#Project1819
A week into 2019, I’m still going to say it, Happy New Year!
I’m going to skip all of the fluff about New Year’s resolutions and such and jump right into it. So what is #Project1819?
It started out with me wanting to do my usual New Year’s Day post on my Instagram. The usual dress-up in a blazer, take some quality photos and stick some self-fulfilling quote underneath. The more I thought about it the more repetitive it seemed. At the same time I wanted to dive deeper into the creative world with this blog and do more video content. So why not use this New Year’s post to do more.
Music, I thought I want to do a year-end list of songs. A list of songs that weren’t necessarily focused on popularity or charting numbers but the songs that I played the most on streaming services. The selection of songs I chose were:
Childish Gambino “This Is America”
KYLE “Hey Julie” feat. Lil Yachty
Mariah Carey “A No No”
CHVRCHES “My Enemy”
Saweetie “B.A.N.”
Young Thug “Gain Clout”
Pardison Fontaine “Backin’ It Up” feat. Cardi B
The Carters “APESHIT”
Travis Scott “SICKO MODE (Skrillex Remix)” feat. Drake
The Weekend “Pray For Me” feat. Kendrick Lamar
Robyn “Ever Again”
I pondered the name of the playlist once I selected the songs. I knew this finished product will live past the first day of the New Year so that’s when I thought of 2018 and 2019. These were 2018 songs being carried over into 2019 hence the title "#Project1819.”
Initially, I was going to use my bedroom as a studio since I already have the appropriate lighting but then I said let me invest in a videographer; I found Hazel & Co. Simply put, I had an amazing experience with them. We will be working again in the future.
The blazer, I could not forget about the blazer. When it comes to fashion I’ve always said that we as men are limited to taking risks or better yet, we limit ourselves based on societal rules. I like a good balance meaning yes, I can be a have a flamboyant style but I prefer to keep mine simple with a pop of extra in the fabric. I found the perfect blazer: CHARLIE CASELY-HAYFORD X TOPMAN.
The day of the shoot came. We headed to the studio in Brooklyn. The studio was booked for three hours. Three hours seems like adequate time but boy oh boy did the time fly. It took about an hour of setting-up, feeling the vibe of the studio, giving and taking direction, the whole bit. I was nervous as hell which would explain the how the half-full bottle of Sauvignon Blanc ended up in the video. I needed to loosen up for my first time. It worked because it wasn’t long before my quirky ass was bouncing around that set.
After we did the last take it was like the comedown after a high; I wanted more. Nevertheless, it was such a fun experience to carry out a this little idea of mine and see it transformed into a finished product. What you see below is the mashup of the songs I selected and throughout January you will see longer individual clips of each song. Take a look below.