Category: Playlist

You may notice a certain theme to the end of this playlist. That theme is I wanted it to feel like Christmas this year, and I successfully achieved that through musical saturation. Made more effective because, after years of being A Choir Kid, it’s not just hearing Christmas music that makes it feel like Christmastime to me, it’s singing it—and thus, lots of choral/a cappella versions.

As usual, you can listen to the whole playlist here or see the track list and commentary below. (I’m trying something a little different with the commentary formatting this time—hopefully it’s a little easier to scan through.)

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Dale Dickens (RIP) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (RIP) – Single

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single

Space – Zach John King on Space – Single

Dust and Smoke – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

808 HYMN – Erin LeCount on 808 HYMN – Single

CATHEDRAL. – Kesha on .

Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

Luckiest Man Alive – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single

Cheap Shots – Ian Harrison on Cheap Shots – Single

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Bedrooms In The Sky – HARDY & Stephen Wilson Jr. on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Lose A Friend – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted

The Gold – Manchester Orchestra on A Black Mile To The Surface

Later Tonight – Josh Ross on Later Tonight

Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem on The ’59 Sound

Storytime – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

Road to Gold – Luke Beling on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP

Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP

Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Drift Away – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Leave Her Johnny – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

nah – Khalid on after the sun goes down

Undone (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP

We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Kings of Leon on We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Single

Wish You Well – Vincent Mason on There I Go

Facilita – Fred again.., Caribou & Menor Teteu on Facilita – Single

Hardwired – Fabrizio on Hardwired – Single

Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Cody Jinks on Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Single

Skull and Bones (2025 Version) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Berghain – ROSALÍA, Björk & Yves Tumor on LUX

Something Wicked This Way Comes – Cody Jinks on In My Blood

The Parting Glass – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single

My Side Of Town – Josh Ross on Later Tonight

Bonnie Ship the Diamond – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

HARDSTYLE 2 – Fred again.., KETTAMA & Shady Nasty on HARDSTYLE 2 – Single

Mingulay Boat Song – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Santiana – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Bottled Up Inside – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden

Holiday Road – Kesha on Holiday Road – Single

Wave – Yoste on Wave – Single

Shovel – Tyler Nance on Shovel – Single

Sunflower – Amber Run on Sunflower – Single

Roots – Cooper Alan on Winston – Salem

Challenge the Sea (feat. The Longest Johns) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

WTF (the f**k) – Gracie and Rachel & Elliot Moss on WTF (the f**k) – Single

Human – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself

Magnolias – ROSALÍA on LUX

Got It All Wrong – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP

Atchafalaya (feat. Noah Cyrus) – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

My Side of the Mountain – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Te Amo – Rihanna on Rated R

O Come, All Ye Faithful – Pentatonix on A Pentatonix Christmas

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Pentatonix on A Pentatonix Christmas

Coventry Carol – Pentatonix on A Pentatonix Christmas

I think this one is my favorite Christmas song this year, which is a bit odd, but boy, do I have fun listening to some of the harmonies. Those open fifths, mmmmm.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

White Winter Hymnal – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

That’s Christmas To Me – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

Mary, Did You Know? – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

The First Noel – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas to Me: Deluxe Tracks – EP

Little Drummer Boy – Pentatonix on The Greatest Christmas Hits

Carol of the Bells – Pentatonix on The Greatest Christmas Hits

Deck The Halls – Pentatonix on The Greatest Christmas Hits

J&L – Medium Build on takeaways

A quick break from the Christmas vibes here, and this one is, lyrically, something of a gut-punch to me.

Pipe Dream – Brendan Walter on Disappearing Days

I enjoyed the cinematography of the music video for this one.

Blueneck (Acoustic) – Chris Housman on Blueneck (Acoustic) – Single

Honestly, I think I added this originally because I was conflating with the artist Blueneck, who make music that sounds like being alone in the depths of winter, and have been known to show up in my December playlists. Instead, I’ve got this piece, which feels like… an earnest take on Bo Burnham’s Pandering.

O Come, All Ye Faithful – Home Free on Any Kind of Christmas

O’ Holy Night – Home Free on Full Of Cheer (Deluxe)

White Sand Christmas – Jake Slaton on White Sand Christmas – Single

A non-traditional insertion, but I’ve been enjoying it.

Do You Hear What I Hear? – Home Free on Full Of Cheer (Deluxe)

Silver Bells – Pentatonix on Christmas in the City

73 Fair – Noah James on 73 Fair – Single

Talk to You – Sam Fender & Elton John on People Watching (Deluxe Edition)

Similar to J&L above in terms of hitting too hard.

The Hanging Tree – James Newton Howard on The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Pt. 1 (Original Motin Picture Score)

While I made some solid progress on clearing out the backlog of music I’d saved to listen to later, the resulting monthly playlist is longer than usual, and I feel like I haven’t done as much listening through it as I’d like. Tough, when the thing is nearly 8 hours long, whoops.

Listen to the full thing here, or get individual tracks and occasional comments below:

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Bloodline – Alex Warren & Jelly Roll on Bloodline – Single

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Dale Dickens (RIP) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (RIP) – Single

Shadowverse – The Midnight on Syndicate

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single

Space – Zach John King on Space – Single

The Vulture and the Little Boy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Dust and Smoke – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

808 HYMN – Erin LeCount on 808 HYMN – Single

Hangin’ On – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Waves_On_Waves, Crimewave & Waves On Waves After Dark on Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Single

CATHEDRAL. – Kesha on .

Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Hard to Break – Blake Whiten on Hard to Break – Single

Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

BerwynGesaffNeighbours – Fred again.. & BERWYN on USB

Luckiest Man Alive – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Seventeen Going Under – Sam Fender on Seventeen Going Under (Deluxe)

American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single

Cheap Shots – Ian Harrison on Cheap Shots – Single

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Bedrooms In The Sky – HARDY & Stephen Wilson Jr. on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Comfort in Misery – Buffalo Traffic Jam on Comfort in Misery – Single

Lose A Friend – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted

When You Were Young (Track Star Presents) – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC (Deluxe Edition)

The Gold – Manchester Orchestra on A Black Mile To The Surface

Later Tonight – Josh Ross on Later Tonight

Long Island – The Midnight on Syndicate

Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem on The ’59 Sound

Storytime – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

Road to Gold – Luke Beling on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP

Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP

Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Drift Away – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Leave Her Johnny – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Spinning – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Digital Dreams – The Midnight on Syndicate

nah – Khalid on after the sun goes down

Lungs – Fabrizio on Lungs – Single

Teardrop – Elderbrook & Jan Blomqvist on Teardrop – Single

Drive You Home – Waves_On_Waves, Castles Made Of Sky & Waves On Waves Orange Crush on Drive You Home – Single

Windy City – Dylan Gossett on Westward (Deluxe)¹

Aftercare – Imogen Heap & ai.mogen on Aftercare – Single

Undone (The Bonfire Sessions) – Sons of Habit on The Sticks (The Bonfire Sessions) – EP

We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Kings of Leon on We’re Onto Something (feat. Zach Bryan) – Single

Bad Morphine – Arcade Beach on Music for Night Drives

erase me (feat. Jacob Collier) – Lizzy McAlpine on five seconds flat

Wish You Well – Vincent Mason on There I Go

No One Has to Know – Bob Moses on BLINK

Facilita – Fred again.., Caribou & Menor Teteu on Facilita – Single²

Mother – Tyler, The Creator on CHROMAKOPIA +

The End of Eurydice – Vincent Lima on To Love A Thing That Fades

Hardwired – Fabrizio on Hardwired – Single

hate to be lame (feat. FINNEAS) – Lizzy McAlpine on five seconds flat

Better Broken – Bob Moses on BLINK

Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Cody Jinks on Lonely Man (One Take Acoustic) – Single

Skull and Bones (2025 Version) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea³

Berghain – ROSALÍA, Björk & Yves Tumor on LUX⁴

Wild One – Madeline Megery on Wild One – Single

The Good Side of Somewhere – Luke Beling & T.F. Jennings on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP

Livin’ The Dream – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Slip Away – Nils Hoffmann & SILÖ on Everlight

Maybe For Once – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted

Something Wicked This Way Comes – Cody Jinks on In My Blood⁵

The Parting Glass – Home Free on Challenge the Sea⁶

Foolish Pride – Slater Nalley on Foolish Pride – Single

It’s Not Your Fault – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

My Side Of Town – Josh Ross on Later Tonight⁷

Bonnie Ship the Diamond – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Howl At The Moon – Noah James & Anna Rae on The Tracks – EP

Don’t Give Up On Me – Noah Rinker on The Pines – EP

HARDSTYLE 2 – Fred again.., KETTAMA & Shady Nasty on USB

Who Don’t – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Old Town Road (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) [Remix] – Lil Nas X on 7 – EP

Heavenly – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Mingulay Boat Song – Home Free on Challenge the Sea⁸

Santiana – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Once More – Waves_On_Waves, Sonic Shades Of Blue & Waves On Waves Orange Crush on Emotions In Every Color

Bottled Up Inside – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden⁹

La Rumba Del Perdón – ROSALÍA, Estrella Morente & Sílvia Pérez Cruz on LUX

Sauvignon Blanc – ROSALÍA on LUX

Holiday Road – Kesha on Holiday Road – Single¹⁰

Mine to Hold – Bob Moses on BLINK

Divinize – ROSALÍA on LUX

Deeper Talks – Joe Jordan on Deeper Talks – Single¹¹

We Never Left The Sunset – Tyrian84 on Exhale

Roses and Wolves (feat. Hailey Whitters) – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Wave – Yoste on Wave – Single

I’ll Be There – Nick Folwarczny on I’ll Be There – Single

Shovel – Tyler Nance on Shovel – Single

Reliquia – ROSALÍA on LUX

Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti – ROSALÍA on LUX

I Want You – In Color on Snow Day – EP

Sunflower – Amber Run on Sunflower – Single¹²

Roots – Cooper Alan on Winston – Salem

Challenge the Sea (feat. The Longest Johns) – Home Free on Challenge the Sea

Fool’s Gold – Buffalo Traffic Jam on Take Me Home – EP

WTF (the f**k) – Gracie and Rachel & Elliot Moss on WTF (the f**k) – Single

Human – Brandi Carlile on Returning To Myself¹³

Memória – ROSALÍA & Carminho on LUX

Magnolias – ROSALÍA on LUX

Hotel Dorado – Maxx Parker on Infinite Blue: Golden Hour¹⁴

Got It All Wrong – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP

Atchafalaya (feat. Noah Cyrus) – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Maybe This Time – Orville Peck on Appaloosa¹⁵

My Side of the Mountain – Orville Peck on Appaloosa

Te Amo – Rihanna on Rated R¹⁶

1. One of those “I love this but I can’t keep it” songs, because it’s just… heart-wrenching, in tone ↩
2. Pretty different vibe from almost everything else in this list, but an absolute banger ↩
3. Absolutely gorgeous bass line ↩
4. well of course it’s Björk on the most delightfully weird entry in this album ↩
5. I’m vaguely aware that the second part of the Wicked film is out now, and I choose to believe that this is a hilariously subtle marketing tie-in. ↩
6. I still kinda want Parting Glass to be faster than Home Free’s take, but it’s a great version nonetheless. ↩
7. A good one to sing along to. ↩
8. The pinnacle of “Home Free makes me sing along and miss being in choir.” ↩
9. oof ouch my bones ↩
10. I think this might be entirely winter-holiday-agnostic, and yet it does a great job of capturing that Christmas Song vibe. I love it. ↩
11. A lot of my taste in country music has been “soft boys singing about being in love,” but I think this one best captures that actual feeling, for me. ↩
12. Excited to see something new from Amber Run, they’ve done a string of re-releases prior to this, which is… something, but not as good as actual new music. ↩
13. Watched her performance on SNL with family, which is maybe the first time I’ve watched an entire episode of SNL? I felt like I’d suddenly been given a much better understanding of an entire generation of liberals. ↩
14. I should see if Maxx Parker is actually creating the music videos to go with these, because if he is, this man is really out here slow-rolling the release of a new 80s movie. ↩
15. I really want to like this one, because it’s the sort of hope-punk lyrics I ought to be shoving into my brain, but I think I’ve only managed to listen to it all the way through without skipping, like, twice. ↩
16. Brought in because something about Facilita reminds me of Rihanna.
    Anyhow, I dealt myself several points of psychic damage the day I added this by looking at some of Rihanna’s release dates and realizing that there are kids getting their learner’s permits now who were conceived to the hot new Rihanna single, S&M. This is, like, probably the line at which “music I grew up listening to” starts counting as “oldies,” isn’t it? ↩

This month feels like the hardest I’ve been hit by seasonal depression in quite a long time; guess that’s what happens when you stop taking the vitamin D pills. Whoops.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to share the entire playlist in one go!

