A (Very) Informal Introduction to German Pop Music – Part 2
Written by Jessi-Alex Brandon
Hallooo schöne Leute!! I can’t believe it’s already time for the first official Artist of the Week! I had most of last week off because of the 4th of July, but for some reason it feels like I’ve been out for two weeks straight!
Does anyone else have this feeling? And speaking of the 4th, I hope everyone had a great one, filled with delicious food, good company, and most importantly: quality fireworks shows! What’s the 4th without them, am I right?
Anyway, back to business! For those of you who are just joining in, this is a weekly German music blog post I’m writing until the end of July to introduce others to the greatness of current german music. For those of you who read the last post, welcome back! Now our journey officially begins.
The very first artist of the week happens to be my favorite German music artist at the moment: Teesy. Teesy (real name: Toni Mudrack) was born in Berlin on December 8, 1990 and he’s been rapping since he was 15 years old. He released his first EP in 2011, but it wasn’t until his debut album Glücksrezepte, that he gained some popularity. Since then he released his second album Wünschdirwas (my personal favorite), and he’s releasing his third album, Tones, in late August. Now that you know a little bit about him, here are 5 Teesy songs to get you started.
- “Elisabeth”, from Wünschdirwas ~ https://youtu.be/I75Kws7VBjE
One of my good college friends introduced me to Teesy with this song, and I was instantly hooked. The first thing that gets you is the sudden brass intro along with some groovy, 1970’s-esque guitar riffs and the catchy accompanying beat. The cheery tune provides the instrumental for a rather awkward story: Teesy is being stalked by a girl with whom he broke up with. The music video matches the tone of the lyrics with its black-and-white coloring and Teesy working on his cardio so he could run away from her, but it doesn’t “sound” bad, y’know? It just throws you off a bit. Long story short, it’s great and worth a listen!
- “Wünschdirwas”; from Wünschdirwas~ https://youtu.be/yruzo3wUeqY
Another incredibly catchy song from the Wünschdirwas album. A classic pop tune about a person you’re in love with but is interested in another, richer man. Although I love everything about this song, the guitar solo in the end keeps making me feel some type of way, it’s so good! And don’t get me started on the music video. Super colorful with a nod to Forrest Gump. And can we talk about Teesy’s outfits? I NEED his wardrobe!
- “Keine Rosen”, from Glücksrezepte~ https://youtu.be/60AAWiOZVF4
A nice little ballad to break away from upbeat pop for a bit. I like this song because I feel this displays more of Teesy’s vocal abilities (he can hit some SERIOUS notes). When you’re feeling a little sad about your loved one, or thinking about your crush from afar, this is the song for you.
- “Usain Bolt”, from Tones~ https://youtu.be/FaNJyaX6TPw
This was his first single from his newest album, Tones, which will be released on August 20. I listen to Usain Bolt whenever I work out on go for a run. The message is actually pretty inspirational too: This is my life, so I’m going to chase my dreams and do what I want, and I don’t care what anyone says. Truly a motto to go by.
- “Jackpot” (ft. Cro), from Wünchdirwas~ https://youtu.be/RcS7m_H52g0
Last, but definitely not least, my most favorite song from Teesy. I know I keep describing his songs as “catchy”, but this song is the definition of catchy! I showed this song to some people I lived with last year, and they told me the next day that they couldn’t get it out of their head (they meant that in a good way, I promise!) Jokes aside, it’s so hard to not be in a good mood while listening to it. It’s just a genuine, feel-good hit. The video just adds to the good vibes with its bright colors, game night with Teesy’s friends, and not to mention the epic Star Wars reference. Overall, a 10/10 song and a 10/10 video. A for-sure mood enhancer for anyone!
I hope this gave you a good introduction to Teesy and the world of modern German pop. If you want to listen to more of his songs, check out his Youtube playlist here, or look up his name on Spotify to access his full-length albums! Thanks for tuning in to the first official “Music Artist of the Week”, and hopefully, this will tide you over until the next one. Until then, tschüss!
Photo Credit: Stefan Brending, Creative Commons Attribution