If you’re trying to fight the summer heatwave, this is the blast from the past you’ll need. British singer Billie Myers’ “Kiss the Rain” is the perfect song to play after the arrival of a summer thunderstorm — to cool off the air, and the mind. The song became popular after being used in an episode of the popular teen drama “Dawson’s Creek,” and began ascending the charts. Written as a reflection on the ups and downs of relationships, the Alt/Pop sound of “Kiss the Rain” fit right in amidst the eclectic music scene of the late 90s.

Watch the “Kiss the Rain” video, stream it, or buy Billie Myers’ debut album.

In celebration of summer, the staff at THE 97 has compiled a playlist containing some of our favorite summer songs, from then and now. Each day we will reveal one song, rotating daily between past and present with pairings from 1998 and 2023, for a total of 97 days/songs. Since we love nostalgia, we’re celebrating summer songs from 1998 as they turn 25, alongside new songs that we feel deserve some shine. Pairings could be thematic, sonic, or based connections between the artists.

Check out our full “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist here.

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It’s hard to imagine a classic like “The Boy Is Mine” turning 25 because when you listen to it today, it’s still just as fresh. When it was released, Brandy and Monica were both teen idols on the rise and Rodney Jerkins crafted this song in hopes of putting the rumors about their alleged rivalry to rest. The song was a huge, undeniable hit and remains a staple in R&B and Pop playlists. Brandy and Monica convincingly played dueling divas for this song, serving amazing vocals, plenty of attitude… and igniting a fictional feud that made Summer 1998 sizzle.

Watch the music video below, stream “The Boy is Mine,” or order Brandy’s “Never Say Never” on vinyl.

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The album is rooted in the 1980s sound that has quickly become associated with The Weeknd’s rise to Pop stardom ever since his massive 2015 album Beauty Behind the Madness. Less new wave-y than its predecessor After Hours, Dawn FM veers more into Quiet Storm, synth and Pop/funk tones.

After the intro, we’re escorted into the thumping beat and distorted voice of “Gasoline,” which harkens back to early Depeche Mode and Duran Duran. All through the euphoric singles “Take My Breath” and “Sacrifice,” the first part of the album is filled with uptempo numbers.

Then something shifts as we enter the Quiet Storm atmosphere of “Out of Time,” built on a sample of “Midnight Pretenders” by Aran and by far the closest he’s come to touching the Michael Jackson sound. “Is There Someone Else?” continues in the same midtempo spirit, but with a more modern edge to it.

The Weeknd enlisted Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne as guest stars on “Here We Go… Again” and “I Heard You’re Married” respectively (the latter is co-produced by Calvin Harris), which are both highlights. Then it ends with “Less than Zero,” which is a clear contender for the next single and “Phantom Regret by Jim” featuring Jim Carrey.

The spoken outro perfectly sums up the overarching theme of the album: to live life without regrets and be at peace with oneself is the key to reach the dawn, the light at the end of the darkness.

After the gloom of After Hours and its visuals, The Weeknd is giving us the key to end the journey on the other side. Truly a brilliant message of hope for the new year. May we all find the dawn on the horizon.

SCORE:
90/97

Listen to Dawn FM by The Weeknd 

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It would be more fitting to call Snowflakes a holiday album, or rather, a seasonal/winter album because, except a few Christmas references here and there, it’s more of a typical Toni Braxton with some holiday input.

The album starts with the dramatic bells and strings intro of “Holiday Celebrate,” a midtempo R&B number co-written by Toni’s sister Tamar (who also sings the background vocals prominently) about celebrating the holidays with a loved one and all the joys that come with it.

Miss Toni then pairs up with Shaggy for a holiday escape to Jamaica on the notes of the tropical-sounding “Christmas in Jamaica.” The guitar-laced bop bears the signature sensual Toni Braxton vocals, which set the tone for the album throughout.

