5 Songs I Love w/ Francisco

Photo Credit: Vasvi Bhardwaj

Following the release of his latest single “Passing Fix”, Flex caught up with Francisco to explore the influences behind his emotionally charged alt-folk sound and the world of emotionally detailed songwriting that shapes his work. If you enjoy Francisco’s picks, be sure to check out “Passing Fix” at the end of the article.

1. It’s My Life - Bon Jovi

Picking 5 songs that have influenced me throughout my life is a bit of a tough pick, but I do

think that the first one would be “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi. This was the first song I ever

became obsessed with. I remember hearing it for the first time when I was little and just

replaying it over and over again, and screaming out its lyrics until my voice gave out or

someone asked me to shut up. For me, this song is really about being true to oneself and

not giving in to external pressures or what other people’s opinions of you may be. I feel like

this song has been very significant in my life when it came to making big decisions. I

remember when I was in high school and even at the start of uni, I was very much in my own

head about other people’s opinions of me, and that influenced a lot of my decisions. It wasn’t

until I turned 19 that I pretty much stopped caring as much, and I started taking part in things

that I actually enjoyed, music being one of them, and this is why I believe this song is one

which I will forever love.

2. Princesas - Pereza

Keeping it chronological, another song I think has influenced me and would definitely be in

the soundtrack of my life is “Princesas” by Pereza. I was born and raised in Córdoba, Spain,

and didn’t move to the UK until I turned 18 for university. This was a song that I would

constantly hear on the radio when I was in the car on my way to school or to visit my

grandparents with all of my siblings and my mum. Every time I listen to it, it just takes me

back to my childhood.

3. Worst Of You - Maisie Peters

This is my all-time favourite song. I am a sucker for a sad song, and this is very much

reflected in my music. I listened to “Worst Of You” for the first time when I was 17, and I

instantly became a Maisie Peters fan. The song is all about the harsh reality of being in a

one-sided relationship and giving them everything whilst getting nothing in return. I am the

type of person who doesn’t tend to fall for someone easily, but when I do, I fall hard. Over

the last four years, I think I’ve only fallen in love twice, and both times have ended horribly,

which on the upside has served for a lot of inspiration for my music. So yeah, this song

definitely should be on the list.

4. Chinatown - Bleachers ft Bruce Springsteen

This song is about the anxiety and vulnerability that come with falling in love, juxtaposed with

the comfort and fear that come with going back to one’s roots. The song revolves around

having to reconcile with the person you’ve become in order to realise where you are meant

to go and in order to commit to someone else. This is a topic I am currently exploring in my

writing just like every person in their early 20s. I am at a point where every option available

seems to be fogged with uncertainty, and every decision I make feels like it will make or

break me.

5. Right Now - Gracie Abrams

If songs like “It’s my life”, “Princesas”, or “Worst Of You”, symbolize my past; “Chinatown”

and “Right Now” reflect on my present. “Right Now” by Gracie Abrams is about finding

comfort with unfamiliarity, and the emotional internal battle that comes with leaving your

childhood home, friends, and family, and lunging oneself into the unknown in order to find

oneself. Throughout the last four years, I have found myself leaving either a place, a person,

or a piece of myself behind, and struggling with the fact that that reality I was leaving would

no longer exist and just disappear. This is a feeling I’ve tried to tackle in a lot of my songs,

sometimes with optimism for the future like in “Opening Act”, other times with just fear and

anxiety like in “Open Letter”, and other times with just complete despair and as a cry for help

like in “Carnations, Hyancinths, and Olive Branches”. Listening to this song just feels like

hearing every other thought I’ve had over the past couple of years come back to me,

reminding me that change is a natural part of life, and how in order to find who you truly are,

you need to embrace the unknown.

Listen to Francisco "Passing Fix"

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