Welcome to a crash course into my sad, lyrically driven indie-pop music taste. I promise there are some fun songs mixed in too. Every month, I build a brand new playlist to gather together all my favorite new (and new to me) music from the month. I’ve plucked 5 favorites from that list to create a mini playlist for you to hopefully discover some new artists! I’ll also link my full playlist if you’re interested in some other ideas. I’m also adding links to the songs on Spotify, YouTube, and the artists’ social media profiles so you can check out their work!
1. “the author” by Luz
Details will steal my heart every single time. I heard this song playing on a random Spotify playlist, and the chorus immediately grabbed my ears because the melody trills in this perfectly satisfying way, and the warm, nostalgic details of the story popped immediately.
The song delves into the struggle of falling for your best friend and wishing one day you could maybe show up in their dreams. Luz gets nostalgic for moments that were irritating in the past, and that’s something I experience all the time, especially having been inside all year. It’s definitely taught me to stop taking the small moments for granted. It’s a longing love song that’s patient and understanding the other person might not be ready to be out.
Diving more into Luz herself, I found out she’s an Irish singer-songwriter and that she’s gotten shoutouts from some of my favorite songwriters like Julia Michaels! She’s heading out on JP Saxe’s rescheduled tour next year too! (COVID depending).
Favorite Lyrics:
“I wanna be in your arms by the sea/Studying your freckles curiously/Focused on your eyes so delicately/I just wanna stay outside till 6 am/Even though I hated it then”
“Are you afraid of living in the bold?/How else do you plan on emphasizing what they wrote”
2. “Are You Happy?” By SHY Martin
As much as I love a reflective acoustic moment, I’m also into electro-pop nostalgia too. That’s what Swedish songwriter turned singer SHY Martin brings to the table. If you’re a fan of Bulow’s witty lyrics mixed with club beats, you’ll love SHY. In the song, she asks her former love interest if they’re happy they were in each other’s lives, even if it didn’t work out. I love when art probes every painful little detail of break-ups, and I love that SHY questions whether it’s the end result or what was learned along that way that’s important. Would you take back the past?
Favorite Lyrics:
“You taught me how to let somebody in/And how to let go of someone you love/To fall apart and then get up again”
“Or are you happy that we happened in our twenties?/So you know what you want isn’t me/Would you go back and tell yourself to leave it/Knowing how it goes/Or are you happy that we happened?”
3. “Paper Planes” by Elina
Similar to SHY, Elina is a Swedish songwriter, who is stepping into the artist role for the first time. I love seeing songwriters become more visible as they take the leap into being artists. Elina’s debut song, “Paper Planes”, which came out in March, is about the amicable end of a relationship. One of my other favorite tropes in any kind of storytelling is couples who are perfect for each other in the moment but aren’t meant to be forever. This song details the importance of being willing to move on and start over, even when it’s scary because change leaves so much room for personal growth. Sometimes, it’s just time to move forward and that’s a truth that can apply to so many different parts of life. Also, Elina’s silky voice just sweeps you up and away into the song. While it’s a sad song about endings, it has traces of early 2010s era encouraging pop without being cloying.
Favorite Lyrics:
“Cause love is harder than it used to be/And life is nothing like we pictured it/Who are we to blame ourselves for moving on/To become someone”
4. “Fall To Pieces” by Avril Lavigne
Okay, I’m breaking my own rule with this one because this song is neither new nor new to me. I’m only a year older than this song. I grew up on Avril Lavigne through car rides with my mom, and Avril’s songs and lyrics have shaped my taste in music. Her songs always feel like going home.
That being said, I haven’t listened to her albums in a while, but I saw a clip of her performing “Fall to Pieces” on my Instagram Explore page, and the lyric snippet hit me like a brick wall. I think, as a kid, I never fully realized how incredible Avril’s writing is, and the music has aged incredibly, even almost twenty years later. She’s all over my playlist once again this month.
Favorite Lyrics:
“And I don’t want a conversation/I just wanna cry in front of you”
5. “Overdrive” by Conan Gray
Conan has been one of my favorite artists for a while now, so I was extremely excited when he announced he was releasing a new song last week. While “Overdrive” isn’t quite the lyrical genius I’ve come to expect from Conan, it’s a song that’ll make you smile. The song is a fantasy escape from the mundane world of COVID with an ‘80s groove that’s the perfect energy infusion after a long day of Zoom classes. The true standout part of this song release is the music video. It’s a purely joyful slice of imagination as Conan imagines this life he could have with a stranger he spots the train tracks. Definitely give it a watch!
Bonus Song: “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)”
If you didn’t know, Taylor Swift is re-recording all of her past albums she created under Big Machine Records, starting with Fearless. The new version of the album will have SIX unreleased songs. But the journey starts with “Love Story”, one of Taylor’s first major hits. The re-recordings brought the internet a much-needed wave of happy nostalgia and a reminder of the lives we were living when “Love Story” was on the radio the first time. Most of all, I’m so proud of Taylor for reclaiming her art.