March marks the beginning of spring at least in my Spotify world as it’s around this time that I will begin to make my “spring 24” playlist. My favourite thing about having a playlist for each season is the ability to go back and listen to playlists from past years and be literally transported back to that time. If I go back and listen to any playlist from 2020, it’s seriously like I am in my room during the early lockdown—it’s insane how visceral the flashbacks are. So, before we leave my “winter 24” playlist to rest and revisit for some nostalgia, I wanted to share some of my favourite songs and albums from the past season.
1. “Tiny Moves” by Bleachers
The whole Bleachers self-titled album came out last Friday and it’s impeccable. But before the whole album dropped, Bleachers released “Modern Girl,” “Alma Mater,” and “Tiny Moves.” I’m serious when I say that “Tiny Moves” is one of the best and sweetest songs I’ve ever heard. The song is upbeat, fun, and really just makes you want to dance. I’m even more obsessed with the music video which features Margaret Qualley, frontman Jack Antonoff’s wife, dancing around a parking lot as Antonoff leans against a car watching his wife. This is the song that really got me into Bleachers, and their whole self-titled album will certainly be making an appearance on my spring playlist.
2. “(You) On My Arm” by Leith Ross
“(You) On My Arm” was seriously on repeat for about a week in February and was consistently the first song I would pick before hitting shuffle. The song is about havinga massive crush on someone and yearning for what could be. It feels like a nice warm hug while portraying the painful silliness that comes with having an all-consuming crush.
3. “Touching Yourself” by The Japanese House
I’m shocked that I hadn’t listened to The Japanese House before last month because I can already guarantee that she will be high on my Spotify Wrapped. The whole album, In the End it Always Does, is what I would consider a no-skip album as every one of the songs was on my 2024 Winter playlist. “Touching Yourself”, however, stood out as a personal favourite with the fun sort of synth pop beat, and yet more lyrics about yearning and longing for a physically and emotionally distant crush. If you haven’t listened to anything by The Japanese House, this is a fantastic place to begin.
4. “Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan
In a few weeks I’m going to be seeing Olivia Rodrigo live in Toronto, so to prepare I began to familiarize myself with her opener, Chappell Roan. I was already a fan of her song “Casual”, which I randomly discovered over the summer, but after listening to her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess I’m almost more excited to see Roan live. “Red Wine Supernova” is probably the silliest, most fun song I have heard in a long time. She is the most underrated pop girlie with some of the most unserious yet incredible lyrics ever. I honestly can’t say enough good things about Chappell Roan, the idea of hearing any of her songs in a concert setting gets me so excited, especially “Red Wine Supernova”!
So, there are my four favourite songs from the winter! Some honorary mentions will go to “Everything, Everywhere” by Noah Kahan (featuring Gracie Abrams), “Soft Spot” by Claude, and a recent favourite which will make an appearance on my Spring playlist, “You’d be Stars” by Sydney Rose (featuring chloe moriondo). From one person who is always looking for music recommendations to another, I hope that you enjoy some of these songs as much as I do.