U Not" was released as the lead-off single from Dream's 2001 album, It Was All a Dream on August 22, 2000.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/15/song-of-the-moment-dream-he-loves-u-not/

#Music, #Dream, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Album Review: The Azoic – “forward…”

Electronic band The Azoic released its third album, forward… in 2001.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/14/album-review-the-azoic-forward/

#Music, #MusicReview, #TheAzoic, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #ElectronicMusic, #AeschTunes

Album Review: The Azoic – “forward…”

Electronic band The Azoic released its third album, forward… in 2001.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/14/album-review-the-azoic-forward/

#Music, #MusicReview, #TheAzoic, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #ElectronicMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Everclear – “AM Radio”

"AM Radio" was released as the second single from Everclear's 2000 album, Songs From an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/13/song-of-the-moment-everclear-am-radio/

#Music, #Everclear, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #RockMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Everclear – “AM Radio”

"AM Radio" was released as the second single from Everclear's 2000 album, Songs From an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/13/song-of-the-moment-everclear-am-radio/

#Music, #Everclear, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #RockMusic, #AeschTunes

Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland's "Promiscuous" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 2006 and spent six weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #NellyFurtado, #Timbaland, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland's "Promiscuous" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 2006 and spent six weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #NellyFurtado, #Timbaland, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland's "Promiscuous" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 2006 and spent six weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #NellyFurtado, #Timbaland, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland's "Promiscuous" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 2006 and spent six weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #NellyFurtado, #Timbaland, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland's "Promiscuous" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 8, 2006 and spent six weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #NellyFurtado, #Timbaland, #2000s, #2000sMusic

GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR!
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
2018 Canada 2xLP reissue

As epic and breathtaking now as it was in 2000.

This masterpiece is not something I listen to that often. I can’t listen to it in pieces. It has to be heard and experienced from start to finish, all glorious 88 minutes of it. It’s exhaustive, but worth every second of the listener’s time.

Truly one of the landmark albums of the #2000s , and one of the greatest Canadian bands ever.
When talking about #postrock as a genre, and of its high artistic watermarks, this behemoth is one of the few standing at the top.

Just an exhilarating piece of art.

Perfect selection for last spin of the night.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #records #vintage #retro #physicalmedia #analog #cratedigging #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #rare #art #postrock #godspeedyoublackemperor #canada #Montreal #2000smusic

GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR!
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
2018 Canada 2xLP reissue

As epic and breathtaking now as it was in 2000.

This masterpiece is not something I listen to that often. I can’t listen to it in pieces. It has to be heard and experienced from start to finish, all glorious 88 minutes of it. It’s exhaustive, but worth every second of the listener’s time.

Truly one of the landmark albums of the #2000s , and one of the greatest Canadian bands ever.
When talking about #postrock as a genre, and of its high artistic watermarks, this behemoth is one of the few standing at the top.

Just an exhilarating piece of art.

Perfect selection for last spin of the night.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #records #vintage #retro #physicalmedia #analog #cratedigging #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #rare #art #postrock #godspeedyoublackemperor #canada #Montreal #2000smusic

GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR!
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
2018 Canada 2xLP reissue

As epic and breathtaking now as it was in 2000.

This masterpiece is not something I listen to that often. I can’t listen to it in pieces. It has to be heard and experienced from start to finish, all glorious 88 minutes of it. It’s exhaustive, but worth every second of the listener’s time.

Truly one of the landmark albums of the #2000s , and one of the greatest Canadian bands ever.
When talking about #postrock as a genre, and of its high artistic watermarks, this behemoth is one of the few standing at the top.

Just an exhilarating piece of art.

Perfect selection for last spin of the night.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #records #vintage #retro #physicalmedia #analog #cratedigging #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #rare #art #postrock #godspeedyoublackemperor #canada #Montreal #2000smusic

GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR!
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
2018 Canada 2xLP reissue

As epic and breathtaking now as it was in 2000.

This masterpiece is not something I listen to that often. I can’t listen to it in pieces. It has to be heard and experienced from start to finish, all glorious 88 minutes of it. It’s exhaustive, but worth every second of the listener’s time.