“Snowflakes of Love” brings us back to more arctic temperatures and its romantic Jazz vibe recalling the great cinematic Christmas classics from the 1940s such as “Winter Wonderland.” The Jazz continues with a brilliant rendition of Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here” from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

By the middle of the album we’re back into Toni’s territory with “Santa Please…” a sensual plead for a romantic getaway and “This Time Next Year” which enlists Babyface on a heartbreaking ballad with the flawless vocals we’re used to hearing on Miss Braxton’s bombastic ballads.

After a cozy rendition of “The Christmas Song,” the album closes with a new orchestral version of “Snowflakes of Love” and a Trackmasters remix of “Christmas in Jamaica” to spice things up even further with a harder beat.

Overall Snowflakes is a coherent album if you like the sultry and lush vibes Toni is known to offer. The original songs are strong, but they lack the Christmas mood and are more of Toni Braxton songs with a hint of cheer. Still a recommended listen!

Listen to Snowflakes by Toni Braxton

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Much has been said about the mythical star that shone bright on Christmas Eve and guided men to worship Jesus (the animals characters in the movie, in this instance), but rarely it is mentioned in Christmas songs. Like a prophet Mariah tells of the Star as a guiding light to redemption, an inner voice to listen to when no one will believe in you, turning it into an inspirational moment like only she can.

Mariah’s twins Roc & Roe and (her longtime background singer, and friend) MaryAnn Tatum’s son Jaden provide the backing vocals for the refrain and have accompanied Mariah on stage during live performances at her Christmas shows.

The song, just like the movie, is clearly aimed at its core audience, children. However, there’s always something magical about the pairing of Mariah and Christmas that captures listeners of all ages.

“The Star” was nominated for Best Original Song at the 75th Golden Globes.

Listen to “The Star” by Mariah Carey

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VOLUME 4, CURATED BY MARIO

As a Catholic raised Italian, Christmas has always been first and foremost about the religious message of love and salvation. In Italy tradition says that we start decorating around the house on the December 8th, the day dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception.

As we renew our faith in this truth, we trim the tree and put up our lights and we start listening to the joyful Christmas tunes. And of course we start thinking about the holiday’s menu!

Some of my favorite Christmas songs to listen to are the ones that create the magical winter wonderland atmosphere of the holidays, the jazzy vibes that make you want to stay cozy and warm. I like to listen to the peppy uptempos as well (I mean, who doesn’t cheer up when they hear “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Jingle Bell Rock” or “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”?), but I wanted to share the ones that represent my taste. I also wanted to cover the religious side of the holidays with some classics I usually play on Christmas Eve.

I’m happy to share this playlist with you and I hope you’ll like it. Merry Christmas!

LISTEN TO MARIO’S 97 MINUTES OF CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST

Also available on: Spotify – Tidal

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The religious aspect of Christmas was covered on “One Child,” Mariah’s first collaboration with the famous score composer and producer Marc Shaiman. Mariah wrote the song from the point of view of a storyteller narrating the story of Jesus from conception to birth.

As if actually narrating a fairytale to an audience of children (Mariah was pregnant with her twins at the time), she begins by telling us how Mary received the news of Jesus’s conception by the Angel and how she and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem looking for a place for her to give birth. The music and her delicate breathy vocals create the magical atmosphere.

On the second verse she tells of the star guiding shepherds and men to the manger in adoration. By this time the music has become more serious and the vocals fuller in a crescendo leading to the glorious belting climax

Throughout the choir of kids recalls the one on “Jesus Born on this Day” keeping the song geared towards an audience of children and reeling it in the spirit of innocence that pervades it.

“One Child” is an epic moment on the album. The music is meticulously crafted to give shine to the story and making Christmas all about Jesus and the story of salvation for mankind. Among the bells and whistles and festiveness it is nice to remember what the true spirit of Christmas is, and Mariah was able to make it simple and real with this beautiful song.

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The opening chords immediately set the atmosphere and the lyrics tell us the story of salvation brought upon earth on Christmas Day. One thing that strikes about the song is how Mariah didn’t really have to use a lot of words to get the message across: in fact, the repetitive nature of the song is what makes it a classic in the way religious songs often are. The focus is on Jesus and how He changed the world with His coming and there’s nothing that can embellish such a glorious event.

One last touch is the choir of kids accompanying Mariah’s soaring vocals in the chorus, making it even more sweet and delicate. This song is definitely overlooked because it doesn’t pack the same punch as the joyful and uptempo “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” but its simplicity is what makes it special.

“Jesus Born on This Day” is worth the listen, if only to appreciate a different nuance of Mariah Carey’s abilities in writing Christmas music.

Listen to “Jesus Born on This Day”

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When Monica released her debut album in 1995, she was the last of the Teen R&B star trinity to release music. Both Aaliyah and Brandy had come out with their albums, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number and Brandy respectively, in 1994. Monica was introduced to the public in 1995, the youngest of the three, with her debut album Miss Thang.

Producer Dallas Austin was captivated by the vocal ability and stage presence of a 12 year old Monica Denise Arnold, after seeing her perform a rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” at a singing contest. She was so talented that Dallas Austin offered her a record deal on his own label Rowdy Records (an imprint on Arista Records, her idol Whitney’s home). Austin became her mentor and the executive producer of Miss Thang.

Miss Thang was designed to showcase Monica’s personality and voice, which was very mature for her age, but also to give her street cred and a youthful, energetic vibe. Unlike Brandy and Aaliyah’s albums, Miss Thang has a more accentuated Hip-Hop flavour that has always set her apart from her peers.

MISS THANG = MISS HIT-SINGLES

The first single released was the peppy and sparse “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days),” which became acclaimed and quickly topped the R&B chart. The two samples used for the track are part of its great appeal. The song is, in fact, built on samples of “Bring the Noise” by Public Enemy and “Backseat of My Jeep” by LL Cool J, both of which are Hip-Hop classics.

“Before You Walk out of My Life” followed the success of the first single by also topping the R&B chart and giving Monica the distinction of being the youngest act to ever have consecutive #1 hits, at age fourteen. The R&B ballad was written by Andrea Martin and originally intended for Toni Braxton’s Secrets album, but it was given to Monica instead.

The third single “Like This and Like That” follows the same template as the lead, with Austin using a sample of The Sugarhill Gang’s “Spoonin’ Rap” to create the backbone of the track. It was released as a double A-side with “Before You Walk out of My Life” but received its own music video for promotion.

The final single was another ballad, written and produced by Babyface collaborator Daryl Simmons, who had worked on Toni Braxton’s debut album. “Why I Love You So Much” features the signture Babyface sound, but with a more prominent drumbeat and a passionate and emotive vocal from Monica, who sings it with such passion and confidence to make you forget her age. Whitney Houston’s influence is very audible in her singing, the powerful belting and the inflections.

THE STORY OF MISS THANG

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album, Monica teased the release of a documentary commemorating her entrance into the industry, entitled “The Story of Miss Thang.”

In the end, Miss Thang was a huge success. All four singles it yielded landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and two grabbed the pole position of the Billboard R&B chart. Those hits weren’t flash in the pans, either. Monica’s debut hits continue to endure to this day as R&B classics, and opened the door for many more hits to come. Miss Thang certainly lived up to her name.

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It’s almost expected that when a much-hyped diva duet finally drops, it may result in some disappointment. “Rain on Me,” Lady Gaga’s second single from Chromatica and hotly anticipated duet with Ariana Grande, falls victim to this unwritten law of Pop duets.

The song isn’t bad; it’s just… there. The 90s House beat begs for empowering lyrics and powerful vocals. Instead, it barely has verses and lacks the vocal acrobatics expected from this pairing.

Au contraire, in the visual, the duo delivered a serve of looks, drama and theatrics that can surely turn it into a hit.

Watch Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me” video:

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