My Joni Mitchell education only started with the movie Love Actually. Remember that CD Emma Thompson’s character got as a gift (“to continue her emotional education”) from her husband? It made me go “What is it about that CD?” What is it about Joni Mitchell that made her such an icon, especially for women? I know for a fact that Sarah McLachlan is largely influenced by her, and going back to both their songs allowed me to see the similarities in terms of melodies and lyric structure.

Joni Mitchell is a painter apart from being a musician; such artistry is also evoked by the songs she wrote. Jewel (Kilcher), another one of my favorite artists, once described Joni as someone who “describes smells and sounds to translate what is happening in her songs, using fewer words to transmit more feeling.” And feelings do come in abundance; this is folk-acoustic in its elemental best.

[The song featured above is called Blue, from the album of the same title that is widely regarded as her masterpiece. Popular Joni Mitchell songs are Both Sides Now and Big Yellow Taxi]