The December meeting of the chordinnate album club will feature a Max Freedman (of Lavender Sound) led discussion of NoSo’s STAY PROUD OF ME.
Listen to the album and join us on Thursday, December 18th at 6p EST to discuss. Or, better, yet, listen to both STAY PROUD OF ME and NoSo’s latest, WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING?, which Max Freedman suggests may be necessary to truly understand STAY PROUD OF ME. Based on how the two albums came to be, the argument seems compelling.
Hwong began writing When Are You Leaving? almost immediately after the making of Stay Proud of Me wrapped in 2021. Though the debut was helpful for Hwong in exploring his gender identity, there was more he had to unpack. Transitioning helped Hwong put down his armour and become who he wanted to be. But even after becoming that person, he still had both old wounds and new left to process.
NoSo and the Other Side of Fantasy by Laura David
Max describes STAY PROUD OF ME as “the closest thing…to an album-length document of transitioning being amazing but not a complete balm.” The thematic similarities between it and the more recent WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING? support this argument, so if you have time to digest both ahead of the meeting, please do so. And if you only have time to listen to one or some or even none, you are still welcome to attend!
Max also shared content from both album cycles, so check these if you like to couple your listening experience with the written word.
STAY PROUD OF ME cycle in 2022
WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING? cycle in 2025
Max has brought a lot to album club meetings as an attendee, so it should be a great discussion. Join us if you can. Share this with anyone you think might be interested. Hope to see you there!
And even if you can’t attend in December, fill out the survey for the 2026 version of the album club to be included moving forward.
The chordinnate album club is a community where athletes, artists, and any interested humans come together to explore and discuss music. It's like a book club, but instead of reading books, we listen to selected albums ahead of each meeting and then discuss our thoughts and insights. Sign up here.
And if you are interested in exploring more about the connection between music and sport, consider subscribing to the chordinnation.