As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, I can’t help but start to worry about sinking into seasonal depression that often accompanies the winter months. What I’ve learned is that it’s important to find things that provide you with flickers of comfort and joy in an otherwise grey, dismal winter. My personal savior since I can remember has been music. If you’ve been feeling down, I hope these songs make you feel something similar to what l feel — listen and melt.
- “Linger” by the Cranberries
My dad showed me this song in the fall of my sophomore year of high school and now it epitomizes autumn to me. Dreamy, mysterious, and heartfelt, this song perfectly captures the complex and frustrating nature of emotions. The Cranberries wail about their deep anger at a lover, which is confused by their same lingering desire for them. It’s a powerful love anthem. For the best listening experience I’d recommend pairing “Linger” with a hot latte and a long walk.
- “All I Really Want” by Alanis Morissette
My personal favorite song from pop-rock icon Alanis Morissette is the perfect one to scream along to. Morissette’s witty lyrics paired with her emblematic gravelly mezzo-soprano voice makes anyone listening to this song really feel (and relate to) the anger that is riddled in her lyrics. Not to mention it’s the perfect song to listen to if you need to get somewhere fast. You’ll be passionately speed-walking to the beat and at your destination in no time!
- “Liability” by Lorde
From Lorde’s sophomore album “Melodrama,” this song is all about feeling like a burden, feeling like who you truly are isn’t enough for the people you love. The lyrics are pure, painful poetry — simple but touching, making it the perfect song to listen to when you want to overcome your sadness by first feeling it deeply. I press play on it everytime I’m relishing in a moment of sadness.
- “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen
Okay, hear me out on this one. I truly believe that everyone needs a few guilty pleasure love songs, and this is my weapon of choice. Hailing from my favorite comfort movie, “Dirty Dancing,” this sappy yet perfectly romantic power-ballad brings out the true 80s music fan within me; I relish in its cheese.
- “Rosie” by John Mayer
Though Taylor Swift fans may hate me for this one, I cannot help but grow weak at the knees for this song. Mayer’s pleading yet groovy voice and bluesy guitar solos make me want to replay it over and over again. Not just that, but in this song, he begs his ex to let him inside and “lead [him] back to her [room]” Not only is this song easy on the ears, it’s relatable: we’ve all felt a similar desperate longing for someone we’ve lost.
- “Don’t Shut Me Down” by ABBA
If you haven’t listened to this new ABBA single, that has to change! Reminiscent of their original iconic songs, this fresh bop starts out slowly, drawn out, and then all of a sudden bursts into an impassioned chorus, making it the perfect combination of sentimental and uplifting. This song makes me feel utterly warm inside. All hail ABBA.
- “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” by Rufus Wainwright
This song is one my parents used to constantly play in the car when I was younger so perhaps that is part of why I love it so much. It is about desire and vices (Wainwright’s being cigarettes washed down with a glass of chocolate milk) and the honesty of its lyrics is what makes my heart swell. The song’s final wail in particular gets me every time: “Please be kind if I’m a mess.” I think we all wish we had the guts to say that out loud.
Happy listening!