Camiele: A Life in Music

1996:

Spice (Spice Girls)
As far as I’m concerned this was the only album that existed in 1996. I remember EXACTLY where I was when I first heard Wannabe — waiting for my mom to get off of work, sitting in the car in the parking lot. This song comes on and my 10-year-old mind freaked the freak out! I’ve been one of their biggest fangirls ever since, devoted and never wavering.

1997:

Either/Or (Elliott Smith), The Velvet Rope (Janet Jackson), Spiceworld (Spice Girls)
There’s not much to be said about Elliott Smith. Next to Jeff Buckley I consider him the most introspective, albeit self-indulgently emotional, artist of the 90s. Every single track on Either/Or is gorgeously penned and even more beautifully executed. My favorite track on the album, Between the Bars, also happens to be my favorite track of his [1]. Then, of course, there’s Ms. Janet. This is my favorite album of hers and also houses my favorite song of hers. Got til it’s Gone is probably her most well constructed piece of music and I die and am resurrected every time I listen to it.

I know what you’re thinking, “How do you put Elliott Smith and the Spice Girls on the same list?” Well, whatever! I don’t care! I will always give my 90s love to the Spice Girls. Their sophomore work (and the last one they would do as a quintet) is more mature (shut up!) and has a deeper groove. I can’t describe what this album and the supporting film did to my childhood. All I know is that my life is never complete without the power of Spice [MV].

1998:

Cowboy Bebop OST (Yoko Kanno)
I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, but the best music of the late 90s really started to come out of Asia. My first taste of actual unadulterated awesome came in the form of Cowboy Bebop. Yoko Kanno is just a genius and she straight up knows how to pull the grown and sexy out of anything [1].

1999:

The Slim Shady LP (Eminem), Bitter (Meshell Ndegeocello), Synkronized (Jamiroquai)
Oh. My. GOD! This album pretty much made me fall in love with Eminem! He was like the second coming. And can we talk about the cover — Em’s alter ego, Slim Shady, looking out over a bridge while feet from a dead body are hanging from the boot of his car… Yeah, life changing stuff.

Then, of course, Meshell. She’s my goddess, the queen of my soul. Bitter was just that, bitter. But the simplicity of the music and the sound of her whispered contralto sent chills to every part of my body [1]. And there’s nothing quite like the mellow, earth groove of Jamiroquai. Jay Kay is just a master of sound and concept [MV].