The most unorthodox spring break is finally upon us, and for those in college, this means something far different from usual. Trips to Panama City or the first beach car rides of the season are replaced with staying indoors, away from large crowds, doing what we’ve done for almost a year: online school. Luckily, there is one thing that remains a constant in the life of a pandemic. This season of slow-motion life has spawned fantastic new music to start the new decade off with at least a positive new music scene. And with that knowledge, here’s the perfect 2020 and 2021 Spring Break Playlist to soundtrack this season of your school year.
1. Breathe Deeper by Tame Impala
Released in early 2020 pre-apocalypse, The Slow Rush by Tame Impala served to outshine even his most critically acclaimed album to date: Currents. In contrast to the summery pop album of his earlier release, Currents provides deeper, lusher sounds that make for a great spring break feel. In particular, Breathe Deeper tells the story of pushing through something with more resilience than ever expected—a story all too familiar for college and high school students in the pandemic.
2. Me & You Together Song by The 1975
Taken from Notes on a Conditional Form, the band’s long-awaited and teased release, this song feels like it came straight out of a 90s rom-com. The twinkly guitars and retro drum sounds make for a top-rate driving song, perfect for getting out of the house and escaping to 10 Things I Hate About You or other 90s love stories of your choice.
3. Kyoto by Phoebe Bridgers
No list of the best songs of 2020 can be complete without a pick from Punisher, Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore slam of an album. Admittedly an odd choice for spring break vibes, hear me out: Kyoto offers realistic escapism for a time that limits travel. Phoebe sings of getting “bored at the temple,” and wouldn’t you rather be bored at a temple in Japan instead of your parents’ house? Her tales of arcades and Tokyo skies are perfect for an indoor staycation, but the whole album offers a perfect account of an apocalypse not too different from our own.
4. Los Angeles by HAIM
Joining Phoebe in the classification of “Best Alternative Album of the Year” for the Grammys, HAIM’s quarantine release offers numerous summary gems. Here, the sisters sing of their favorite place. Evoking escapism yet again, they argue “New York is cold // I tried to winter there once—Nope,” making L.A. the obvious choice for a getaway fantasy.
5. Cinnamon by Hayley Williams
And finally, quarantine songs would not be complete without a song about the joys of staying home. Hayley’s debut solo release, Petals for Armor, was released in pieces: the first coming out pre-March 2020, and the following fragments coming out in a brand-new world. Cinnamon, while released with that first part and therefore having no reference to the pandemic, celebrates staying at home. The Paramore singer takes the listener through a tour of her home, a place of “citrus and cinnamon.” As we watch spring break pass us by and hopefully make the best decisions possible for keeping those around us safe, we can learn from Williams’ message: finding what we all value in our homes and inner lives can make time at home something to covet.
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