“Simply putting on some of my favorite songs instantly changes my vibe and places me in my body, rather than being up in my head, overthinking,” Craig David tells Apple Music as he introduces his Music That Soothes Me playlist. “I love listening to R&B, hip-hop, and reggae to unwind. I especially love R&B slow jams as they slow me down and get me fully invested in the lyrics and melodies. I always feel calm after listening to them.” As an R&B superstar who’s no stranger to making some soothing tracks of his own, David has chosen a playlist to calm and focus the mind. “Finding ways to get into your body and out of your head is the key,” he says. “Music always has a way of doing that so easily. My love of slow jams really helps this as it slows down the heart rate and the breathing becomes slower and deeper. Then the mind starts to follow and switch off from flight or fight mode and instead realize everything is OK. If you throw on H.E.R., ‘Focus,’ Faith Evans’ ‘Soon as I Get Home,’ or Mahalia’s ‘Grateful,’ your breathing will instantly slow down and become more in sync with your heart. Perfect for a simple relax and reset.” But if he’s heading to a workout, David’s soundtrack can tip from soothing to motivating. “Playing music while working out—be it resistance training or a light jog—really helps time pass by so much quicker,” he says. “Not only do you get a great workout in, but the whole process feels much more pleasurable at the same time. Most times, I draw on those R&B slow jams, but soulful garage songs like Roy Davis Jr.’s ‘Gabriel’ or Lonyo’s ‘Summer of Love’ will definitely help you decompress, but still make you wanna shake a leg.” Listen to his playlist, and read on to find out more about some of his soothing choices. Craig David, “My Love Don’t Stop” “One of my own songs from my The Story Goes… album that’s always been one of my favorites. The lyric of whatever’s going on ‘my love won’t stop’ always felt powerful to me. It was also my first time recording in LA. I got to work with The Underdogs, an R&B production team that I have so much love and respect for as they’ve produced some of the biggest R&B slow jams for artists like Tyrese, Marques Houston, and Ruben Studdard over the years.” USHER, “Nice & Slow” “This has to be one of my favorite USHER songs as it not only has one of the most infectious melodies and lyrics with the perfect production from Jermaine Dupri, but it also reminds of a time I won the heart of girl I liked, back in the day, by singing this song to her at an event I’d put on with a friend in my home city of Southampton.” Sasha Keable, “Hold Up” “Sasha is an incredible talent. The first time I heard this, I was like, ‘What an incredible song,’ and the vocals were so powerful. I felt every word of her lyrics and, for me, it’s the ultimate ‘let all your frustrations go’ song.” kwn, “do what i say” “There’s something about the way kwn delivers her songs with such swag. This one hits every time and I love that she writes and produces all of her music too. She’s so talented. You instantly have to nod your head to this one, which in turn makes you wanna move. A real motivator tune if you need something to perk you up.” LSG, “My Body” “This song was on replay when I had my first heartbreak. It resonated with me so much that I ended up finding the instrumental in my record collection and recording a whole new song over it called ‘I Couldn’t Sleep Last Night.’ It really helped me get over the pain, especially using the stuck energy in my heart to be creative instead.”

Craig David: Music That Soothes Me

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