Every season, I make a playlist that combines songs with the perfect vibe for the weather and my current favorite songs that might not fit in with the seasonal ones. Fall is nearing its end, meaning that soon I’ll have to retire this year’s autumn playlist. Here are my top three artists from this fall season, as well as my current favorite songs from each of them!
#3: Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan has taken off this past year — he went from playing a now-closed venue in Northampton to selling out back-to-back nights at both Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park! I’ve personally been listening to Noah a lot this past year, so it’s no surprise that he cracked my top three artists during the fall season. His music just matches the vibe of walking around UMass in a puffy vest looking at the fall foliage!
One of my favorite Noah Kahan songs of this past fall has definitely been “She Calls Me Back” featuring Kacey Musgraves, a remix of the song off of the Stick Season album. I really love that the remix tells both sides of the story he’s telling, and it just elevated a song that I already loved so much.
One song that has really stuck with me from the summer and throughout the fall was “Maine,” a track off of Kahan’s Cape Elizabeth EP. The background music and lyrics make it such a beautiful song, and it’s truly one that I’ll never get tired of.
#2: Zach Bryan
If you told me a year ago that I would be listening to Zach Bryan, let alone any country artist, I probably would’ve laughed. I never used to be a country music fan, but Zach Bryan’s music has single-handedly changed my mind. His music is such an amazing example of storytelling, pulling from his own life and creating beautiful melodies. His recent self-titled album, Zach Bryan, and EP, Boys of Faith, have been staples on my fall playlist this year. I enjoyed getting to listen to them on my brisk walks to the center of campus every morning; the energy his music brings to me is perfect for this time of the year!
This season, my favorite song off of Zach Bryan changed frequently, but I think “Tourniquet” might be my number one. The song is beautifully written and has such an amazing story being told; it really has such a special meaning and is definitely a no-skip for me.
Boys of Faith has a rather short tracklist considering it’s an EP, but each song is incredibly written about Bryan’s life. The features from Noah Kahan and Bon Iver are definitely my favorites, but “Boys of Faith” featuring Bon Iver is my personal pick for this fall. I love a good Bon Iver song in the colder months, so when I heard this collaboration for the first time I knew it would make my Spotify On Repeat playlist this fall!
#1: Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has consistently been my most streamed artist for the last six years, so it’s no surprise to me that she’s number one for this fall. I personally associate all of her albums with a time of year (which usually correlates to their release date), so it was no surprise that Evermore and Red (Taylor’s Version) were the ones I was most inclined to shuffle this season.
Off of Red (Taylor’s Version), many people would say their favorite song to listen to in the fall is a certain 10-minute long song, but I have to go with “Holy Ground.” This has always been my favorite song off of Swift’s fourth album, and the re-record only escalated my liking towards it. Listening to the song always takes me back to the re-recorded album’s release, and has consistently been on my fall playlist each year since!
Going to the Eras Tour this summer gave me a new appreciation for Evermore, especially the song “Tolerate It.” I think watching Taylor perform the song really put into perspective just how incredible and under-appreciated it is, because now every time the song comes on, I picture Taylor crawling across a dining table and throwing wine glasses.
This year’s fall playlist was probably the best one I’ve made to date, mainly because these three artists made up the vast majority of the songs. These artists and their music go perfectly together, all of them making up my perfect fall vibe. I can almost guarantee that they’ll be making a re-appearance next fall!
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