>> There Is No Singer-Songwriter Walking This Earth 🎶 More Talented Than Lauryn Hill — Vinyl Secured.. 😊💁🏼‍♀️

Hello everyone

Welcome back to your favorite blog about all things music. Can you believe it has been more than 25 years since Lauryn Hill released her first and to this day, ONLY studio album 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'?! It had a big impact on me back then. I was moved by her authenticity, her singing, rapping and songwriting skills. I had the CD. I have no idea where this album is. NYC, London, Toronto... who knows. So, I had to get it back. And since I am all about the analog life, I bought the vinyl. Logically, I also got a record player to go with it. My collection now spans three vinyls. I am very selective. I can write an article about the other two another day. Lately, I have been reading several posts about digital media and ownership and how the stuff you buy online is not really yours even though you paid for it. If they cut your connection or shut down your account, your content is mostly gone. I don’t even want to deal with that. This vinyl? I own it. It is in my house. No Spotify, Audible or Apple can cut me off from it. It is a physical item and I can listen to it whenever I want.

Respect where respect is due

About the album: 'Released on August 25, 1998, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo album by Lauryn Hill, following her departure from the Fugees. A groundbreaking blend of hip-hop, R&B, soul and reggae, the album explores themes of love, identity, spirituality and self-reflection. It received widespread critical acclaim for its emotional depth, innovative sound and Hill's powerful, raw vocals. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and selling over 20 million copies worldwide. Hill won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, making her the first woman to win the prestigious award solo. Its lasting impact on music and culture cements it as a timeless classic.'

'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' on my donut pillow

When you listen to it on vinyl, you can’t help but think this is what it was intended for. It sounds so organic — so much talent, so many raw emotions. You can’t tell me you don’t have some sort of spiritual awakening when listening to the title track on full volume. I won’t go into detail about why today’s music is giving me NOTHING, for the most part. Vapid people with no originality whatsoever, hyped via social media, I have never even heard of and when I do click on their videos on YouTube, I know exactly why. Fabricated 'artists' doing 'acoustic live' performances can barely hold a single note, yet they have massive online fanbases. Fake numbers, false perception. Sure. Take them, keep them. They could shoot Katy Perry up to Mars with her entire catalog and I would not miss it. I like Aaliyah, I like Brandy, I like Destiny's Child. I like All Saints, I like Robyn - these are real artists. I have been around long enough to cherish them and what they have created.

What I want to express in this article, is that real is best and it will remain. Through the years, through the decades. It takes a real one to recognize a real one. Is it too dramatic to say not many of us are left? In the digital age it is not about quality, it is about easy digestion and reach. It is about normalizing low quality in music so people won't ask for more. For thoughtful lyrics, for depth and socially critical, eye-opening lines. They rather have young people numb, addicted to their devices scrolling their lives away on social media, than a generation of sharp young minds, outspoken activists who take action. It is just most convenient and profitable. However, music like this album will remind you of something from the past — an almost forgotten part of yourself. It will wake you up to your emotions, it will make you feel something and that is a good thing. 💗