Happy March!
This might be an unpopular opinion, but this month holds a special place in my heart. For me, it’s filled with all kinds of festivities, the two biggest ones being my birthday and spring break. I look forward to March not just for my own pleasure, but because it just means we’re that much closer to spring! And trust me when I say I am ready for the green to return to the trees, and for the sun to stay out later in the day.
While I await the results of this precious seasonal transition, I like to listen to a playlist reflective of the time of year. So here is my highly anticipated, long-awaited March Mixtape.
- “Here, There and Everywhere” by The Beatles
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This year, I’ve listened to The Beatles way more than I used to. I love how uplifting their music feels. As a college student in Boston, I could spend hours wandering Commonwealth Avenue listening to their biggest hits.
I’d give my left arm to be alive during the era in which they were at their peak; to see them live would’ve been insane. But the good news about missing out on that era is that I now get to enjoy their music and see the legacy they’ve built over the decades.
The song “Here, There and Everywhere” has energy that feels like sunshine — that’s the easiest way to describe it. It’s a slow-paced song, perfect for a chill day frolicking in the park or even going for a sunset car ride. The lyrics are incredibly romantic: “And if she’s beside me, I know I need never care / But to love her is to need her everywhere…” It’s just absolutely perfect. It makes you want to daydream, lollygag, and just take in the sweetness of its lyrics.
- “Spring Into Summer” by Lizzy McAlpine
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An obvious choice, this song always resonates with me, no matter how many times I play it. Although it’s titled “Spring Into Summer,” I think Lizzy McAlpine’s song from her album, Older (and Wiser), is the perfect way to transition from the winter months into spring. The song begins, “Spring into summer and the winter’s gone / I try to hold onto it, but the current’s too strong…” and I find these lyrics to be incredibly pretty.
McAlpine’s voice is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. It’s mature, steady, and approachable, yet her music is anything but typical. I enjoy listening to this song in March because you can easily visualize how the environment is changing around us while playing these lyrics. More people are appearing outside, and the overall energy of our communities begins to lift up with the warmer weather. That’s how this song makes me feel: warm.
- “For the First Time” by Mac DeMarco
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There’s really no good explanation for why I feel like this song is a must-have on your March playlist. Mac DeMarco’s This Old Dog album has been incredibly well-known and received since its release in 2017, but I’ve only recently begun to play the song with more frequency. Its melody is compelling, and it feels like something out of a rom-com movie when you listen to it.
From the start of the song, you’re captivated: “While she’s been away / Living day to day has been tough… It’s just like seeing her / For the first time / Again…” These lyrics are simply sweet and romantic, which maybe people don’t always associate with the month of March, but I feel like the vibes of this song are perfect to listen to this time of year.
Let’s be honest, though, there aren’t really rules about when you can listen to what music. Some people listen to Christmas music in July, which, in my opinion, is ludicrous behavior, but what exactly is stopping them? All that to say, “For the First Time” is the perfect pick for your March soundtrack.
- “She’s Electric” by Oasis
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I was first introduced to Oasis by my dad in middle school. He was obsessed with the song “Don’t Go Away,” so I naturally got into their music. For me, “She’s Electric” is an ideal song to blast in your headphones any time of the year. I’m absolutely obsessed with the starting lyrics of the song: “She’s electric / She’s in a family full of eccentrics…” It’s so catchy!
I like to walk through the city of Boston listening to this one because something about it feels so special. I like how the song is basically telling the story of someone gushing over an unknown woman and her radiant personality. The narrator of the song feels inspired to be like her because she just possesses so many interesting qualities.
That’s how I want to be viewed. It would be a great compliment to be called electric, if you ask me. Researching the song, I found that it’s about a man chasing after a girl with a somewhat strange family. It’s quite interesting to learn about these unexpected backstories to these songs we love so much.
- “Iceblink Luck” by Cocteau Twins
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Cocteau Twins are well known for their funky, whimsical, fever-dream-ish melodies, which I happen to love. The song “Sea, Swallow Me” could easily make me cry any time for its beauty. Recently, I’ve gotten more into their Heaven or Las Vegas album, and I fell in love with “Iceblink Luck.” It reminds me of something the Cranberries would’ve sung.
Apple Music describes Elizabeth Fraser’s lead on that song and “Cherry-Coloured Funk” as “at her ethereal, majestic best.” I couldn’t agree with that statement more. Seeing as March is the month of my birth, I think this song feels fitting because it matches the way I perceive myself: a little all over the place, whimsical, and a bit of a daydreamer.
The song begins by singing, “I’m seemin’ to be a little odd / I’m a little happy again, caught, caught in time…” I like these lines because they perfectly describe what it’s like to be happy; it means being your weird, authentic self and discovering who you are. That’s much-needed in March, after suffering through the seasonal depression of the harsh winter months.
These are the songs I’d put on my March Mixtape: a perfect blend of alternative, romantic, and whimsical!
Listen and see what you think!
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