Truly one of the landmark albums of the #2000s , and one of the greatest Canadian bands ever.
When talking about #postrock as a genre, and of its high artistic watermarks, this behemoth is one of the few standing at the top.

Just an exhilarating piece of art.

Perfect selection for last spin of the night.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #records #vintage #retro #physicalmedia #analog #cratedigging #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #rare #art #postrock #godspeedyoublackemperor #canada #Montreal #2000smusic

GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR!
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
2018 Canada 2xLP reissue

As epic and breathtaking now as it was in 2000.

This masterpiece is not something I listen to that often. I can’t listen to it in pieces. It has to be heard and experienced from start to finish, all glorious 88 minutes of it. It’s exhaustive, but worth every second of the listener’s time.

Truly one of the landmark albums of the #2000s , and one of the greatest Canadian bands ever.
When talking about #postrock as a genre, and of its high artistic watermarks, this behemoth is one of the few standing at the top.

Just an exhilarating piece of art.

Perfect selection for last spin of the night.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #records #vintage #retro #physicalmedia #analog #cratedigging #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #rare #art #postrock #godspeedyoublackemperor #canada #Montreal #2000smusic

Usher's "U Remind Me" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 7, 2001 and spent four weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Usher, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Usher's "U Remind Me" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 7, 2001 and spent four weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Usher, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Usher's "U Remind Me" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 7, 2001 and spent four weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Usher, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Usher's "U Remind Me" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 7, 2001 and spent four weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Usher, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Usher's "U Remind Me" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 7, 2001 and spent four weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Usher, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Song of the Moment: Backstreet Boys – “The Call”

"The Call" was released as the second single from Backstreet Boys' 2000 album, Black & Blue.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/02/song-of-the-moment-backstreet-boys-the-call/

#Music, #BackstreetBoys, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Backstreet Boys – “The Call”

"The Call" was released as the second single from Backstreet Boys' 2000 album, Black & Blue.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/02/song-of-the-moment-backstreet-boys-the-call/

#Music, #BackstreetBoys, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Backstreet Boys – “The Call”

"The Call" was released as the second single from Backstreet Boys' 2000 album, Black & Blue.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/02/song-of-the-moment-backstreet-boys-the-call/

#Music, #BackstreetBoys, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Backstreet Boys – “The Call”

"The Call" was released as the second single from Backstreet Boys' 2000 album, Black & Blue.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/02/song-of-the-moment-backstreet-boys-the-call/

#Music, #BackstreetBoys, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Whitney Houston featuring Enrique Iglesias – “Could I Have This Kiss Forever”

"Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was released as a single from Whitney Houston's Whitney: The Greatest Hits album in 2000. It's a duet that features Enrique Iglesias, and the song also appears on his 1999 album, Enrique.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/01/song-of-the-moment-whitney-houston-featuring-enrique-iglesias-could-i-have-this-kiss-forever/

#Music, #WhitneyHouston, #EnriqueIglesias, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Whitney Houston featuring Enrique Iglesias – “Could I Have This Kiss Forever”

"Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was released as a single from Whitney Houston's Whitney: The Greatest Hits album in 2000. It's a duet that features Enrique Iglesias, and the song also appears on his 1999 album, Enrique.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/07/01/song-of-the-moment-whitney-houston-featuring-enrique-iglesias-could-i-have-this-kiss-forever/

#Music, #WhitneyHouston, #EnriqueIglesias, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 1, 2006.

#Music, #TaylorHicks, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 1, 2006.

#Music, #TaylorHicks, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Album Review: Atomic Kitten – “Atomic Kitten”

Atomic Kitten released a self-titled album as their American debut album April 22, 2003.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/30/album-review-atomic-kitten-atomic-kitten/

#Music, #MusicReview, #AtomicKitten, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Album Review: Atomic Kitten – “Atomic Kitten”

Atomic Kitten released a self-titled album as their American debut album April 22, 2003.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/30/album-review-atomic-kitten-atomic-kitten/

#Music, #MusicReview, #AtomicKitten, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Gorillaz Play “Feel Good Inc.”

