If you’re like me, you’ve also been struggling with the changes wrought by daylight savings, namely the fact that the sun now goes down at 5 p.m. in the afternoon. All in all, I think it’s time for a playlist that will help us all get out some of our frustrations over, well, everything. Hopefully at least one or two of the following songs will help you deal with whatever you’ve got to deal with right now.
“It Remembers” — Every Time I Die (feat. Brendon Urie): This is a new song that I absolutely love. It’s a pretty metal song, but it’s not too hard for those of you who prefer things on the softer side. Plus, it features Brendon Urie, which no one who has seen my previous articles would be surprised to know, I consider a huge bonus.
“What You Want” — Evanescence: I don’t know exactly what it is, but I think the refrain “do what you, what you want” can be pretty freeing when you’re deciding whether or not you should buy that ice cream at 12 a.m. while you’re writing a history paper that’s due at 9 a.m. I’m just saying.
“I Want it All” — Jules Larson: I find this song inspiring, especially if there are people out there who are trying to hold you back from what you want to accomplish. This song might bring some heart to those who need a bit of a boost this week.
“Wild Things” — Alessia Cara: Most of you have probably heard this one before, but it’s so good and so relevant and definitely speaks to many different modern experiences and issues.
“You’re Crashing, but You’re No Wave” — Fall Out Boy: I started listening to this song recently, and it’s really been my go-to song over the past week. It’s a song about a court case, one that is at least heavily implied to have turned out unfairly. It seems to be a commentary on the American justice system and the way it favors certain types of people over others. It also includes a line in the chorus that suggests the undue influences that wealth might have on the outcome of a trial, among other things. It expresses a frustration with the status quo that I think a lot of us can sympathise with.
“Playing God” — Paramore: Whatever this song is about at it’s core, it always feels to me like a cathartic expression of the hypocrisy and condescension that we sometimes have to deal with in this world.
“Misogyny” — Benedictum: Wow. Don’t know how this angry song ended up on here. I can’t imagine why I thought of it. Can you think of anything? No? All right.
“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Indian Blood” — The Last Internationale: From the tongue-in-cheek title, you might be able to tell that this song will be a bit scathing. If you aren’t sure what this is about I think it’s time to brush up on some American history this Thanksgiving.
“White Privilege” and “White Privilege II” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Jamila Woods): This one is for my fellow white people. Macklemore is talking to us in these songs. He’s got a lot of important points to get across, especially relating to cultural appropriation and Black Lives Matter. If you aren’t too familiar with the depth of the issues covered here, I advise you to do some research. In doing so, remember that non-white perspectives on racial inequality are the most important ones to listen to.
What started out as a relatively neutral playlist became one that’s more focused on current social issues than I originally intended. But honestly, music doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and I’m tired. I hope there’s something useful on here for everyone.
