Look, I think winter is a beautiful season. I really do. But I’d be lying if I said it’s not a rough time of year. Its ups and downs can come with a lot of big emotions. These emotions can take a toll on your mental state. Luckily, I’ve cooked up five immaculate playlists that match every mood on the roller coaster of life in the winter. I placed the Spotify link above each description, but I also listed each song and the artist below the description in case you want to assemble it yourself (IKEA style).
There once was a college girl who read about the benefits of waking up early in a random article she saw online. She then decided to force herself to become a morning person by selecting 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. classes for four days a week.
That was an awful idea.
She began to dread the daily journey into the frigid outside world. Whether she was trudging through a seemingly endless blanket of snow or sitting in the back of the bus while waiting for the driver to finish a smoke break, she never felt like she had enough energy to fully process what was going on around her. The one thing that began to make this winter dawn commute more bearable was the early morning winter playlist that she made.
This playlist is meant for a mind that isn’t fully awake yet. It’s chill and reflects the stillness of a snowy landscape at sunrise. As you listen further on, the energy of the music slowly starts to pick up. Hopefully your energy does the same.
“Painting by Chagall” by The Weepies
“Listening for the Weather” by Bic Runga
“Wildflower” by Beach House
“Driving Along” by Harry Nelson
“Folding Chairs on the Moon” by grantperez and HONNE
“I’ll follow the Sun” by The Beatles
“Sway (triple j Like A Version)” by Beabadoobee
“Moon in the Morning” by Adam Melchor
“Madman Across the Water” by Elton John
“Just My Imagination” by The Cranberries
“Livin’ Thing” by Electric Light Orchestra
Alternate titles for this playlist include: Seasonal Depression, Vitamin D Deficiency, and Emotionally Numb. This is the feeling of going through the motions of your routine on a day where you feel trapped by the cold. You feel slightly empty, as if the world was drained of its color. This music embraces the grayness that matches the skies of February.
However, you may notice that this playlist was spared from the clutches of artists like Radiohead and Joy Division. This is because this playlist is meant to help you decompress, but not crush what’s left of your soul. Sure, these songs are definitely downers, but they shouldn’t cause you to be consumed by the endless void of existential nothingness. The goal is for you to just embrace the way you’re currently feeling so you can move past it.
“Monroe” by Tori Lucia
“Falling of the Rain” by Billy Joel
“The Way It Is” by Nicole Atkins
“Alameda” by Elliot Smith
“Trouble” by Omar Apollo
“The Air that I Breathe” by The Hollies
“No Joy” by The Beths
“Lilac Wine” by Jeff Buckley
“It’s Too Late” by Lucy Dacus
“Natasha” by Rufus Wainwright
“Swallowed by the Sea” by Coldplay
Even if the days are supposed to be shorter, winter hours tend to feel even longer than the rest of the year due to the lack of sunlight. After coming back from a full day, sometimes you want to curl up into a ball, wrap yourself up in a warm blanket, and sleep for two days straight. Unfortunately, the moments that you want to go and disappear into your bed are usually the moments when you need to focus in order to get stuff done.
As a legally licensed chronic procrastinator, I know that I may desperately need to listen to something upbeat in order to keep me from nodding off while I’m typing. There’s only so much caffeine I can take before my whole body starts vibrating as violently as a series of ignored phone alarms. This solid track of songs has a go-getting attitude as well as a whole lot of synths designed to keep your mind at least somewhat on track.
“She Works Hard For the Money” by Donna Summer
“Dangerous” by Ella Mai
“Sunday Girl” by Blondie
“Midnight” by Lianne La Havas
“Colorblind” by Beach Bunny
“A Ray of Sunshine” by Wham!
“Make A Move” by Amelia Day (featuring Noah Floersch)
“Break My Stride” by Mathew Wilder
“Nobody’s Son” by Sabrina Carpenter
“Invisible Touch” by Genesis
“The Sign” by Ace of Base
This playlist is the embodiment of comfort. It’s the feeling of walking into a warm room after being out in the cold. The feeling of drinking cinnamon tea in a cozy chair while wearing pajamas. When you finally get to rot in bed. It’s basically your favorite soup in music form. If you don’t like soup, I’d compare it to red velvet cake without the Red Dye 40.
I formulated these songs to imitate the soundtrack of a movie you’d watch on a lazy Saturday night, so I’d encourage you to use your imagination and bring that movie to life while listening. On the other hand, you could also zone out and simply enjoy the relaxing tunes.
“Everything I know About Love” by Laufey
“Silly” by Denice Williams
“Kaleidoscope” by Rhyu
“Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder
“Where Do We Go” by Solange
“Visions of Love” by Mariah Carey
“Got You” by Dojo Cuts
“I’m Yours” by Brandy
“Time Will Tell” by Celeste
“We Didn’t Know” by Whitney Huston (featuring Stevie Wonder)
Let’s face it: winter seems eternal when you’re in the middle of it, especially when it usually lasts until April here in Michigan. But I’m pretty sure that spring will come eventually. I still have to fully convince myself of that, but for now I’m 90% positive that there will be warm weather someday.
The songs on this final playlist radiate temperatures above 70 degrees. All you need to do is close your eyes and you’ll be transported to the heated destination of your choice. Whether it’s the hot sands of a beach or a vibrant forest filled with green leaves and chirping birds, wherever you envision is all up to you.
“It Might as Well be Spring” by Caity Gyorgy
“Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations
“1234” by Feist
“In the Hot Hot Rays” by Fleet Foxes
“Á Cabo” by Pomlamoose and Larry Goldings
“Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell
“Wish on You” by Natalie Jinju
“Birds Don’t Sing” byTV Girl
“Table For Two” by aron!
“Moonlight Serenade” by Chicago
“Hello Again” by Liana Flores
“April Come She Will” by Simon & Garfunkel
I wish you luck on your musical vacation!