Good day! How has your week been? I have mentioned that Coffee Time is my favorite part of my Morning Routine. And one of the reasons I love this part of my day is my own Coffee Playlist. The playlist is entitled with the Coffee and Tea emojis on Spotify. I just like it that way.

Anyway, I thought of sharing the playlist and how I created it.

Creating a Coffee Playlist

This playlist did not actually start as a “Coffee Playlist.” Initially, I wanted to make a playlist of two of my favorite French songs, La View en Rose and La Mer. I included Lanca Perfume and added a few other French, Italian, and Spanish which had a mellow but upbeat vibe. It was mostly jazz and bossa nova songs. It was originally titled “Of Roses and the Sea.”

I listened to this playlist often and kept on adding songs as suggested by Spotify. Eventually, I realized it actually gave me cafe vibes. It was the perfect playlist while having coffee or tea, any time of the day.

So I sought to add more songs that were not just French, Italian, or Spanish.

Adding some Asian Music

Currently, I am quite into KPop music and Korean entertainment. I had watch a variety show, Camping Vibes (Gamsung Camping) on Viu and loved one of its stars, Solar of Mamamoo. So I checked out her music and found a gem, Coffee & Tea by Solar and Eddy Kim.

It was the perfect addition to my playlist. I added the song and transformed the playlist. It inspired currently the title of the list and also the first song on it. This made me realize there might be other Korean Pop and other songs from Asian artists that would fit my list.

I found Hiromi Euhara, a Japanese composer and I fell in love with Seeker. It is an instrumental song, but perfectly fits in the vibe I wanted for the newly evolved Coffee Playlist.

I found other Korean, Japanese, and Thai artists and songs that will fit the playlist. Here are two more Asian artists with songs I love: OOHYO and Mild.

OOHYO is a Korean artist described as a synth-pop and indie pop artist.

I love her upbeat sound which always put me in a good, cheery mood. Goodbye is one of my favorites on the list. I also enjoy Teddy Bear Rises and Honey Tea. Stan OOHYO! Stream Teddy Bear Rises.

More Asian artists

And here’s one I found randomly via Spotify Search: Mild.

Mild is a Thai pop band. I cannot find much about them and I cannot remember the keywords I used to find them but I love their vibe. Some of their songs are on the list, as well. I do not even know how to read the title but I love the song above. Maybe I should really search for translations of their titles and lyrics, noh?

Another KPop surprise for me is Dream by Suzy Bae and Baekhyun of EXO and SuperM.

I did not know Suzy Bae (of Start Up) also sings. And this super mellow and dreamy duet is really good. I added this to my list even before I started being a fan of SuperM and EXO, as well. So I was quite surprised to find out he is actually a KPop idol.

Other artists with songs on the list that I recommend are Lee Seung-gi, IU, Geeks, Lisa Ono, Jetset’er and Olivia Ong.

There are a few rap songs and a handful of more lively dance songs. It is not longer just jazz and bossa nova. As long as the song fits what I would like to listen to while chilling with a cup of coffee, I included it on the list.

If you have suggestions for other Asian artists with music that fit my idea of cafe music, let me know.

Filipino Songs

Of course, I also have to add Filipino music to the mix. Currently, my favorite Filipino band is Ben&Ben so yes, there are several Ben&Ben songs there.

Bibingka is actually my favorite Ben&Ben song but Leaves is on the top of this specific playlist.

And of course, I added this collab between my two favorite artists: Maris Racal and Rico Blanco.

Other Filipino artists featured are The Ransom Collective, Maldita, Janella Salvador, Leanne & Nara, and Mandaue Nights.

I am on the lookout for VisPop and other music by musicians from Visayas and Mindanao to add to this list and my other playlists. If you have anybody I can check out, let me know.

African Artists

In an effort to have a better appreciation of music from around the world, I researched on African music that would suit the list. And found a few I liked.

Expensive Shit by Fela Kuti is currently one of my favorites.

Fela Kuti is a Nigerian musician and activist. He is a pioneer of Afrobeat, combining tradititional Nigerian music with jazz and funk. Planning to research more about Afrobeat because of Fela Kuti’s music.

I also like music by Black Coffee, a South African DJ who produces House music. Yes, there’s a bit of House on this list, as well.

Again, share your recommendations for African artists I should check out.

From the Movies

I also added some of my favorite music from my favorite movies to the Coffee Playlist. First, of course is For Annette & Warren from The Love Affair by Enrico Morricone.

This is one of my all-time favorite films and all the songs featured in the movie are just superb. This song specifically, always makes me happy. Whenever this comes up while I am sipping my coffee, a smile really comes on my face.

Another film with a soundtrack I love is Il Postino.

Admittedly, I do not remember much from the movie. But I have played its entire sound track over and over again.

There are a few other songs from films I love scattered all over the list.

More Coffee Time Music

And here are more with interesting stories of my personal connection to them.

If you scan the list, there are actually several versions of some songs, including Waters of March.

When I was younger and watched a lot of local television shows, before we had cable TV, I could actually name TV ads in just a few seconds. One of my favorites was the teasers for the newly opened Glorietta.

A stick, a stone
It’s the end of the road

Do not ask me how old I was but I remember that ad vividly and the song got stuck to my head. And so now, every time I hear this song, no matter whose version, it brings me back to my childhood.

Another song stuck on my mind from many years ago is Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

This is a song version that was super popular the early 2000s. I loved it on “Finding Forrester” and it has been on many of my playlists since then. It has been featured in many films and even in some personal videos I edited for myself and for my relatives. It is a hopeful song that brings back so many memories for me.

Recently, I have been quite addicted to Korean Variety shows. And it has also become a source of new music to discover. They do not feature just KPop songs.

In the show “Our Little Summer Vacation,” Choi Woo-shik and Park Seo-joon played Cheapest Flight by PREP.

PREP is a British indie band who produces R&B and soul music. And Woo-shik and Seo-joon are right, Cheapest Flight is a great song for chilling out.

American Music

I tried my best not to add American artists to the list, as I already listen to a lot of American music. But once in a while, I find some songs that absolutely fit the vibe of the Coffee Playlist.

Billie Eilish, Lauv, Sarah Bareilles, and John Legend are some of the artists featured on the list.

The Coffee Playlist

There are currently 529 songs on the Coffee Playlist with over 33 hours worth of music.

To be honest, only the first 50 or so songs have been carefully curated as of now. The arrangement of the first 50 or so songs is not random. I specifically arranged them to have a good flow and balance of music. The songs are arranged to have a smooth transition from one song to another. With a variety in moods and even in musicians.

It works well when played as arranged in the playlist. And also great when you put it in random mode.

Evolution of the Coffee Playlist

Creating and modifying the playlist has been a great opportunity for me to discover new and old favorites. And to know more about music and artists from around the world.

I add, add, add. Arrange and rearrange often. I listed to this playlist on random mode at least once a day. I move up some songs to the top and remove some songs daily.

There is a good variety of songs here but all with the cafe vibe I like. Most are mellow, some are quite melancholic and sad. And a few are more vibrant and alive. I revise the playlist often so there will be changes through time. Songs will be added and some will be removed.

Expect the Coffee Playlist to change over time as I discover more music and my taste shift. But definitely, it will continue to be the perfect music for coffee time. Well, at least for me.

You may follow the list on Spotify at this link. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Follow me on social media to know more about my recommended music, movies, series, and other interesting stuff. Here are my accounts: Facebook Page at fb.com/DiyosaBlogger, Instagram @riajosedavao, and Twitter @riajose. Do not forget to follow my Youtube Channel at youtube.com/DiyosaLifeTV.

PLDT Home powers my Spotify and my playlists. I love how I can sync my gadgets and move from one gadget to another while playing the same playlist continuously.

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