Wintertime can be hard, but in my experience the best way to get through it is music. If you too are struggling to see the light through the snowfall and need an album to lose yourself in, I have a few suggestions that have gotten me through various winters over the years.
Model, wallows
Wallows latest release, Model, is the kind of album you’d want to listen to on a long winter road trip. The sound of this album is calm with the occasional ‘dance your heart out’ moment, slightly retro and grainy. It’s reminiscent of a warm ‘70’s sound, the kind of music you’d listen to on leather furniture beside a calm fire.
‘Canada’ has become my favourite Wallows song because it is unlike anything they’ve done, while also being an excellent display of their specific sound and the band’s unique talents. Dylan Minnette takes lead vocals, recounting small moments with someone, like he’s anxiously aching for them. Relaxing in the chorus to gush over their undeniable charm. If you’re dealing with a hallway crush and need a song to soundtrack your imagined scenarios, this may be the one. I am also totally biased because one of my favourite bands named a song after Canada!!!
‘A Warning’ features both Dylan Minette and Braeden Lemasters sharing lead vocals. Each possesses a vocal style that is singularly charming but takes well to the others, making this track audibly satisfying. The song itself is slow in tempo but never boring, making it perfect for a study session bundled up in cardigans and blankets.
Midnights, taylor Swift
If you are suffering from a self-inflicted ‘situationship’ and need help finding the light, a vulnerable and synth-driven Taylor Swift album would be my personal recommendation. ‘Maroon’ details a love that was once great but has now faded. Though it’s ultimately a break-up song, the intensity in Swifts performance speaks to an all-consuming, electric romance. It made me notice the lack of electricity in my own love life. I hadn’t found something that was maroon; I hadn’t even found garnet.
I know Jack Antonoff gets criticism for his heavy-handed use of synth, but I think his style is close to perfect on Midnights. He provides earworm after earworm, songs that I still find myself constantly replaying. Listening to pop music is a tried-and-true method of mine to keep happy during the miserable winter months, and Midnights has everything a good pop album needs to keep my feet tapping and my smile big. Plus, Swift’s albums are a bit like puzzles; there is a lot to analyze and piece together. Decoding the meaning behind each song is perfect entertainment to alleviate the pain of dredging through five textbooks.
Listening to ‘Karma’ makes me feel like I’m the best version of myself. It’s not very serious, but it is seriously irresistible, like yeah, karma is my cat! If you listen to any song off this album, let it be ‘Maroon’, solely for the way Swift sings the last chorus.
Mamma mia! The Movie Soundtrack
If you truly hate winter and are desperate for an escape, I recommend turning to music that represents the sunny feelings of summer so that you can imagine yourself in a better and warmer place. The Mamma Mia! soundtrack is a perfect contender. While you could very well listen to Abba to get you through, the movie soundtrack stirs up memories of the film, and sometimes we need a visual to fully immerse ourselves in a fantasy. We may actually be wearing soaking, heavy boots but in our heads, we’re wearing flimsy flip flops and singing along with Donna and The Dynamos.
‘Honey, Honey’, as a song, is like the first hot day of the year. You switch out your bulky jacket for sun lotion as a coverup and now a smile is plastered on your face 24/7. The lyrics are sweet and fun, free of stress, just as any good summer should be.
While I do recommend the movie soundtrack for the summer season, these songs wouldn’t be what they are without Abba. The band’s genius shines on ‘Voulez-Vous’. Layered with pulsating melodies, making it the kind of song to dance to on a freezing night in your bedroom, pretending like you don’t have a lecture quiz to attempt, but instead pretending you are on a small island in Greece, having the time of your life.
Prince, Prince
Saying Prince is a good musician is like saying there are 24-hours in a day, like duh. We all know and love 1999 and Purple Rain, but his back catalogue is in serious need of further appreciation. I am a firm believer in finding joy in times when it’s lacking instead of giving in and bracing for the bad. This belief applies to disco music in the winter. You need to spin around, and you need to poorly attempt Prince’s high notes if you want to have any chance of enjoying yourself during the coldest season. Say what you want about Prince, but he knew how to write the kind of song that makes you dance and raise an eyebrow but mostly dance.
‘Why You Wanna Treat Me so Bad?’ is one of my favourite Prince songs. The guitar, the piano and Prince’s effortless falsetto–three ingredients to craft a great Prince song–are perfect on this track.
‘I Feel for You’ seems like the kind of song that would play at the end of a movie. The good guys defeated the bad and are now free to have a good time. There’s a slightly out of place dance break, but the music is so catchy that we let it slide.
fetch the bolt cutters, fiona apple
It is super cliché of me, as a somewhat existential 20-something, to love Fiona Apple, but clichés exist for a reason, and Fiona Apple is a musical genius. Three winters ago, this album entertained, enthralled, and educated me. I think every woman should listen to this album at least once in their lives, and the time depends on when they need it most. Apple writes lyrics that open a door to so much of what it is to be a woman. It shouldn’t be behind a door; it isn’t really a secret, but it becomes one when we feel like we have to hide the messy aspects of our womanhood. Apple does everything but hide it; in fact, she screams it. She shines a light on the underbelly of womanhood through her lyrics and her intricate instrumentals. Often playing with repetition, harmonies and unconventional sounds to give the album’s theme substance. If the dark afternoons have you feeling introspective, this may be an album you want to check out, even if just for the way Apple brings each musical moment and sound together into something truly unique and remarkable.
‘Under The Table’ is for the girls who can never seem to keep their big mouths shut, maybe because we just don’t want to. ‘I Want You to Love Me’ is for the girls who are dealing with catastrophic levels of love and longing. Probably my favourite song on the album for the vulnerability it presents. Something about the gorgeous piano backing, the harsh build into the bridge and the diary-like confessional lyrics remind me of a train of thought that leads to a breakthrough. The kind you have on the bus, where you can’t cry in public, but you break through anyway and learn something about yourself and grow.
*Warning: this album deals with themes like abuse and the song ‘For Her’ has mentions of sexual assault.
Whether or not you give these albums a chance, though I hope you do, try to find small things you can do to make your winter better. Watch a new show, rewatch your favourite childhood movies, or attempt a recipe for a dish you’ve never had before. Create joy when you can’t find and remember that there is light at the end of the season.