Halloween is such a fun time of year for me. I love October and the chilly weather that typically comes along with it, the decorations people put up in front of their homes and the overall happiness that comes from dressing up. Yet, I find myself wondering: why is there no Halloween genre in music? If Christmas has its own genre, why can’t Halloween have one, too? Such a special holiday deserves a special soundtrack.
Although there is no genre specifically for Halloween music, that doesn’t mean there aren’t albums that can embody the general vibe of the season. Here are a few albums that I am proposing as “Halloween-ish,” meaning that, while they aren’t exactly Halloween specific, they have a little spookiness to them that makes them perfect for your next Halloween party or after-dark walk through your neighbourhood.
TURN OFF THE LIGHT (Kim Petras, 2020)
Although Halloween music is (sadly) not a genre, if it were, this album would definitely fall within it. The Halloween subtext is all there: it was released at the beginning of October in 2020. The album cover features a sickly pale hand with slime green claw-like nails and gothic, overdramatic storytelling. If you’re looking for an album to put on at a Halloween party, this is the one. Each song is danceable, short and most definitely on theme with Halloween shenanigans. It’s a great electro-pop record that taps into the campiness of the holiday.
Specific spooky songs: “There Will Be Blood”, “Turn Off The Light”, “Massacre”
Pure Heroine (Lorde, 2013)
Pure Heroine is fantastic Halloween music. While Pure Heroine is not necessarily great party music, it’s perfect for setting the tone for the holiday. The theme of the album centres around the highs and lows of suburban teenagehood, and quite honestly, that’s spooky in and of itself. But with lyrics like “I remember when your head caught flames / it kissed your scalp and caressed your brain” and “If you want, we’ll help tonight to split its seams / Give the bruises out like gifts,” it’s hard to argue that this album isn’t a perfect companion for a holiday where uncanny behaviour is part of the charm.
Specific spooky songs: “Glory And Gore”, “White Teeth Teens”, “Buzzcut Season”
The Fame Monster (Lady Gaga, 2009)
In my mind, Lady Gaga has an entire discography of Halloween adjacent bops, but The Fame Monster is the most campy and fun of them all. There are so many goofy songs where she’s singing about murder, the melodrama of romance, or some combo of the two. I mean, she has an entire song about loving a man who literally eats her heart and brain. Gaga is experimenting with different sounds and personas on this album, almost like trying on a costume. It’s so Halloween!
Specific spooky songs: “Bad Romance”, “Monster”, “Alejandro”
What’s Your Pleasure? (Jessie Ware, 2020)
What’s Your Pleasure? is modern disco done right. The songs are infectious and make me feel like I’m at some upscale club slinking around on a dance floor in a Daisy Buchanan costume. The best word to describe this album is chilling. Although disco may not sound like Halloween music, What’s Your Pleasure? has a darkness to it that adds a layer of doom to the mix. Ware’s breathy vocals are siren-like. They’re haunting and urgent, begging for the listener to come hither. Even though the lyrics are sexy and suggestive, the composition of the songs makes it seem like there’s an ulterior motive, which is definitely the kind of unsettling tone that goes along with Halloween.
Specific spooky songs: “What’s Your Pleasure?”, “Step Into My Life”, “Oh La La”
Punisher (Phoebe Bridgers, 2020)
Punisher is not for the Halloween-partier. It’s for those who like to walk around quiet streets after all the trick-or-treaters have gone to bed, watching the paper ghosts and fake spider webs blow in the crisp evening autumn breeze. Poetic right? That’s just the kind of sentimentality this album has. It’s a quiet record, but still captures the creepy stillness that can come along with walking around on Halloween night. It’s also a good candidate for the best album to play the morning after a big Halloween celebration. Specific shout-out to the actual song on the album called “Halloween,” on which Bridgers softly proclaims, “Baby, it’s halloween / And we can be anything.”
Specific spooky songs: “Halloween”, “Garden Song”, “Savior Complex”