5 Songs I Love w/ Ally Bakst

Flex caught up with US singer-songwriter and producer Ally Bakst following the release of her latest single 'Look So Pretty', to discover what influences her immersive electronic alt-pop sound. If you enjoy Ally's picks, be sure to check out 'Look So Pretty' at the end of the article.

1. Team by Lorde

Lorde has an incredible talent at building a world in your mind, and that’s exactly what I aim to do with my music. She creates a sonic landscape and uses lyrical imagery that paints the mundane into this grand, nostalgic image of what it means to be young and free. Lorde’s music makes me want to romanticize the simple things, even things in the past that weren’t so pretty. Being 16 in NYC I had this song on repeat.

2. Pirouette by Chiiild

I’ve been inspired by Chiiild for a while now, and Pirouette has been one of those songs I just haven’t gotten sick of since it first came out. It’s groovy, chill and so sonically impressive. The organ intro is such a dope way to open the song, it feels like you’re dropping into another world. The song feels exactly like the cover art too—damp, cold, and moody but in a comforting way. It’s the song I go to when the sky is grey and I’m wearing a big hoodie. It’s one of my comfort songs for sure.

3. Backseat by Balu Brigada

A straight up vibe with a super sick transition around the 4 ½ minute mark. I feel like you can tell when people are having a good time making stuff, and this song feels that way to me. It’s the kind of song that makes you feel like your life is a movie and whenever it comes on at a party I just wanna dance with whoever I’m with. The transition at the end is such a cool touch because it’s totally unexpected but works so well and makes the ending hit even harder. I love doing stuff like that in my own work so when I heard this one for the first time I was immediately obsessed.

4. Smoke & Retribution by Flume (feat. Vince Staples & Kučka)

I love how much space there is in the production of this one. The way every sound cuts in and out at the perfect time genuinely scratches my brain. The glitchy, industrial percussion sound effects alone are epic, and that with Vince Staples flow and Kučka’s dreamy vocals is so sick. It’s just cool and it makes you feel cool when you listen to it. Honestly, any Vince Staples song makes me feel that way, and the production on this one pushes it over the top for me.

5. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac

A completely classic, timeless song. I grew up on Fleetwood Mac, so listening to them brings me back to when my dad would drive me to school and we’d listen to classic rock together. The bassline that pulls you into the bridge/outro is burned into my mind in the best way. I honestly think about that bassline a lot, it’s just that good. As a songwriter, I really connect to the band’s songwriting and somewhat abstract yet impactful way of phrasing things that could easily be overexplained. I love music with nuance that makes you feel something you can’t quite put a finger on, but it lingers. Stevie Nicks, along with Whitney Houston and Tracy Chapman, was my inspiration vocally and in terms of songwriting growing up. She just has that thing—in her voice, her aura that just makes you feel something.

Listen to Ally Bakst ‘Look So Pretty’

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