Interview: Aleem

Last year Chicago born songsmith Aleem garnered comparisons to Ed Sheeran when he opened for Fifth Harmony on the UK tour. He returns to these shores this year with his debut EP, Open Letters, which is headed up by the pop-tastic single Inside Out. We caught up with him to find out what songs make him...

Smile

"You're Gonna Live Forever In Me" (John Mayer) - Beautifully crafted ballad with simple, yet deep lyrics. The chorus tag line always gets me smiling.

Contemplate

"Drops of Jupiter" (Train) - Not only does it take you on a visual journey with such descriptive lyrics, but the song always has me wondering what the true story behind the song is. Such a relatable song and one of my all time favorites.

Cry

"Fix You" (Coldplay) - The combination of somber lyrics and the mood that is set from the chord progressions, this song always has me in tears. The lyrics, "Lights will guide you home..I will try to fix you," are truly powerful.

Laugh

"The Lazy Song" (Bruno Mars) - C'mon, we can all relate.

Want To Work Out

"Dirt Off Your Shoulder" (Jay Z) - Usually a good beat and a powerful delivery does it for me in the gym. I find myself pushing through that last rep with ease when this tune comes on.

Reminisce

"Girl at The Rock Show" - (Blink 182) - The song that did it for me. It's the first song I heard on MTV and that I learned on the Drums.

Relax

"Paper Doll" - (John Mayer) - Super chill lyrics. Super chill guitar melodies. Overall a great song.

Feel Determined

"Titan Spirit" (Remember The Titans) - There is no better track to listen to when you want to feel determined. This score always has me pumped up. Plus it was the opening number played at the Chicago Bulls home games before the players were announced. It holds a special place and memory in my heart.

Dance

"Can't Stop The Feeling!" (Justin Timberlake) - It's all in the lyrics. "Can't stop the feeling! So just dance, dance, dance." How does one resist that?