In my opinion, there’s no wrong way to enjoy autumn music. Just like with the great pumpkin spice versus apple cinnamon debate, everyone has a different taste. If you’re looking for recommendations to pump up your playlist, though, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s let sad girl fall commence.
- Taylor swift, “Betty”
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I may not have listened to folklore until … well, earlier this year, but I’ve been in love with “Betty” since I first heard it. I feel like it perfectly captures autumn for me. And, let’s be honest, there was gonna be something from folklore or evermore on this list anyway, since there are so many great autumn songs in them! Something about the mention of homeroom and the imagery used in the lyric video (linked above) screams autumn to me.
- PinkFantasy, “Poison”
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Yeah, knowing my interests, you probably knew there was going to be a kpop song on here, too. “Poison” is one of my favorite songs by girl group PinkFantasy, and is actually their most recent release. A look at the lyrics will show you what the song’s about. Just like one of the other songs on this list, I think it has great Halloween vibes, autumn-atically (get it?) earning it a spot on here. Not to mention, I feel like I could make a great animatic for it with some of my original characters…
- P!nk, “walk me home”
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To me, nothing says “autumn” more than daydreaming scenarios to different songs, and boy howdy is this one of the best ones to daydream to. I want to curl up with a sweater and a pumpkin spice latte and imagine walking hand-in-hand with someone I care about. It may not line up with the actual lyrics exactly, but hey, it’s my daydream and I get to decide the plot.
- Snow Patrol, “Chasing cars”
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Yes, this is the song all Grey’s Anatomy fans know well. I knew it long before I (finally) watched the show, though. It reminds me of the changing leaves in my neighborhood and laying on the ground in a park, looking up at the sky. Doesn’t get much better than that!
- Fugees, “Killing me softly with his song”
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…So I can’t actually put my finger on it, but every time I hear this song on the radio, I can’t help but feel like it fits the vibes. If you haven’t heard it before, I highly recommend it.
- Rihanna, “disturbia”
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I’m so used to associating this song with Halloween from childhood, earning its spot on my list. I know now that that’s not really what it’s about, but the mental link is here to stay.
- Ellie goulding, “lights”
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By now, it’s fairly obvious that I go for similar vibes with my playlists. “Lights” definitely fits the criteria here. I also think it’s the only song I know by Ellie Goulding, but that’s beside the point. What matters is the fact that I think it’s soothing, something great to listen to while the leaves fall.
- The Lumineers, “Ho hey”
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I can actually describe this one well instead of being incredibly vague! It’s like a mid-September bonfire, maybe after a football game or other sporting event. I’ve only been to two football games in my life, but to me, bonfires are top-tier autumn, hence the inclusion of this song.
- Jason aldean and kelly clarkson, “don’t you wanna stay”
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For all my country fans out there, here’s another inclusion from my childhood! Clearly this song is an emotional one, still fitting with the same energy as some of the other songs included on this list. I do think this song means a lot to me, since I grew up listening to country music, and therefore I heard this song a lot on the radio throughout the years.
- Heathers, “seventeen”
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And one for the musical nerds, which I also am! Yeah, super niche inclusion of this one because of the context involved, but it remains one of my favorite songs on the soundtrack. There’s something nostalgic about the lyrics talking about just being teenagers, especially now that I’m in college.
There you have it! I like to think there’s a good variety here, even as I expose my, ah, unique mixture of genres. I hope you’ve found something you want to try listening to, and enjoy sad girl fall!