The changing of seasons doesn’t mean just a shift in the weather, hot drink choices, and the thickness of our sweaters anymore. Now, the arrival of fall brings about Sad Girl Fall (the antithesis of Hot Girl Summer), a concept filled with female nostalgia, introspection, and a lot of Taylor Swift-induced gloominess to match the temperatures dropping.
Pumpkin spice, orange crunchy leaves and 6 p.m. dusk calls for the seasonal need to update our playlists to match our newfound sad girl and cozy mindset. So, whether you fall in love in October — shoutout, girl in red! — or you’re remembering your summer situationships all too well, here’s the ultimate Sad Girl Fall playlist to be gloomy to. You’re welcome.
- “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
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She is the blueprint, and she is the moment.
Infused with R&B and soul influences, Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” is timeless — and a definite Sad Fall Girl track. Exploring themes of abandonment and loneliness with her ever-emotional vocals, the 2006 single is in the sweet spot between girlboss music taste and gloom. And, as we’re transitioning back to the cold weather, there’s no song more appropriate, right?
- “Smoke Signals” by Phoebe Bridgers
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You’ve heard of “Motion Sickness,” now get ready to be obsessed with its equally deep (and even more depressing) cousin, “Smoke Signals.” Featured in Phoebe Bridgers’ album Stranger in the Alps, the song encapsulates Bridgers’ well-known talent for depicting complex emotions through delicate singing and lyricism.
- “Exile (ft. Bon Iver)” by Taylor Swift
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This wouldn’t be a Sad Girl Fall playlist without including the OG Sad Girl Fall herself: Taylor Swift.
The singer — who, fun fact, embraced the term with her rendition of “All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn version)” — is always a fit for seasonal moodiness, with her introspective lyrics and stripped-back instrumentals. “exile” is the perfect example: “I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending”? “I’m not your problem anymore, so who am I offending now”? C’mon. She ate.
Therefore, to mix things up a bit and not listen to “All Too Well” for the millionth time (like you’ve been doing for the past year, be honest), feature “exile” as your 2022 fall favorite.
- “Call it Fate, Call it Karma” by The Strokes
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“Call it Fate, Call it Karma” by The Strokes sounds like what looking out through a coffee shop window on cold days feels like. Which is a very specific feeling, I’ll admit, but listen to it and you’ll get what I’m saying: The 2013 track is filled with low-key instrumentals and sulky verses, creating the perfect formula to feel mysterious, aloof and drowned in thought. In a cool way, obviously.
- “Cinnamon Girl” by Lana del Rey
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Sugar, pumpkin spice, everything nice, and… “Cinnamon Girl” by Lana del Rey.
Part of the also very Sad Girl record Norman F*cking Rockwell, this tune is the perfect amount of bittersweet that autumn calls for. The soothing piano and “Young and Beautiful”-like, charged bridge is guaranteed to make you want to sing-scream its lyrics every time — I mean, “There’s things I want to say to you, but I’ll just let you live”? “Like if you hold me without hurting me / You’ll be the first who ever did?” A whole lot of being a hot girl is yearning, folks.
- “Self Control” by Frank Ocean
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There’s no need to explain why Frank Ocean should be included in your fall playlist. Having vulnerable and intimate songwriting as a trademark, the artist delivers detailed, creative tracks in every one of his atmospheric master works.
“Self Control,” though, fits this time of year perfectly because it’s raw and, most of all, introspective. You’ll find yourself singing along to the dramatic vocals that craves company and accepts being left behind, all while saying goodbye to summertime and its memories.
- “Chasing Pavements” by Adele
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Recorded almost 15 years ago for Adele’s debut album 19, “Chasing Pavements” established itself as an instant classic, as it was both critically and commercially acclaimed for its intimate telling of the singer’s experience with being cheated on and trying to move on.
With Adele’s characteristic intensity, “Chasing Pavements” is a cathartic track and, surprisingly, very comforting too. No chasing pavements IRL this fall, though, besties.
- “Second Life with Emily” by Peach Pit
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“Second Life with Emily” is your pick if you’re looking for an upbeat song that still fits into the dry-orange-leaves-and-scarves aesthetic. This track from the Vancouver indie pop band uses bouncy drums and cheery acoustic guitar chords to tackle familiar longing, but with a little bit of contemplation and craving.