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

Fiending – Noah Brigden on I’m Fine – Single

life is beautiful – heylucas on hey

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Carolina – Blake Whiten on Carolina – Single

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

God Loves Weirdos – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Bloodline – Alex Warren & Jelly Roll on Bloodline – Single

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Struggle On Boy (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Something To Lose – Christian Hayes & Corey Harper on Something To Lose – Single

Reversing Thunder – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Damned If I Do – Vincent Mason on Damned If I Do – Single

Dale Dickens (RIP) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (RIP) – Single

QUEEN OF DUST (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

Shadowverse – The Midnight on Syndicate

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Sunlight – Yoste on Sunlight – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

Holding On – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

EYES (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single

Space – Zach John King on Space – Single¹

Ordinary (Live from Lollapalooza) – Alex Warren & Luke Combs on Ordinary (Live from Lollapalooza) – Single

The Vulture and the Little Boy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

How It’s Done – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Your Idol – Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Tennessee (feat. Hudson Mohawke & Tayla Parx) – Kesha & Orville Peck on Tennessee (feat. Hudson Mohawke & Tayla Parx) – Single

Ktir – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Dust and Smoke – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

Favorite Country Song – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

808 HYMN – Erin LeCount on 808 HYMN – Single

Turn Down The Lights – Gavin Adcock on Own Worst Enemy²

Hangin’ On – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Happy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Waves_On_Waves, Crimewave & Waves On Waves After Dark on Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Single

CATHEDRAL. – Kesha on .³

Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!⁴

When the Party’s Over (Paris Unplugged Live) – SYML on Paris Unplugged

Hard to Break – Blake Whiten on Hard to Break – Single

Music for the Soul – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul⁵

Where’s My Love (Paris Unplugged Live) – SYML on Paris Unplugged (Live)

Time of Your Life – Bob Moses on BLINK

BerwynGesaffNeighbours – Fred again.. & BERWYN on USB

Country In Me – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Bright Side – Lil Skies on The Evolution of the Rose

Hoping to Find – Thorin Loeks on Hoping to Find – Single

Viva La Vida – Coldplay on Viva La Vida

West of Ohio – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Clean Eyes (Paris Unplugged Live) – SYML on Paris Unplugged

Night Diving (feat. Cameron Whitcomb) – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Friction – The Midnight on Syndicate

I’d Go Crazy Too – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Afterglow pt. 2 – The Midnight on Syndicate

Take The Country And Run (Acoustic One Take) – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Tomorrows – Peech. on Small Town America (Vol. 1) – EP

Keep It Country – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Sentinels – The Midnight on Syndicate

Where To Start – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Better Me For You (Brown Eyes) – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)⁶

Waiting on the World – Bob Moses on BLINK

Luckiest Man Alive – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Seventeen Going Under – Sam Fender on Seventeen Going Under (Deluxe)

We Are Still Here! – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

American Vintage – Aidan Canfield on American Vintage – Single⁷

HAZE (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

Blink – Bob Moses on BLINK

Space & Time – ItsArius, Lynnic & ARI on Space & Time – Single

Freezing In November (Revisited) – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Cheap Shots – Ian Harrison on Cheap Shots – Single

nobody (make me feel) – oskar med k & Khalid on nobody (make me feel) – Single

Afterglow pt. 1 – The Midnight on Syndicate

Still – EDEN on Dark

For – Luca Fogale on For – Single

Victory Lap Five – Fred again.., Skepta, PlaqueBoyMax, Denzel Curry, Hanumankind, That Mexican OT, D Double E & LYNY on USB

Forever Ain’t Long Enough – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Under the Sail – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden

Tarnish – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Never Left – Anella on Never Left – Single

Leave Me Be – Landon Wilks on Leave Me Be – Single

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Home Free on Challenge the Sea⁸

Bedrooms In The Sky – HARDY & Stephen Wilson Jr. on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!⁹

Comfort in Misery – Buffalo Traffic Jam on Comfort in Misery – Single

Big Jet Plane – Angus & Julia Stone on Big Jet Plane – EP

Lose A Friend – Evan Honer on Everything I Wanted

Won’t Let Me Go – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

When You Were Young (Track Star Presents) – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC (Deluxe Edition)

Call Me If You Miss Me – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Last Forever – Bob Moses on BLINK

stayinit – Fred again.., Lil Yachty & Overmono on USB

The Gold – Manchester Orchestra on A Black Mile To The Surface¹⁰

Beige – Yoke Lore on Goodpain – EP¹¹

Later Tonight – Josh Ross on Later Tonight

Long Island – The Midnight on Syndicate

Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem on The ’59 Sound

For Your Love – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden

Same Questions – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)

Body (Paris Unplugged Live) – SYML on Paris Unplugged (Live)

Worth the Walk – Vincent Lima on To Love A Thing That Fades

Storytime – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

Wolken – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Chasing Ghosts – Nils Hoffmann & Vancouver Sleep Clinic on Chasing Ghosts – Single

Road to Gold – Luke Beling on The Good Side of Somewhere – EP

Oh! The Anxiety – Joe Jordan on Oh! The Anxiety – EP¹²

Temporary Friend – Harrison Storm on Empty Garden

Love I Couldn’t Mend – Max McNown on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)¹³

Baptized By Rain – Dylan Gossett on Westward

no lo ves – Grupo Frontera & Ozuna on no lo ves – Single

1. “I need a little bit of space” feels like the last bit of summer hanging on as the fall weather starts ↩
2. I’ve listened to a couple things off this album, and it’s really best to completely ignore the lyrics and just listen to the sounds, the lyrics are… not great. ↩
3. Really enjoying this one ↩
4. The bass line to this is excellent, but in a way that I always want to describe as “filthy” and can’t really explain why. ↩
5. It is! Well titled! ↩
6. Of an entire album of “I love this and I can’t stand to listen to it because it’s too accurate to what I’m sad about lately,” this one takes the cake for condensing that feeling the best. ↩
7. Possibly the platonic ideal of the portion of my taste in country music that I call “wistful boys singing about how they miss Back When Things Were Better” ↩
8. Home Free is great, and this so perfectly captures the exact vibe that it’s meant to ↩
9. I like the sound of this one, but the actual lyrics are very… excited about the collapse of civilization? Not a fan of that. ↩
10. Really love this one, great to sing along to ↩
11. Speaking of music that feels wistful for When Things Were Better, Yoke Lore’s sound is that feeling, but as, like, California pop instead of Southern country ↩
12. big mood ↩
13. The other “I can’t bear to listen to this one” off this album ↩

It’s been a weird month. As I’m writing this, the weather has very suddenly gone from “80ish degrees and sunny” to “60-something and rainy,” so I’d say that autumn has arrived with a vengeance; there’s already a bit more fall vibes creeping into this playlist. As usual, individual tracks below, full playlist here.

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Follows You – Michael Marcagi on Midwest Kid – EP

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

Fiending – Noah Brigden on I’m Fine – Single

life is beautiful – heylucas on hey

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Carolina – Blake Whiten on Carolina – Single

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

God Loves Weirdos – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Green – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Bloodline – Alex Warren & Jelly Roll on Bloodline – Single

I Am Digital, I Am Divine – Erin LeCount on I Am Digital, I Am Divine – EP

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions

One More Day to Come – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Fair To You – Vincent Lima on To Love A Thing That Fades

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Struggle On Boy (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Shore House – Maxx Parker on Shore House – Single

Good God, Hot Damn – Hayden Blount on Good God, Hot Damn – Single

Something To Lose – Christian Hayes & Corey Harper on Something To Lose – Single

My Heart’s A Crowded Room – The Fray on My Heart’s A Crowded Room – Single

5AM (feat. Billianne) – Amber Run on 5AM (feat. Billianne) – Single

Lucy – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Reversing Thunder – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Damned If I Do – Vincent Mason on Damned If I Do – Single

Night Windows – Arcade Beach on Music for Night Drives

Dale Dickens (RIP) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (RIP) – Single

QUEEN OF DUST (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

Shadowverse – The Midnight on Syndicate

Fourth of July – Cooper Alan on Fourth of July – Single

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Bottomland – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Sunlight – Yoste on Sunlight – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

Tongue Tied – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Holding On – Majik on Blood, Sweat & Tears

EYES (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

HEAVEN (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK

HIGHWAY KIND – Fabrizio on HIGHWAY KIND – Single¹

London – Skepta & Fred again.. on Skepta .. Fred – EP

Space – Zach John King on Space – Single

Ordinary (Live from Lollapalooza) – Alex Warren & Luke Combs on Ordinary (Live from Lollapalooza) – Single

21 Years – Skepta & Fred again.. on Skepta .. Fred – EP

The Vulture and the Little Boy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine²

How It’s Done – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)³

What It Sounds Like – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Your Idol – Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)⁴

Tennessee (feat. Hudson Mohawke & Tayla Parx) – Kesha & Orville Peck on Tennessee (feat. Hudson Mohawke & Tayla Parx) – Single

Ktir – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Golden – HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast on KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Song From Yesterday – Chance Peña on When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It

Afraid No More – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Dust and Smoke – Sam Barber on Music for the Soul

Favorite Country Song – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

808 HYMN – Erin LeCount on 808 HYMN – Single

Quantuuuum – EDEN on Dark

Summer’s Ending Soon – The Midnight on Syndicate

She Didn’t Have To – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Turn Down The Lights – Gavin Adcock on Own Worst Enemy

Kind Tired Eyes – Noah James on The Tracks – EP

Hangin’ On – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Happy – Bukahara on Canaries in a Coal Mine

Buck On The Wall – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Waves_On_Waves, Crimewave & Waves On Waves After Dark on Nobody’s Famous In Hell – Single

CATHEDRAL. – Kesha on .

Gun To My Head – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!

1. Vocally, really reminds me of Leonard Cohen, particularly in You Want It Darker. ↩
2. I’m slowly picking up the lyrics of this one; right now it’s just bits and pieces, “and all the trigger-happy madmen” ↩
3. Go watch the movie, it’s great. ↩
4. I have a lot of thoughts about this song… which I’ve done a full write-up of, and will post son. ↩

Another country-heavy playlist; still not quite sure how I feel about my music taste shifting this hard, but hey, at least I’m enjoying music. Entire playlist is here; individual tracks (and commentary) below:

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Virgo – TROY on Virgo – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Follows You – Michael Marcagi on Midwest Kid – EP

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

Build – Sleeping At Last on Build – Single

Fiending – Noah Brigden on I’m Fine – Single

life is beautiful – heylucas on hey

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

Carolina – Blake Whiten on Carolina – Single

Out Of The Blue – Waylon Wyatt on Out Of The Blue – EP

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single

Good Old Days – Daniel Leggs on Good Old Days – Single

God Loves Weirdos – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Green – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single

Bloodline – Alex Warren & Jelly Roll on Bloodline – Single

I Am Digital, I Am Divine – Erin LeCount on I Am Digital, I Am Divine – EP

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single

Snow – Matt Ryder on Snow – Single

You and Me – heylucas on hey

Rearranged – honestav on hara-kiri (Deluxe)

Better Days – Anella on 831: The Series

Smoker – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC¹

decay – Ethan Regan on honey honey honey – EP

The Barn – Landon Smith on The Barn – Single²

Loud and Heavy – Cody Jinks on Adobe Sessions³

Hard To Love – Anella on 831: The Series

Make These Moments Last – Thorin Loeks on Make These Moments Last – Single

One More Day to Come – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Fair To You – Vincent Lima on To Love A Thing That Fades⁴

Burn (feat. Landon Cube) – Lil Skies on The Evolution of the Rose

Did What You Did – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP⁵

Life’s Worth Living – Nick Folwarczny on Life’s Worth Living – Single

Struggle On Boy (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Bad Habits – EP

Shore House – Maxx Parker on Shore House – Single⁶

Good God, Hot Damn – Hayden Blount on Good God, Hot Damn – Single

Still – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Something To Lose – Christian Hayes & Corey Harper on Something To Lose – Single

Reckless – Blake Whiten on Six Mile – EP

My Heart’s A Crowded Room – The Fray on My Heart’s A Crowded Room – Single

5AM (feat. Billianne) – Amber Run on 5AM (feat. Billianne) – Single⁷

Lucy – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun⁸

Ghost in the Shell – EDEN on Ghost in the Shell – EP

Best Of My Love (feat. Zak Abel) – Vandelux on Best Of My Love (feat. Zak Abel) – Single

Sirenita – Ozuna on Sirenita – Single

Smoke & Embers – Waylon Wyatt & Willow Avalon on Smoke & Embers – Single⁹

Hide and Seek (20th Anniversary Remaster) – Imogen Heap on Hide and Seek (20th Anniversary Remaster) – Single¹⁰

Reversing Thunder – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Damned If I Do – Vincent Mason on Damned If I Do – Single

Expiration Date (feat. Jack Van Cleaf) – Hayden Everett & Jack Van Cleaf on Expiration Date (feat. Jack Van Cleaf) – Single

Night Windows – Arcade Beach on Music for Night Drives

Dale Dickens (Rip) – Cooper Alan on Dale Dickens (Rip) – Single¹¹

On My Mind – Alex Warren & ROSÉ on On My Mind – Single

THE ONE. – Kesha on . (…)

Gerona – heylucas, Singe Bleu & Androma on hey

QUEEN OF DUST (Live at The Royal Albert Hall) – The Blaze on FOLK¹²

Breathe Again – Thorin Loeks on Flakes of Gold – EP

Shadowverse – The Midnight on Syndicate¹³

Fourth of July – Cooper Alan on Fourth of July – Single¹⁴

Lost Without You – Luca Fogale on Lost Without You – Single

Do It All Again – heylucas & HNE on hey

Cold Shoulder – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

The Others – Cody Jinks on In My Blood

Life Behind Bars – Zach John King & Bayker Blankenship on Life Behind Bars – Single¹⁵

Better than the Floor – Sam Barber & Chance Peña on Better than the Floor – Single

Man of the Year – Sam Barber on Man of the Year – Single

Bottomland – HARDY on COUNTRY! COUNTRY!¹⁶

Television Love – Of Monsters and Men on Television Love – Single

In The Middle – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Fever In My Bones – Nils Hoffmann & Hayden Calnin on Fever In My Bones – Single

Swimming In The Dark – Vandelux on Closer

Sunlight – Yoste on Sunlight – Single

Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Zach Bryan on Bowery (feat. Kings of Leon) – Single

Nuke the Moon – Epic Mountain on Nuke the Moon – Single

1. I really enjoy this album, but so much of it is so painfully wistful/sad that I’ve found myself consciously leaning away from it in the latter half of the month. ↩
2. “What’d I do wrong? What do I care?/ I’m just here for the boys and the beer and the air.” ↩
3. Absolutely love this addition; courtesy of my cousin’s boyfriend, and the drive back from a camping trip. ↩
4. oof ouch my bones ↩
5. “Postin’ on the Instagram, lying in the captions/ Drinkin’ way too much and developing bad habits”
   This is a viciously fun song, and I’ve spent way too much time this month trying to figure out exactly how he’s getting his pronunciation like that. ↩
6. Normally not a fan of this sort of spoken-word-sampling style, but it works really well here; honestly, I’d watch this movie. ↩
7. I disagree with some of the lyrics as presented by Apple Music, but I really enjoy this alternate take on the original. ↩
8. Great for singing along to. ↩
9. Took three or four listens before I stopped hearing this come on and thinking “how did Waylon Wyatt land a Dolly Parton collab?” ↩
10. This might well be the song for which Apple Music’s Atmos support was created, absolutely gorgeous remaster. ↩
11. This might well be the favorite this month, it’s so much fun to sing along to. ↩
12. Not usually a fan of live recordings, but every once in a while one just hits. ↩
13. Breaking up the country with a lusciously cinematic entry from The Midnight, such a vibe. ↩
14. Okay, I do enjoy this, but there’s also something about it that reminds me of Bo Burnham’s country song. ↩
15. I’m so thoroughly not a lyrics-analysis guy, but I had a fun moment with this like “oh, wait, I get it it, it’s about being behind bars and also about being behind bars!” ↩
16. This one just immediately lodged in my brain and wouldn’t get out; I think I may have actually skipped the “add to library, list to it again before it makes it into the playlist” purgatory step, which is very rare. ↩

While this is my usual one-playlist-per-month, it doesn’t actually feel like the playlist of this month to me. That goes to the one my sister and cousin and I put together to play while we trekked over to the camping spot we used to go to as kids. I won’t be sharing that one here, though; it’s what we played while we scattered dad’s ashes, it’s a bit too personal.

Instead, here’s the regular monthly playlist; check it out here, or see the individual tracks below:

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Drunk Again – Aidan Canfield on Rivertown – EP

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Rattlesnake – Jack Van Cleaf & Zach Bryan on JVC

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

There’s A Rhythmn – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Since I Fell – Aidan Canfield on Since I Fell – Single

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

Alright Now – Hayden Calnin on Alright Now – Single

Virgo – TROY on Virgo – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

Something Beautiful and Bright – SYML on Nobody Lives Here

Follows You – Michael Marcagi on Midwest Kid – EP

Sincerely, Your Son – Waylon Wyatt on Sincerely, Your Son – Single

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Silence Underneath – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Nowhere to Go – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Hikikomori – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

Build – Sleeping At Last on Build – Single

Saturn – Sleeping At Last on 2016 Sampler

Fiending – Noah Brigden on I’m Fine – Single

In the Nick of Time – Waves_On_Waves, Sonic Shades Of Blue & Waves On Waves Orange Crush on In the Nick of Time – Single

The War Was With Myself – honestav on hara-kiri (Deluxe)

Calliope Prelude – Lucy Dacus on Forever Is A Feeling

Lose You – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

life is beautiful – heylucas on hey

Basement beds – SYML on Basement beds – Single

Destroy – Sleeping At Last on Destroy – Single

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward

I Found (with Freya Ridings) – Amber Run on I Found (with Freya Ridings) – Single

Hard Time Lover (feat. Chance Peña) – Gryffin on Hard Time Lover (feat. Chance Peña) – Single

Find a Way – Harrison Storm on Find a Way – Single

Slow Down – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Carolina – Blake Whiten on Carolina – Single

Life – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Out Of The Blue – Waylon Wyatt on Out Of The Blue – EP

Klonopin – Vic Mensa on Hooligans – EP¹

Aries – TROY on Aries – Single

Whiskey Tears – Pardyalone on FUHLK MUSIC VOL. 2 – Single

Couch Potato – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Normal Day – Brendan Walter on Normal Day – Single²

Good Old Days – Daniel Leggs on Good Old Days – Single

God Loves Weirdos – Mt. Joy on Hope We Have Fun

Green – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Enrique Iglesias on Space in My Heart (Original Version) – Single³

The Funeral (2025 Edit) – Gryffin & Band of Horses on The Funeral (2025 Edit) – Single

Hot Mess – Landon Smith on Reckon So – EP

Minus Sixty One – Woodkid on WOODKID FOR DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH

heaven will have to wait – flora cash on heaven will have to wait – EP

RED FLAG. – Kesha on .

Bloodline – Alex Warren & Jelly Roll on Bloodline – Single⁴

Piñata – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

I Am Digital, I Am Divine – Erin LeCount on I Am Digital, I Am Divine – EP

Led Me – Elskavon on Panoramas

Hole In The Wall – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Accusations – Anella on 831: The Series

Pocket (montreal) – EDEN on gggiiiiirrrrlllll – EP

Sea Shanty Medley – Home Free on Sea Shanty Medley – Single⁵

gggiiiiirrrrlllll – EDEN on gggiiiiirrrrlllll – EP

LOVE FOREVER. – Kesha on .

Dead to Me – Hayden Blount on Dead to Me – Single

TRASHMAN. – Kesha on . (…)

Snow – Matt Ryder on Snow – Single

You and Me – heylucas on hey

Rearranged – honestav on hara-kiri (Deluxe)

Better Days – Anella on 831: The Series

1. I kept getting the opening “hooligans!” stuck in my head, so here we are. ↩
2. everything about this track feels like a commentary on the fact that I am aging ↩
3. I like that, 20 years later, this has a similar (though, fortunately, less rape-y) vibe/plot to Escape. ↩
4. I’ve accepted that I just don’t know what genre Jelly Roll actually works in, and have done nothing to attempt to fix this confusion. ↩
5. Sometimes you just need some a cappella in your life ↩

Texted my friend to ask “what’s the opposite of ‘yassification’, that’s what my taste in music did this month” — it’s very heavy on the sad-boy country. Track listing below, full playlist available here.

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Drunk Again – Aidan Canfield on Rivertown – EP

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Rattlesnake – Jack Van Cleaf & Zach Bryan on JVC

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Everything Is Peaceful Love – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

GFU – Landon Smith on GFU – Single

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

There’s A Rhythmn – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Since I Fell – Aidan Canfield on Since I Fell – Single

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

If Only I Could Wait (feat. Danielle Haim) – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Alright Now – Hayden Calnin on Alright Now – Single

Virgo – TROY on Virgo – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single¹

Something Beautiful and Bright – SYML on Nobody Lives Here

I’ll Be There – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Stars Fading In Constellation – HurricaneTurtle on Stars In Constellation – Single

Follows You – Michael Marcagi on Midwest Kid – EP

Sincerely, Your Son – Waylon Wyatt on Sincerely, Your Son – Single²

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Silence Underneath – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

To Love Again – Blonde Maze & Lizzy Land on Asleep in My Head (feat. POLIÇA) – EP

Etta James (feat. Adrian Ross) – Moonrunner83 on Etta James – Single

Nowhere to Go – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Hikikomori – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC³

Livin’ Missing You – Hayden Blount on Livin’ Missing You – Single

Build – Sleeping At Last on Build – Single

Saturn – Sleeping At Last on 2016 Sampler⁴

The Woman Who Raised Me – Billy Raffoul on The Woman Who Raised Me / Get Along – Single

Fiending – Noah Brigden on I’m Fine – Single⁵

In the Nick of Time – Waves_On_Waves, Sonic Shades Of Blue & Waves On Waves Orange Crush on In the Nick of Time – Single⁶

blue jean – Hazlett on blue jean – Single

The War Was With Myself – honestav on hara-kiri (Deluxe)⁷

Forever Is A Feeling – Lucy Dacus on Forever Is A Feeling

Calliope Prelude – Lucy Dacus on Forever Is A Feeling⁸

Screaming In The Night – Korine on A Flame In The Dark

Lose You – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

life is beautiful – heylucas on hey

If I Could Take It (inspired by Caleb from Love and Deepspace) – Sora Sayuri on Written In The Stars (A Love and Deepspace Album)

Carousel – Anella on 831: The Series

Basement beds – SYML on Basement beds – Single

Destroy – Sleeping At Last on Destroy – Single

American Trail – Dylan Gossett on Westward⁹

No One Dies From Love – Tove Lo on Dirt Femme (Extended Cut)

NO BETTER TIME THAN THIS – Pardyalone on NO BETTER TIME THAN THIS – Single

SWISH – Lil Nas X on SWISH – Single

Bad Apple – Cameron Whitcomb on Bad Apple – Single¹⁰

Popstar of Your Dreams – Kai Bosch on Popstar of Your Dreams – EP¹¹

I Found (with Freya Ridings) – Amber Run on I Found (with Freya Ridings) – Single¹²

Pay The Price – Korine on A Flame In The Dark

Day One (feat. Dijon & Flock of Dimes) – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Begin Again – Duce, Yasmin Jane & JEANS on Begin Again – Single

Me and You (feat. Vancouver Sleep Clinic) – Forester on Me and You (feat. Vancouver Sleep Clinic) – Single

Get Along – Billy Raffoul on The Woman Who Raised Me / Get Along – Single

Hard Time Lover (feat. Chance Peña) – Gryffin on Hard Time Lover (feat. Chance Peña) – Single

Last Time – Pardyalone on Last Time – Single

Modigliani – Lucy Dacus on Forever Is A Feeling

Find a Way – Harrison Storm on Find a Way – Single

The Slur Song – Bigfoot’s Biggest Fan on The Slur Song – Single¹³

Slow Down – Zach John King on Slow Down – EP

Conquest Of Spaces (2025 Rework) – Woodkid on Conquest Of Spaces (2025 Rework) – Single

Carolina – Blake Whiten on Carolina – Single

Life – Jack Van Cleaf on JVC

Any Love of Any Kind (feat. Bryce Dessner) – Woodkid & Bryce Dessner on WOODKID FOR DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH

Out Of The Blue – Waylon Wyatt on Out Of The Blue – EP

1. I always love new Yoste ↩
2. For the best that this is a “dear mom” song because otherwise it’d hurt too much to listen to, still ↩
3. I think this is my favorite addition this month, just really lodged in my brain ↩
4. “How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist” ↩
5. One of my most sung-along tracks this month, the chorus is just really catchy ↩
6. Something about this feels like the music dad used to play when we went camping in the summer. ↩
7. Does a great job of catching that heart-wrenching feeling ↩
8. My favorite off this album, weirdly. ↩
9. “Figure out the hard way’s the best way to win” ↩
10. Hilarious lyrics. ↩
11. Also hilarious lyrics. ↩
12. “Oh weird I wonder why they’re doing a new version of this song right no- oh no it’s ten years old” ↩
13. Gotta have one thing in there to celebrate Pride! ↩

At one point I did some data visualization of my playlists; it’d be interesting to do that again at the end of this year, because I’m sure there’ll be some Trends visible there. As per the new norm, you can listen to the whole playlist here.

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Towers – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

i Am A Mountain – Coldplay on Moon Music (Full Moon Edition)

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Drunk Again – Aidan Canfield on Rivertown – EP

Blue Jean Baby – Zach Bryan on Blue Jean Baby – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Sagittarius – TROY on Sagittarius – Single

Rattlesnake – Jack Van Cleaf & Zach Bryan on JVC

Domini Lost – IcoS on Domini Lost – Single

Alien Cowboy – Gordi on Like Plasticine

to the wilder (from “DEATH STRANDING 2 : ON THE BEACH” Soundtrack) – Woodkid on to the wilder (from “DEATH STRANDING 2 : ON THE BEACH” Soundtrack) – Single

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

Everything Is Peaceful Love – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Well, Me 2 – Pardyalone on FUHLK MUSIC VOL. 1 – Single

GFU – Landon Smith on GFU – Single

93 – flora cash on i’m not okay – Single

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

DELUSIONAL. – Kesha on .

There’s A Rhythmn – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Canadian – Billy Raffoul on Canadian – Single

YIPPEE-KI-YAY. – Kesha on .

Since I Fell – Aidan Canfield on Since I Fell – Single

St. Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown on St. Helens Alpenglow – Single

If Only I Could Wait (feat. Danielle Haim) – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Alright Now – Hayden Calnin on Alright Now – Single

No Idol (ruff cut) – N4MESM on No Idol (ruff cut)¹

Hexie Mountains – Orville Peck on Bronco

Virgo – TROY on Virgo – Single

From – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Breeze – Lonely in the Rain on Breeze – Single

Waterfall – Elderbrook & Ahmed Spins on Waterfall – Single

Flicker – Yoste on Flicker – Single

High Dive – Emmit Fenn on High Dive – Single

When We Was – MÒZÂMBÎQÚE & Vertefeuille on When We Was

Maze – Donbor on Solace – EP

Slave Shift (demo) – N4MESM on Slave Shift (demo)²

Something Beautiful and Bright – SYML on Nobody Lives Here

I’ll Be There – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

CONTAR – JC Reyes & Ozuna on CONTAR – Single

Stars Fading In Constellation – HurricaneTurtle on Stars In Constellation – Single³

Follows You – Michael Marcagi on Midwest Kid – EP

Sincerely, Your Son – Waylon Wyatt on Sincerely, Your Son – Single⁴

Angel – Kai Bosch on Angel – Single

Heat Ignited – Tep No on Heat Ignited – Single

Remember Me – Duce on Remember Me – Single

Take Me Away (Stripped) – Noah Brigden on Take Me Away (Stripped) – Single

Sweet Fruit – Erin LeCount on I Am Digital, I Am Divine – EP

Silence Underneath – Luke Beling on This Parlor Trick Life

Northern Thunder – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

1. I need to update the artist name here, he’s changed it again. ↩
2. M’s really validating my instinct to have local copies of things. ↩
3. I’m used to HurricaneTurtle being instrumental/synthwave type stuff, so hearing singing really caught me off guard at first. ↩
4. filed under “oof, ouch, my bones” ↩

Back to sharing links and doing a bit of annotation this time, but still a short playlist. Listen to the whole thing here, or see my lightly-annotated track list:

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Towers – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

i Am A Mountain – Coldplay on Moon Music (Full Moon Edition)

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Drunk Again – Aidan Canfield on Rivertown – EP

Old Neptune, He’s Roaring – Brian Sauvé on Hearth Songs

Wake Me up (Country Version) – Cooper Alan & Aloe Blacc on Wake Me up (Country Version) – Single

Blue Jean Baby – Zach Bryan on Blue Jean Baby – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Ordinary – Alex Warren on Ordinary – Single

Trauma Kid – Majik on Trauma Kid – Single¹

SOTTOMARINI – Mahmood on SOTTOMARINI – Single

Street Level – Jon Bryant on Street Level – Single

Have to Know – Daniel Leggs on Have to Know – Single

Sagittarius – TROY on Sagittarius – Single

Rattlesnake – Jack Van Cleaf & Zach Bryan on JVC

Domini Lost – IcoS on Domini Lost – Single

Alien Cowboy – Gordi on Like Plasticine

to the wilder (from “DEATH STRANDING 2 : ON THE BEACH” Soundtrack) – Woodkid on to the wilder (from “DEATH STRANDING 2 : ON THE BEACH” Soundtrack) – Single

Bad Cameo – James Blake & Lil Yachty on Bad Cameo

Options – Cameron Whitcomb on Clean Country 2025

AWARDS SEASON – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Everything Is Peaceful Love – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Like I Do – Dylan Gossett on Like I Do – Single

Well, Me 2 – Pardyalone on FUHLK MUSIC VOL. 1 – Single

GFU – Landon Smith on GFU – Single

93 – flora cash on i’m not okay – Single²

Azalea Place – Max McNown on Night Diving

Missing Man – James Blake & Lil Yachty on Bad Cameo

DELUSIONAL. – Kesha on .

There’s A Rhythmn – Bon Iver on SABLE, fABLE

Canadian – Billy Raffoul on Canadian – Single

i’m not okay – flora cash on i miss you – Single

DREAMBOY – Lil Nas X on DREAMBOY – Single

1. I’m deeply sad to not have a link here; Majik appears to have pulled it from Apple Music, and his various social media accounts have vanished again. It was nice while it lasted.
   … he said, before going down a bit of a rabbit hole; there’s a new TikTok username, which links to a SoundCloud account with a couple tracks. Not the same sound as Majik, but still worth listening to. ↩
2. This is the catchy one this month. ↩

No links or annotations this time around; as with last month, I’ve spent the majority of March being too ill to really engage with music as much as I’d like. You can listen to the whole playlist here.

Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Clean Bandit & French The Kid on Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Single

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Towers – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

i Am A Mountain – Coldplay on Moon Music (Full Moon Edition)

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Bears & Wolves – Lilith Max on Bears & Wolves – Single

Drunk Again – Aidan Canfield on Rivertown – EP

Old Neptune, He’s Roaring – Brian Sauvé on Hearth Songs

Wake Me up (Country Version) – Cooper Alan & Aloe Blacc on Wake Me up (Country Version) – Single

TRANS AM – Jeremiah Kane on TRANS AM – Single

Blue Jean Baby – Zach Bryan on Blue Jean Baby – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

ONANON – Killen. on ONANON – Single

Silver Spoon – Erin LeCount on Silver Spoon – Single

Clockwork – Masked Wolf on The Devil Wears Prada but God Wears Gucci

22s – KOKO, Nina Chuba & Dillistone on 22s – Single

Dear Me (From The Original Documentary “Diane Warren: Relentless”) – Kesha on Dear Me (From The Original Documentary “Diane Warren: Relentless”) – Single

Ordinary – Alex Warren on Ordinary – Single

Trauma Kid – Majik on Trauma Kid – Single

Opportunity – MÒZÂMBÎQÚE & Vertefeuille on When We Was

SOTTOMARINI – Mahmood on SOTTOMARINI – Single

In Your Eyes – Korine on In Your Eyes – Single

Too Young To Be Jaded – Tep No on Catharsis – EP

Street Level – Jon Bryant on Street Level – Single

Seraph – Lilith Max on Seraph – Single

Have to Know – Daniel Leggs on Have to Know – Single

Bittersweet (feat. Rosie Darling) – Audien & Shallou on Bittersweet (feat. Rosie Darling) – Single

Sagittarius – TROY on Sagittarius – Single

Love Is an Ocean – The Midnight on Love Is an Ocean – Single

Missyouso – Mascolo on Missyouso – Single

See How It Ends – Anderholm on See How It Ends – Single

Rattlesnake (feat. Zach Bryan) – Jack Van Cleaf & Zach Bryan on JVC

Summer of Love (Vip Edit) – James Carter, Leony & Sam Fischer on Summer of Love (Vip Edit) – Single

Domini Lost – IcoS on Domini Lost – Single

Alien Cowboy – Gordi on Like Plasticine

Anhedonia – Korine on Anhedonia – Single

To the wilder (from “DEATH STRANDING 2 : ON THE BEACH” Soundtrack) – Woodkid on To the wilder (from “DEATH STRANDING 2 : ON THE BEACH” Soundtrack) – Single

This is a bit of a weird one, to me. I spent most of the month very sick, and at least half of it, even listening to music was just… a lot. And while I still managed to put together something of a playlist for the month, it’s a bit misleading; a lot of the time, even when I felt up to listening to music, I was doing a lot of “hit shuffle on the playlist, then scrub through the queue and remove a bunch of stuff that still felt like Too Much.”

Still, though, there was a bit of music in the month. If you’d like the whole playlist in one go, here’s the link, or do the piecemeal-with-occasional-notes style below:

Machine Learning – J. Maya on Machine Learning – Single

Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Clean Bandit & French The Kid on Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Single

O Superman (For Massenet) – Laurie Anderson on Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology (Remastered)

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Dicked Down in Dallas – Trey Lewis on Dicked Down in Dallas – Single

Midnight Drive – HurricaneTurtle on Midnight Drive – EP

Towers – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Sorry 4 The Wait – Lil Wayne on Sorry 4 The Wait

Up, Out, and Leaving – Hayden Blount on Up, Out, and Leaving

The Emptiness Machine – LINKIN PARK on From Zero

Overflow – LINKIN PARK on From Zero

Great Mother (feat. Neco Novellas) – HAEVN on Wide Awake (Deluxe)

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Night Diving

i Am A Mountain – Coldplay on Moon Music (Full Moon Edition)

Breathe – RÜFÜS DU SOL on Inhale / Exhale

How About a Drink? – Billy Raffoul on How About a Drink? – Single

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Bears & Wolves – Lilith Max on Bears & Wolves – Single

Rust – Ben Böhmer on Bloom

need dat boy – Lil Nas X on need dat boy – Single

Sometimes We Come Back – THE RUNAWAY WILD on Sometimes We Come Back – Single

Drunk Again – Aidan Canfield on Rivertown – EP

Breathe, Be Happy – Tep No on Breathe, Be Happy – Single

Old Neptune, He’s Roaring – Brian Sauvé on Hearth Songs

Plead the Fifth – Cooper Alan on Plead the Fifth – Single

I’m Good (Blue) – David Guetta & Bebe Rexha on I’m Good (Blue) – Single

Crazy – Doechii on Crazy – Single

Crossfire – Waves_On_Waves, SHKHR & Waves On Waves Armada on Crossfire – Single

Falls Down – James Carter & Lucas Estrada on Falls Down – Single

Wake Me up (Country Version) – Cooper Alan & Aloe Blacc on Wake Me up (Country Version) – Single¹

TRANS AM – Jeremiah Kane on TRANS AM – Single²

Living In The Sun (feat. okafuwa) – DALEXO on Living In The Sun (feat. okafuwa) – Single

The Abyss – The Weeknd & Lana Del Rey on Hurry Up Tomorrow

Fright Night – THE RUNAWAY WILD on Fright Night – Single

Open Hearts – The Weeknd on Hurry Up Tomorrow

Blue Jean Baby – Zach Bryan on Blue Jean Baby – Single

Heartbreaker – Hayden Blount on Heartbreaker – Single

Pantheon Passion – Harper Quinn, Michael FAY & Fuat Sunay on Pantheon Passion – Single

ONANON – Killen. on ONANON – Single

São Paulo – The Weeknd & Anitta on Hurry Up Tomorrow

Silver Spoon – Erin LeCount on Silver Spoon – Single³

Clockwork – Masked Wolf on The Devil Wears Prada but God Wears Gucci

22s – KOKO, Nina Chuba & Dillistone on 22s – Single

Revolú – Rauw Alejandro & Feid on Cosa Nuestra

Dear Me (From The Original Documentary “Diane Warren: Relentless”) – Kesha on Dear Me (From The Original Documentary “Diane Warren: Relentless”) – Single

Hit The Ground – Poul & Alberto Ciccarini on Hit The Ground – Single

Always Remember Us This Way – Poul, Alberto Ciccarini & Alexia Di Lorenzo on Always Remember Us This Way – Single

Ordinary – Alex Warren on Ordinary – Single⁴

Dreaming – Otrebor on Dreaming – Single

Mona Lisa (feat. Kendrick Lamar) – Lil Wayne on Tha Carter V

4X4 – Travis Scott on 4X4 – Single

Chasing Paradise – Kygo & OneRepublic on Chasing Paradise – Single

hey baby – