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We live in turbulent times (has there ever been a non-turbulent time?). The world is chaotic and full of horrible people and institutions and regularly I find myself full of rage.
Waking up every morning knowing that preventable violence is still happening, an ongoing pandemic is being buried and ignored, and that it all ties back to intentional global structures is exhausting. And the world doesn’t care when we reach our limit and will happily throw more our way in our personal lives to deal with. Everyday struggles can also be rage-inducing.
It’s important to channel this rage into action and community-seeking, but emotional catharsis is also important just to keep yourself going day to day. You could always go on a rage run, or punch a punching bag in rage, but a rage playlist makes for great background music and you can even go on a less taxing rage walk with a good playlist blasting in your ears.
Here’s a collection of songs that help me make space for my rage:
- Salad – Blondshell
This was a recent discovery for me. This song grapples with the singer’s lust for revenge for a loved one who has been abused. It’s possible that I’ve listened to this song on repeat a concerning amount of times.
- Naive – Kalandra
I discovered the Norwegian band Kalandra a couple of years back and I’ve been hooked ever since. Some of the band’s slower songs have gotten me through rough times, and their energetic songs, like this one, make for great rage songs.
- Ensom – Kalandra
I had to add another Kalandra song. This one is sung in Norwegian, and the vibes are once again perfect.
- The Seed – Aurora
My other Norwegian fave; I have been listening to Aurora since I fatefully discovered “Runaway” while browsing YouTube instead of doing my homework in 7th grade. This song fittingly taps into environmental rage. I also highly recommend listening to the acoustic version for a less energetic and more mournful take.
- Labour – Paris Paloma
I have to credit TikTok for this one. Much of Paris Paloma’s music comes from a historical or even mythical perspective, and this one does just that, with an overtone of feminine rage to top it all off.
- Girl with One Eye – Florence + the Machine
This song, originally sung by the Ludes, is definitely dark. It’s deceptively jazzy but builds into a drum-slamming, belting bridge.
- Somewhere to Run – Krewella
I discovered Krewella over childhood summers, somehow. I’ll credit European radio stations for that. This song is, genre-wise, probably the outlier here, but it’s quite literally perfect (if super on the nose) for a rage run.
- Death Panel – Beatrice Adler-Bolton, Artie Vierkant, Phil Rocco, Jules Gill-Peterson, Abby Cartus
Okay, okay, this isn’t a song, it’s a podcast, but it’s been what I’ve been listening to lately and has definitely been cathartic. The name alone is metal, and the content is excellent.