This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.
There’s no denying that the two best things that bring us together are music and food. So this Thanksgiving, while you’re sitting around surrounded by family, divided by politics, religion, and the fact that you’re still single and unsure of your future, pause for a moment and appreciate the fact that we live in a world where feelings can be ate, emotions can be twisted into chart topping singles and wonder what a beautiful thing it would be if we could combine the two. Here are today’s chart topping artists reimagined as Thanksgiving sides:
Taylor Swift is the dessert than somehow makes an appearance at the dinner table. You either love sweet potatoes or you hate them, but either way the sweet delicateness of their toasted marshmallow topping is undebatable. They’re the dish that leaves the whole house smelling boarder-line sickeningly sweet, but Thanksgiving wouldn’t be what it is without them. Inspired by lost loves and growing up, Taylor’s music can leave us, depending on your taste, heartbroken and reminiscent or gagging and annoyed with her countless romances. Either way, her songs have a catchy and sing-songy quality that has us all captured. You can love her or hate her, but you can’t deny that her sweet, quirky, and poppy style can find a place at both the kids and adult table.
Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? They bring everyone together, much like last week’s SNL episode which claimed the power of Adele. They’re a staple, much like sweet potatoes, but there’s no sugar added to Adele’s take on heartbreak but rather just real and raw emotions. She’s a classic. With her winged eyeliner and brassy British voice, Adele has reentered the music world after a long hiatus and with her newest album she’s back and better than ever. So this Thanksgiving if you’re crying over just having eaten your weight in mashed potatoes, turn on “Hello” and shed a few more sorry tears, because it’s the beautiful things like these that deserve that kind of pitiful emotion.
Anyone who has heard the newest One Direction album knows that all those middle school girls wasted tears over Zayn’s departure. The boys are back and better than ever before. Much like a post Thanksgiving turkey sandwich, some things are just better with time. With all the best ingredients of a chart topping release, their new album has swept us away with its diversity of sound and style. You’ve got the sweetness of Infinity and Perfect, the smoothness of If I Could Fly, the classicness of Drag Me Down and the quirkiness of Never Enough. So long Zayn, like the crazy family, the politically charged debates, and the overlooked casserole present at last night’s dinner table, you were holding the band back from being their best.
I’ve never really understood cranberries, but they never fail to be a great asset to the Thanksgiving feast. The rest of the year, they were an unappreciated and often unrecognized fruit, but come Thanksgiving, bam they’re front stage. Canadian band, The Weeknd, is much the same. Let me say that one more time, they’re Canadian. From first hand experience, I can vouch that this is often a belittled and under appreciated origin, but they prove they’ve got sweet beats to offer. Much like the confusing emergence of cranberries as a delicious staple, The Weeknd’s lyrics have also stumped and surprised us with their rise to fame. We may not quite understand I Can’t Feel My Face, but we love it.
Drake definitely deserves the after dinner appearance of pumpkin pie. We’ve all seen those dance moves from Hotline Bling and there’s no arguing that talent like that could only appear after a meal’s worth of drinking away your family’s crazy. Pumpkin pie is one of those strange desserts that no one’s quite sure about but regardless, it makes an appearance each Thanksgiving and is always a hit. Unlike pecan or apple pie, pumpkin pie has an almost acquired taste. Savory and sweet with a hint of saltiness, pumpkin pie has a similar complexity to Drake’s confident but sensitive demeanor. While other pumpkins are forgotten and rotting away post Halloween, pumpkin pie is a classic and never fails to connect the family November after November.
So you may be thinking, that’s just cruel, let’s just remind him of that carrot top mop on top of his head… But come on, it’s kind of his staple.However, Ed Sheeran’s likeness to carrots runs far deeper than his genes. Much like this classic veggie, Ed’s music offers us a fresh taste of what it’s like to fall in and out of love. Much like the carrots ability to be transformed into a cake, a sautéed vegetable dish, or a crunchy fry, Ed Sheeran has a goofy approach to life, a sweet, lovable nature, and an unfailing confidence that makes him adaptable and respectable. His songs allow us to look a little bit deeper, think a little bit harder, and who knows, maybe they might even improve our eyesight or at least better tune us to see the good in what we have.
If Beyoncé really is queen, then she deserves no less than the decadence of a plate full of gooey warm brownies. She’s the definite pop icon of this time, yet her style and voice are timeless. Although I don’t deny her talent, some of her fans have become almost ritualistic, even border-line cultish, about their admiration for this idol of theirs. Much like chocolate, she has become an addiction. We may not all swarming around the “BeyHive”, but a little Beyoncé never killed nobody. Much like chocolate she’s given us a cure for the post break-up blues with her hit Single Ladies, and we’d be lying if we were to say that the Partition music video didn’t have the same aphrodisiac qualities as a dark chocolate dipped strawberry.
Some may see him as nothing more than a Canadian YouTube star, others as the tatted up idiot who miscalled the Sistine Chapel the “sixteenth chapel”, and others more as a talented and gorgeous man who has climbed the rungs of fame and talent with grace. No matter what pool you yourself fall into, there’s no denying that Justin Bieber has a multifaceted history. Just like the often under appreciated but also front and center side dish of rolls, Justin has made his transition from each dimension of his career with ease. Much like yeast, Justin’s had a somewhat quick and generic rise to fame, yet he also never fails to surprise. Also, just as rolls can be paired with any other dish, Justin’s music has dabbled and excelled in a wide range of genre. Love him or hate him, there’s no arguing that his presence at the table brings us all together. Whether it be talking about that foolish white guy that inspired an generation of bad hair and wondering why American customs allowed him in or fan-girling over his hot and cold relationship with Selena Gomez and discussing your favorite tracks of his latest album, Justin is an easy conversation starter for all ages.
If anyone deserves a seat at the table it’s the King of Pop himself. So many of these artists fame and fortunes can be credited to Michael Jackson and the creation of a style that filled the void between rock, pop, and r&b. Much like how Thanksgiving would be nothing without the turkey, the pop industry would be nothing without MJ. Michael Jackson’s history as an artist is so diverse that there’s bound to be something for everyone’s taste. Whether you prefer rockin’ in the treetops with early Michael and the Jackson 5 or your thrilled by mid 80s early 90s Michael, the power and influence of his music are indisputable. Much like Michael, turkey will forever be a classic Thanksgiving dish and will serve as a basis for the overindulgence of thankfulness for music, food, and the people that bring us both.