Now is about the time in the semester when students feel the weight of academic, social and extracurricular demands. That might just be me, but, needless to say, this is a stressful time of year. In times of chaos, the only thing we can control is how we view pandemonium. This playlist is a reminder that you can still thrive in disarray.
“Losing You” by Solange
This R&B, dance-pop classic by Solange is characterized by the artist’s frequent “yelps.” At first, these might catch you off guard, but producer Dev Hynes (A.K.A. Blood Orange) layers the song with addicting synths and drums that turn the yelps into the song’s guiding philosophy. Jaded and simultaneously worried that she is about to lose her lover, Solange surrenders herself to the beautiful chaos of her conflicting emotions. Lyrics like “I gave you everything and now there’s nothing left for me” seemingly contradict this track’s upbeat energy in the best way possible.
“Cherry-Colored Funk” by Cocteau Twins
If you’re already high off the energy of “Losing You,” then “Cherry-Colored Funk” will lift you into the clouds. Specifically, these clouds are a beautiful haze of unintelligible words and angelic vocals. The fact that you can never really make out what lead singer Elizabeth Fraser is saying allows you to lay back and enjoy the dreamworld she is trying to create. However, when everything feels like it’s going a hundred miles per hour, and you can’t tell if up is up or down is down, this song makes life feel serene.
“doom” by Steve Lacy
Your feet are now solidly touching the ground. Steve Lacy’s “doom” is a cathartic track to blast as you starfish-flop onto your bed. With powerful drums and an electric guitar, the song sounds straight out of a coming-of-age indie film. The first part of this song encourages you to lean into your resentment — life isn’t fair, and it’s okay to feel mad or exhausted by this fact. What this song does so well, though, is that it transitions self-pity and anger at the world into blissful ignorance. The slow acoustic guitar at the 3:30 mark instructs you to stop questioning the irritants in life and instead tune them out. Lacy quite literally tunes them out, singing “Blah, blah, blah, blah (Ooh).”
“Times Like These” by Addison Rae
When the middle of the semester hits, and you’re drowning in a sea of Blackboard assignments, locking in on your own terms can be the only way out. In Rae’s final single of her debut album, she tells you to live in the present while tuning out the past and future. “It’s not my fate in the end / Let go of all that could have been,” she confidently sings in the chorus. Rae’s producers on this track turn the chaos of a fast-paced life into something far more refined. In the bridge, Rae whispers and adds ethereal sighs along with a speedy beat and the occasional sparkle sound effect.
“One-Trick Pony” by Nelly Furtado & Kronos Quartet
Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius once said, “We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.” This unlikely collaboration between 2000s pop princess Furtado and world-renowned string quartet Kronos Quartet argues for this point. Throughout “One-Trick Pony,” Furtado harnesses the quartet as a reflection of her own ability to determine how she sees herself. “Nobody can control me / Nobody can disown me / Nobody can disown me / Nobody can ignore me,” she sings as the sound of the strings mounts.
“Fast As You Can” by Fiona Apple
Apple’s ability to turn a Looney Toons-esque tune into a masterpiece should inspire you. “Fast As You Can” uses an off-kilter style, combining woodwind sounds with piano to simulate the feeling of a wild-goose chase. As you listen to this one, just let her cook. Enjoy the knockout chaos, proving to yourself that you can still have fun amid this mid-semester mess. If you’re going through a mess of a situationship, Apple has some profound reflections on craving someone else’s validation, singing “And I’ll be your girl, if you say it’s a gift.”
“A&W” by Lana Del Rey
Dedicate seven minutes and 13 seconds of uninterrupted time to enjoy “A&W.” The song’s first half features acoustic guitar and piano to create a solemn, almost-frantic beat. Del Rey takes time for introspection and reflects on distressing experiences in her life. She proves — through her words and her ability to make a song as great as this one — that it’s all just noise to her. In the second half, Del Rey fully lets go with a more electronic sound and a whole lot of “Jimmy, Jimmy, Cocoa Puff,” her take on the 1958 song, “Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop,” by Little Anthony and the Imperials.
“Piece of Me” by Britney Spears
“Piece of Me” was written during, arguably, the most tumultuous period of Spears’ career. In the chaos of endless tabloid speculation, Spears responded in the only way she knew how: with a hit single. Spears leans into the headlines, singing “I’m Mrs. ‘Oh my God, that Britney’s shameless’ / I’m Mrs. ‘Extra, extra this just in!’” In the chaos of today’s world, leaning in might be the only way to preserve our peace of mind.
“Drive” by Audrey Hobert
When was the last time you went on a drive for the sake of it? Hobert preaches the therapeutic benefits of such a drive in this track. Perhaps what is so therapeutic about this is that it reminds you that you could, theoretically, drive anywhere in the country you want to right now. This taste of freedom is perfect for a time when you feel trapped or dissatisfied. “Feeling awesome, that’s a lie / But it’s fine, I’ll just put it in— / Put it in drive again.”