Listen to this track by musically uncategorizable animated meta-band Gorillaz. It’s “Feel Good Inc.”, a smash single taken from the 2005 international breakthrough album Demon Days. The record reached the top ten in 23 countries, becoming a certified six-times platinum in the UK, and reaching double platinum status in the U.S. This surpassed the significant success and influence of the self-titled first record in 2001 with too many awards and accolades to list here to prove the point. Take that, sophomore slump!

Animator Jamie Hewlett’s work on the sleeve art and in the multimedia aspects of the project is a keystone in the world-building that’s so important to the project’s presentation. That world is not a fantasy world apart from our own so much as a dark mirror held up to it. Between visual art and music, Hewlett and co-founder Damon Albarn balance post-apocalyptic visions of ruined landscapes with a longing for a refreshed vision of the future. These same themes reflected in the films of Hayao Miyazaki, particularly Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), had a significant influence on the album. “Feel Good Inc” deals in many of the same conflicts between the forces of consumption and the beauty and grandeur of the natural world.

Much like their stylistically ground-breaking debut record, Demon Days is infused with indie rock, hip-hop, reggae, dub, krautrock, disco, film music, and other ingredients to boot, producing a sonic concoction that really is difficult to pin down. Albarn’s background as a singer and writer in Blur gave it a whiff of Britpop at the time, perhaps. But on this track and others, the jauntiness and playful irony of that milieu is nowhere to be heard as one era clicked over to another from 9/11 onward. This is despite this song bearing one of the funkiest and most recognizable grooves of the decade, thanks in part to producer and collaborator Danger Mouse.

Speaking of collaborators, the guest list across the album’s tracklisting represents an almost defiant level of artistic variation. Musical and pop-cultural luminaries on the album include UK garage innovator Roots Manuva, rapper MF Doom, Happy Mondays creative head Shaun Ryder, trip hop vocalist Martina Topley-Bird, pop-soul singer Neneh Cherry, R&B forefather Ike Turner, actor Dennis Hopper, and even the London Community Gospel Choir. And that’s only a selected list!

“Feel Good Inc.” features an important contribution from De La Soul, an outfit known for their colourful and life-affirming sound that contains a knowing nod in much the same way that Blur is also known. Here, those expectations are subverted. The beloved hip hop crew sound downright sinister here. Albarn’s lead sounds smothered in the mix by comparison. Both of those factors help to set the tone of the whole song.

Beyond an extraordinarily compelling interlocked bass and beats groove, this cut is otherwise characterized by the mirthless laughter of those who run the show for the rest of civilization, contrasted by Albarn’s despondent vocal in the verses. In large part, “Feel Good Inc” is about imbalanced dynamics in the same way. It’s about not being heard by those in the seats of power with an agenda to push. This theme might have seemed either self-evident or histrionic in the era of the early-to-mid-2000s, depending on who you asked. These days in retrospect, it’s too easily identifiable.

This period was one in which the veil had fallen politically speaking in such a way as it never had before. Governments made unilateral decisions out in the open and bullishly enacted strategies that the majority of citizens opposed. They proceeded anyway without much of an attempt to justify those decisions with material evidence or address legitimate concerns as to the outcomes of their plans. As the second Iraq War raged along with parallel conflicts in Afghanistan, the toothlessness of the United Nations embodied by their failure to enforce checks and balances had a cultural impact that did not bode well for the future.

In the same way, even the title “Feel Good Inc” suggests this manufacture of consent. In Jamie Hewlett’s video for this track, the words Feel Good Inc are emblazoned on a smoky tower, surrounded by smog, providing a bitter contrast to the meaning of those words, further suggesting that deciding what feeling good is and how goodness is defined is an act of bad faith curation by the few. The mirthless laughter that runs through the track only seals the deal on that central concept. But there is hope in this song with Damon Albarn’s distant vocal in the chorus singing of windmills and evoking the resilient cycles of nature.

Windmill, windmill for the land
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all in on your stride
It is ticking, falling down
Love forever, love is freely
Turned forever, you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?

The hope shines through in “Feel Good Inc” on this score, even if its themes are pretty grim. The sheer delight of the groove helps to convey this. It isn’t just there for contrast or irony. It’s still meant to be a force within the song that makes you feel like moving. And with that, we’re reminded of our commonality as human beings when it comes to visceral reactions to music and to anything. We want to feel good in our bodies. And along with a good groove, we seek other things in our lives that provide connections that ring true for us. This is true even as much as we’re often hoodwinked by those who have something illusory and self-serving to sell us instead.

