Here at Met Radio, we’re celebrating the year 2024 with a series of lists rounding up our favourites of the year! We’ve invited station volunteers and staff to share their top ten of anything that encapsulates their year in pop culture (or otherwise). New lists to surprise and delight will be dropping on the Met Radio website every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this December!
This January, I bought a ‘small moonshine snake plant’ off Facebook Marketplace for $15. I’d tried growing houseplants before but failed each time — too much water, too little light or just straight-up neglect. Despite my track record, I’ve always appreciated plants, particularly how they bring nature inside and can transform a space.
When I bought the plant named after bootleg liquor, it was partly because I thought it would look cool in my new apartment and maybe, just maybe, a change of place could mark a change of luck.
A month into keeping the sword-like plant alive, I gained confidence and began adding more potted beings to my collection. I’m no stranger to collecting things — vinyls, CDs, film cameras, kooky knick knacks — but something about collecting living things that grow and change over time felt different.
In what I consider true Taurean fashion, the act of tending to plants has taught me to be more mindful of my own pace, to step back and detach from the overwhelming expectations that come with living in a productivity-driven society. Watching my plants change over time, whether through the unfurling of a new leaf or the rejuvenation of a stem after a pruning, has been a constant and meaningful reminder for me to stay grounded.
In 2024, alongside a new green hobby, I’ve immersed myself in some incredible new Canadian music. I’ve also become increasingly curious about the relationship between the two (plants and music). So, naturally, I’ve paired my top 10 favourite plants with Canadian songs released this year that I think each would dig.
1. Monstera siltepecana — “LAST LOVE SONG ON THIS LITTLE PLANET” by Black Dresses
This smaller monstera plant has striking silver-patterned leaves that mirror the bold energy of Black Dresses, a Toronto duo known for their emotionally raw, genre-defying sound that blends industrial, pop and experimental elements
2. Epipremnum aureum ‘manjula’ — “Don’t Go Away” by MUNYA & Kainalu
The manjula pothos is a visually captivating plant, with splashy variegated leaves that bring life to any space with minimal effort. “Don’t Go Away” by Montreal’s MUNYA carries dreamy vocals and much like the plant, has a laid-back feel.
3. Begonia maculata ‘wightii’ — “To The Dancefloor” by DEBBY FRIDAY
I think this silver-spotted red-bottom plant is always party-ready and would be the first to hit the dancefloor, especially when it’s Polaris Music Prize-winning electronic musician DEBBY FRIDAY telling you to do so.
4. Scindapsus pictus — “Cyan Blue” by Charlotte Day Wilson
Scindapsus pictus, with its satin-like, silver-speckled leaves, is matched with “Cyan Blue” by Charlotte Day Wilson, a Toronto-based singer-songwriter whose soulful, atmospheric music blends R&B and indie.
5. Hoya krohniana ‘black’ — “Flesh and Blood” by Cindy Lee
The dark, velvety leaves of this hoya echo the haunting energy of “Flesh and Blood,” a track by Calgary-born Cindy Lee. Their 2024 album Diamond Jubilee was among my top five favourite releases of the year.
6. Ficus elastica ‘tineke’ — “Video (feat. Ravyn Lenae) by KAYTRANADA
With its painted foliage that always looks perfect on camera, the ficus tineke is paired with Haitan-Canadian DJ/producer KAYTRANADA’s funky electronic beats and American R&B artist Ravyn Lenae’s sugary sweet vocals.
7. Sansevieria trifasciata ‘moonshine’ — “Open Up!” by Clothesline From Hell
This is the plant that started it all. Its sleek, silvery leaves exude a calm, understated coolness, much like “Open Up!” by Clothesline From Hell — from the new post-grunge-meets-break-beat project of Toronto-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam LaFramboise.
8. Stromanthe triostar — “AA BOUQUET FOR YOUR 180 FACE” by Saya Gray
The tri-coloured plant that I mistook for a ‘pink princess’ philodendron at the plant store is matched with the soundscapes of Saya Gray, an avant-garde Toronto artist whose eclectic music combines experimental pop and electronic influences, creating an unexpected yet vibrant listening experience.
9. Aichryson laxum — “Slow Burn” by Baby Rose & BADBADNOTGOOD
The aichryson laxum (also known as the ‘tree of love’) has fuzzy little heart-shaped leaves and a slow, steady growth pattern that keeps you yearning for more — very much reminiscent of the track “Slow Burn,” a soulful collaboration between Baby Rose and iconic Toronto jazz band BADBADNOTGOOD.
10. Ledebouria socialis — “Khayal” by Kazdoura
The unique, leopard-like leaves of this plant reflect the intricate soundscapes of “Khayal” by Kazdoura, a Toronto-based Arab soul duo whose fusion of Middle Eastern influences with contemporary electronic music offers a layered, meditative vibe.
