Earworm

I am blessed with a beautiful Lithuanian girlfriend and a lot of friends from the wonderful eastern republic. Due to that fact, I have had a lot of exposure to the language, food, and culture – especially the music.

I do not think many in the West have had the pleasure of enjoying Lithuanian music. That is not so much a surprise, given the lack of air play outside of the Baltics and the language barrier. I think that, however, is a shame, so I decided to write this week’s suggested music playlist as a dedication to Lithuanian music, at least the more modern songs I know, and as a means for those less familiar with the music to have an easy entry point. Let us take at this week’s top songs.

Suggested Music Listening

1. Tyliai Pakuždėk – Jessica Shy

• Genre: Pop
• Album: Apkabinti Prisiminimus
• Year Released: 2022

Jessica Shy is a 28-year-old singer-songwriter who is probably the hottest ticket in the country at the moment. This year alone she co-wrote Lithuania’s 2024 entry to Eurovision, performed to 38,000 persons in Kaunas in August, and won six MAMA awards – think Lithuanian Grammy or BRIT awards.

Tyliai Pakuždėk (Whisper to Me Quietly) is off her 2022 number-one album Apkabinti Prisiminimus (Embrace the Memories). It is a fantastic dance-worthy pop song and it will certainly get stuck in your head after a listen or two. I know as much with how often it gets stuck in Julija’s head because I keep singing the chorus around the apartment.

2. Drąsių Nieks Nežudo – Marijonas Mikutavičius

• Genre: Rock
• Album: Lengvas Būdas Mesti Klausytis
• Year Released: 2014

Marijonas Mikutavičius is an instantly recognisable figure in Lithuania. He is probably most well known for his song Trys Milijonai (Three Million), which I mentioned in my playlist about Julija, but those outside of the Baltics may recognise him for his 2006 Eurovision performance with LT United when the band claimed sixth place – the country’s highest standing to date.

Drąsių Nieks Nežudo (Nothing Kills the Brave) is a 2014 masterpiece from Mikutavičius’s album Lengvas Būdas Mesti Klausytis (Easy Way to Quit Listening). The singer roars the powerful chorus, all accompanied by a slick heavy-rock guitar, and you can feel every syllable of emotion. There is also a pretty cool black-and-white music video that nicely conveys the tone of this modern classic.

I remember about two years ago that I requested this song for a work party before Christmas. We were all allowed two songs each, and I thought it would be great to introduce it to one of my heavy-rock buddies on proper speakers. It turns out that it was not just him that approved. If you are reading this, Mikutavičiau, at least you can rest easy that you would sell at least five tickets for a concert in Malta based on this song alone.

3. Šok Man Ant Pečių – Vaidas Baumila

• Genre: Pop
• Album: Apžavai
• Year Released: 2023

Another megastar in the Lithuanian pop world, Vaidas Baumila is best known internationally for performing at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest alongside Monika Linkytė. He is also known domestically for his work as a judge on Lietuvos balsas. Kartos – Lithuania’s ‘Generations’ version of The Voice.

Continuing the theme of not including Kunigunda at Julija’s request due to the number of times she has heard me sing it – you are welcome, my darling – I have picked this upbeat and very sweet number from Baumila’s 2023 outing Apžavai. The chorus roughly translates to ‘dance on my shoulders/I want to come home with you/The two of us are so cozy/I want to come home with you’. This is another ditty that echoes around our apartment kitchen or whilst I am having a shower. I am a treat with which to live!

4. Šokių Karštligė (Aš Noriu Šokt) – Karališka Erdvė

• Genre: Europop/dance
• Album: Aistra
• Year Released: 1997

Šokių Karštligė (Aš Noriu Šokt) is a 1997 gem from Karališka Erdvė off their album Aistra. It may be old, but it is absolute dance music gold, and I think the appeal of this Europop outfit is proved most succinctly in the fact that the band will be reuniting for a performance at Žalgiris Arena, almost 30 years after the release of the album. From what I have heard, tickets are selling like hot cakes. It has also been remixed on several occasions, most recently by Remis Retro – his version being released on the 27^th of September, only a few weeks ago.

‘Aš Noriu Šokt‘ translates to ‘I want to dance’, and when this drum-heavy song starts rattling the speakers, you will want to grab your glowsticks and start doing just that. I dare say I have seen it happen, albeit sans the glowsticks.

5. BestYją – G&G Sindikatas

• Genre: Hip hop
• Album: Revoliucijos Garso Takelis
• Year Released: 2014

BestYją may seem an unorthodox song suggestion as a starting point for newcomers to Lithuanian music, especially given its fast and occasionally incomprehensible lyrics. It would, however, have been hard not to give a bit of love to G&G Sindikatas, ‘the godfathers of the Lithuanian hip hop scene‘.

To date, the group have released six studio albums, including 2014’s Revoliucijos Garso Takelis (Revolution Soundtrack) from which BestYją hails. The album itself is a decent enough listen, but for me, this is the outstanding track: it has a beat that I would argue rivals the best of its American counterparts.

One of the reasons this song is special to me is that it reminds me of my first time in Lithuania when Julija’s brother kindly drove us in the snow from Vilnius airport to their hometown. It was over an hour’s journey, so we went through a few songs, trying to entertain ourselves as best we could. BestYją happened to be on his playlist, and the rest, as they say, is history. I may still have a long way to go before I know all of the lyrics, but I at least have a good go at the bridge when it starts playing.

Tavo meilė kalės amžinai – žinai
Tavo meilė kalės amžinai – taip…

Final Thoughts

I was shocked to see how wonderful Lithuanian culture is when I first came across it, obviously ignorant from my western European bubble. The country has a lot to offer, especially in the quality of music on offer. There is a lot to discover, not only the five songs I have suggested, so I would recommend having a look on YouTube or Spotify to try out a few playlists.

Which of my top five Lithuanian songs did you like best? Have you perhaps had a listen to Lithuanian music before and have a different favourite? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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About the Author

Lewis Brown

Lewis is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Earworm. His deep passion for music is what inspired him to create Earworm as a music magazine for lovers of all genres.

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