With that, there’s also the environmental aspects to consider here in this tune, too. Being visceral beings as much as we are intellectual and spiritual ones, we are a part of something greater as individuals and even as a species. We are a part of the natural world; a presence and an influence that’s more encompassing than any exploitative machinations that seek to dominate it. At our cores, we know this to be true. And yet, this song’s concerns and anxieties about political deception and environmental degradation continue to resonate with us, even more so now than in 2005 when this single first came out.

Perhaps every generation thinks of their own time as demon days, when those aforementioned forces of single-minded consumption seek to eat the very world that sustains us. And even if a single song can’t change the course of that, it can certainly serve as a reminder that we are in our bodies and in the world. We want to feel connected to that world as we move to a slinky groove. Also, we’re reminded that we don’t have to accept things as they are given to us. We can choose to recognize the demons, even if they dress themselves up in angelic finery. When we’re discerning enough do that, maybe we can finally put the demon days behind us for good.

For more on the Demon Days album and the themes and events that inspired its creation, check out this 2016 retrospective on Vice.com.

Gorillaz is an ongoing project between Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. Sign up for updates, listen to tracks, and follow on socials at gorillaz.com.

Enjoy!

Song of the Moment: Pink – “Get the Party Started”

"Get The Party Started" was released as the lead-off single from Pink's 2001 album, Missundaztood.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/27/song-of-the-moment-pink-get-the-party-started/

#Music, #Pink, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Pink – “Get the Party Started”

"Get The Party Started" was released as the lead-off single from Pink's 2001 album, Missundaztood.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/27/song-of-the-moment-pink-get-the-party-started/

#Music, #Pink, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Gorillaz – “Clint Eastwood”

"Clint Eastwood" was released as the lead-off single from Gorillaz's 2001 self-titled album.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/24/song-of-the-moment-gorillaz-clint-eastwood/

#Music, #Gorillaz, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #AlternativeMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Gorillaz – “Clint Eastwood”

"Clint Eastwood" was released as the lead-off single from Gorillaz's 2001 self-titled album.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/24/song-of-the-moment-gorillaz-clint-eastwood/

#Music, #Gorillaz, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #AlternativeMusic, #AeschTunes

EP Review: Venomocean – “VoyageV”

In 2006, electronic music act Venomocean released the five-track VoyageV EP.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/23/ep-review-venomocean-voyagev/

#Music, #MusicReview, #Venomocean, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #Synthpop, #ElectronicMusic, #AeschTunes

EP Review: Venomocean – “VoyageV”

In 2006, electronic music act Venomocean released the five-track VoyageV EP.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/23/ep-review-venomocean-voyagev/

#Music, #MusicReview, #Venomocean, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #Synthpop, #ElectronicMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Kylie Minogue – “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”

"Can't Get You Out of My Head" was released as a single from Kylie Minogue's 2001 album, Fever.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/22/song-of-the-moment-kylie-minogue-cant-get-you-out-of-my-head/

#Music, #KylieMinogue, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #DanceMusic, #ElectronicMusic, #AeschTunes

Song of the Moment: Kylie Minogue – “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”

"Can't Get You Out of My Head" was released as a single from Kylie Minogue's 2001 album, Fever.

http://aeschtunes.com/2026/06/22/song-of-the-moment-kylie-minogue-cant-get-you-out-of-my-head/

#Music, #KylieMinogue, #2000s, #2000sMusic, #PopMusic, #DanceMusic, #ElectronicMusic, #AeschTunes

Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean's "Hips Don't Lie" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 17, 2006 and spent two weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Shakira, #WyclefJean, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean's "Hips Don't Lie" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 17, 2006 and spent two weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Shakira, #WyclefJean, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean's "Hips Don't Lie" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 17, 2006 and spent two weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Shakira, #WyclefJean, #2000s, #2000sMusic

Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean's "Hips Don't Lie" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 17, 2006 and spent two weeks at the top of the chart.

#Music, #Shakira, #WyclefJean, #2000s, #2000sMusic