- “Northern Lights” by Kennie
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Kennie’s “Northern Lights” is the perfect calm R&B track to lay down with and think about life to. The gentle musical backdrop and layered sounds create a dreamy, atmospheric nostalgia that goes hand in hand with early fall nights.
- “Lost Boy” by Jaden Smith
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Like most of Syre, Jaden Smith’s debut album, “Lost Boy” is full of coming-of-age chronicles and pains. As the artist told Billboard in a 2017 interview, it’s all about the “legacy of this guy, this kid, who chases the sunset.”
From the initial line, “I was a lost boy in my room,” you can tell that the nine-minute single is touched by introspectiveness and a little bit of solitude. The sparse beats and soft vocals are just a plus that will add to your autumn vibes.
- “2AM” by SZA
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With famously, beautifully sad songs like “Normal Girl” and “Drew Barrymore” in her repertoire, it’s hard to pick just one song from SZA to be part of the Sad Girl Fall playlist. But “2AM” is the tune for the part — the slow-burn track spotlights her soulful voice as she tells the female perspective of Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “Come and See Me” 2 a.m. booty calls.
- “Here Comes Spring” by Graphy
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It sounds contradictory, but “Here Comes Spring”is the song for fall. From Korean indie singer Graphy, this record is angelic and romantic through and through, and its instrumentals and tender lyrics are all you need this time of the year, to be honest.
- “Romantic Homicide” by d4vd
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A side of angst, anyone? The TikTok hit “Romantic Homicide” by 17-year-old d4vd gets as emotional as its temperamental lyrics (“In the back of my mind, I killed you / and I didn’t even regret it”) and that’s why you shouldn’t miss it in your autumn soundtrack.
- “Lovers Rock” by TV Girl
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Fall can’t be all about coffee and contemplation. That’s why TV Girl’s “Lovers Rock”is included in this list: The ballad features a cheery, old-school sample of 1944 radio show Dangerously Yours and will leave you wanting to bust a move to the romantic instrumentals.
- “Writer in the dark” by Lorde
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No fall playlist would be complete without Lorde’s “Writer in the Dark.” I said what I said.
Recorded for the heartbreaking, solitude-themed album Melodrama, the single is a ballad co-produced by Jack Antonoff and serves as a “cool, painful moment” in the record, according to the artist in a 2017 interview with NME.
With minimalist production and cutting deep lyrics, Lorde leaves an ex-lover behind as she sings iconic, painfully human verses like, “I am my mother’s child, I’ll love you ’til my breathing stops” and “I love you ‘til you call the cops on me.”
And, while Lorde matched a color to each of Melodrama’s songs based on her sound-to-color synesthesia, I’d say that the theme and emotion of this one would be fall all the way.
- “La Lune” by Billie Marten
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All my sad girlies will love “La Lune.” Billie Marten’s nostalgic guitar chords and soft singing feels like a warm blanket — and something Bella Swan would listen to all the way back in Forks. Which is, obviously, a very good thing.
- “Cherry Wine – Live” by Hozier
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The mellow, laidback “Cherry Wine” by Hozier is already good. But listen to its live version and see it get even more emotional and riveting, as it’s sung to the strumming of a guitar. The dusky, almost synesthetic experience smells like… you guessed it, fall.
- “Evergreen” by Omar Apollo
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Like its title, “Evergreen” is perfect for all seasons. However, it’s in this weather that the hit sounds best. The vulnerability, rawness and sprinkle of rage paired with Omar’s graceful vocal performance will conquer you and your headphones as he tells a story of self-reflection.
- “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood
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“Sweater Weather” is an inarguable fall classic, and no playlist would be complete without it. From its title, you can tell that it’s the song to get cozy to, with its dry beats, obvious references to cold and, of course, all the 2010s Tumblr nostalgia weaved in.
- “First Love / Late Spring” by Mitski
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All rise for the national Sad Girl anthem. “First Love / Last Spring” is one of those must-listen, main Sad Girl tracks to know. After all, it’s recorded by the Mitski, one of my favorite — and one of the OG — sad pop girlies. From its gut-wrenching, poetic songwriting down to the calm backdrop she voices her unease in, the tune proves, more than anything, that music can keep you company too.
And, as the artist herself said, “Wild women don’t get the blues, but I find that / lately I’ve been crying like a tall child.” If that isn’t what your Sad Girl Fall feels like… then I don’t know what is, honestly.