Everyone has different songs that make them happy, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t always want recommendations and new ones on my playlist! With that in mind, here’s my playlist, guaranteed to put me in a good mood.
Warning: this is very much an indie playlist…although, okay, fine, I’ve got some pop and alt rock here too!
(Click here for a full Spotify playlist, or the link at the start of each description for individual songs)
Playlist:
1: ‘I Just Wanna Shine’ by Fitz and the Tantrums
This is an upbeat song with a catchy beat throughout, and a very uplifting chorus! My favourite line has to be the start of the chorus, where he sings ‘I just wanna shine, like the sun when it comes up, like the city from the rooftops, ‘cos today’s gonna be my day’. It’s full of fun imagery, and the verses have little snippets of deeper meanings (‘don’t give me dark days, I already had those’), so it’s bound to put you in a cheery mood, no matter how you began the day!
2: ‘Coming Up For Air’ by MisterWives
I always forget about this song, then it appears on shuffle, and I remember that I really do love it! This one is all about finally feeling happy, after you’ve been feeling down for a while, and is definitely of the indie/alt variety. The chorus just repeats the line ‘I’m finally coming up for air’, and it really is a breath of fresh air.
3: ‘Grateful’ by Spencer Sutherland
This one has a bit more of a rap-pop vibe, and it’s the type of song you can’t help but dance to. It’s very relatable as a student, with lines like ‘I don’t have money but it’s really alright’, and ‘got dirty-dirty dishes in the sink, f* it, I’ll clean it next week’. I’ve definitely been there! The chorus is simple: ‘I’m not perfect, but I’m grateful/ And that’s just perfect’.
4: ‘Fashion After All’ by Poppy
This is a real confidence booster of a song. The theme is ‘you do you, because you’re awesome’ and honestly there’s not a misplaced lyric in it. I’m struggling to pick out my favourite lines, because there really are just too many! Try ‘I’m revolutionary…I’m making plans to save the world and I don’t need your help’ or ‘Do what I want/Say what I want/ Wear what I want’, and what better mood booster is there than that?
& 6: ‘Never Been in Love’ by Will Jay & ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’ by Marianas Trench’
Okay, grouping these two together because these are the first on the list about love. Most of my mood-boosting songs are just about being happy to be me, but these count as exceptions. As you can probably see from the titles, they have very different ideas on love!
Will Jay sings ‘never been in love and it’s all good…maybe one day, someday/ But no, I ain’t in a rush’, and shows you it’s fine to just be happy on your own! There are a lot of reasons people might be single, and being single does not equals being unhappy.
Or maybe ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’ is the one for you? It’s a fun-loving number about ignoring reasons not to be with someone and going for it, so if you have a budding relationship or a partner, this one might remind you of them too.
7: ‘Hey Sunshine’ by Rare Americans
Rare Americans always make fantastic music, and their songs are well known for storytelling and the creation of some quite intricate characters (check out the music videos for more on that!). ‘Hey Sunshine’ is a great song to listen to, and has a very hopeful tone, but it’s quite hard to work out what it’s about. IMO, it’s about a relationship going long-distance, and the changes that come with it. He sings ‘Goodbyes are the strangest part/ Is this the end or just the start?’, showing that this one is a bit more introspective, but on my list just for its chill atmosphere!
8: ‘Here’s to never growing up’ by avril Lavigne
You’ve got to have heard of Avril Lavigne. She’s probably best known for ‘Sk8er boy’, but this is the one that I put on to remind me of good times with friends. The lyrics are about having a fun night out and just enjoying life, because ‘yeah, whatever, we’re still living like that.’ I don’t think this song will ever age!
9: ‘Daft pretty Boys’ by Bad Suns
I try very hard in life to find some songs with themes other than love…but on occasion there are a good few ones that sneak in. This is one of them. I just love the sound of it (the artist is one of my favourites), and some of the lyrics are very picturesque- ‘she’s a sunrise dressed like dusk/Going out, she’s getting into something’ and ‘He’s a moth drawn to a flame/He’s going in, he’s going all or nothing’.
10: ‘Summerland’ by half•alive
Again, this is more of a chill song, but one with a definite beat! ‘Summerland’ is all about looking forward to summer and the plans you have with your friends when you get there. My favourite lyrics are ‘like the hoodie you find and you wear forever’ and ‘Take a long drive heading anywhere/ Be dancing all night with all my friends’, so this is a great one if you’re feeling a bit lonely.
And that’s my list! I hope you find a few ones you might quite like here, and that these songs help you to feel cheerful no matter how your day went.