I know, I know. The quote is super cliché and cheesy, but I saw it and I had to include it. Music is the eighth wonder of the world if we are being honest here. It can do so much — create nostalgia, impact emotions and change your mood, to name a few. Here’s some songs that speak to various moods you may be feeling this fall.
Sad Girl Hours
Now, to start it off, an essential to EVERY seasonal playlist creation is the sad girl hours songs, the “in your feels” type of songs, as the teens like to say. Sometimes, you just gotta get your feelings out and that is NOT a bad thing. A little sad music here and there is good for the soul and many songs have lyrics that seem to hit you in your heart right when you need them to. The songs on my list below may not be your perfect sad girl hour songs, but having those songs that you can feel the emotion to and express what you’re feeling are super important to have. Light a candle, turn on your fairy lights and play your songs. Get your emotions out — it is okay to feel things ! But, when you’re done, shut the playlist off, get your favorite outfit on, and get back to being the independent, bad b*tch you know you are.
When the Party’s Over — Billie Eilish
You Were Good to Me — Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler
I Can’t Carry This Anymore — Anson Seabra
Not About Angels — Birdy
The Night We Met — Lord Huron
The Scientist — Coldplay
Too Proud — Broods
SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK — Joji
Malibu Nights — LANY
Navy Blue — Charlotte Lawrence
DNA — Lia Marie Johnson
Breathe Me — Sia
Dancing on My Own — Calum Scott
Drown — Boy in Space
I’m 100% That B*tch
Alright, let’s just get our facts straight here, GIRLS RULE AND BOYS DROOL. Okay, now that we have that covered, let’s talk about this next playlist. Whether you’re getting ready for class in the morning, having a dance party in your bathroom, or pre-graming for a crazy night out, a bad b*tch playlist is a must have. You need those songs that you know will immediately bring your confidence up and empower you, because you are a strong, beautiful and independent woman — period. Many of the ladies on this list have paved such an important path in the music industry and have shown many of us what it means to be a feminist and love ourselves. These influential music moguls deserve love and support.
Good as Hell — Lizzo
God is a Woman — Ariana Grande
Feeling Myself — Nicki Minaj
Tempo — Lizzo feat. Missy Elliot
Formation — Beyoncé
Look What You Made Me Do — Taylor Swift
Bad Girls — M.I.A.
Bootylicious — Destiny’s Child
You Should See Me in a Crown — Billie Eilish
Glamorous — Fergie feat. Ludacris
Juice — Lizzo
Hot Girl Summer — Megan Thee Stallion
Guess I Gotta Study Every Once in a While
Yeah, I am not too excited about this one either. Studying is not something I want to focus on, but unfortunately as a college student, studying is an everyday occurrence. Although it is not a fun activity, it does deserve a bomb playlist. In fact, it NEEDS a bomb playlist. These songs may not be your cup of tea and that’s a-okay. Some people like opera, some like instrumental or piano, some like rap and some like flat-out white noise and rain sound effects. Whatever floats your boat, stick with it, but make sure to have something to turn on while you’re studying to keep your mood up and keep you motivated. I personally enjoy more indie, alternative or grassroots type of music — but again, it’s a personal thing and something you have to learn that works best for you.
Sweet Creature — Harry Styles
Sunday — Joy Oladokun
New Light — John Mayer
Bloom – Bonus Track — The Paper Kites
Bridge Burn — Little Comets
Ophelia — The Lumineers
Cherry Wine — Hozier
Somebody Else — The 1975
Feeling Whitney — Post Malone
Holocene — Bon Iver
warm blood — flor
Hawaiian Party — Cub Sport
Older — Sasha Sloan
Happy Girl Hours
Similar to the sad girl hours, a happy girl hours list of songs is a must. Whether you had a bad day and need a pick-me-up or are having an amazing day and want to keep the happy streak going, finding happy songs is necessary. Finding happiness from songs is a beautiful thing, all cheesiness aside. Happy songs are those songs that you belt in the car with your best friend, or dance to in the shower. They are the songs that remind you of good times and good memories, and the songs that instantly put a smile on your face. I have a huge list of these songs that I have compiled over the years, and although many are mainstream and basic, they are still some of my favorites. Similar to studying music, happy music differs based on the person, whether it is Disney songs, rap music, or any other genre. Find songs that make you happy, turn the volume as high as it can go, and let loose!
Wasted — Jesse McCartney
Want You Back — Grey, LEON
Body — Loud Luxury, Brando
Tongue Tied — Grouplove
Better Not — Louis the Child
The Weekend – Funk Way Remix — SZA, Calvin Harris
Preacher Man — The Driver Era
3 Nights — Dominic Fike
Sriracha — Marteen
Shower — Becky G
This Feeling — The Chainsmokers feat. Kelsea Ballerini
Build Me Up Buttercup — The Foundations
Loving is Easy — Rex Orange County
Twerkin’ in the Kitchen
The title of this explains it all. These are just some flat-out bops that are perfect for a dance party in your kitchen — or anywhere in your home, really. Put them on, scream the lyrics and dance it out!
Bestie — Bhad Babie feat. Kodak Black
Chun-Li — Nicki Minaj
Girls Have Fun — Tyga feat. G-Eazy and Rich the Kid
Kamikaze — Lil Mosey
Act Up — City Girls
My Type — Saweetie
Freak Nasty — Megan Thee Stallion
Donk — Soulja Boy
Rake It Up — Yo Gotti, Nicki Minaj
Twerk — City Girls feat. Cardi B
Bang — G-Eazy, Tyga
Be Like Me — Lil Pump, Lil Wayne
In my opinion, it is so, so important to have a playlist, or multiple, that you can turn to in any and every scenario. Not to mention, the act of creating playlists in and of itself is extremely therapeutic and a fun activity that I think is beneficial for everyone. Whether you use Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora or iTunes, open your app and get the party started.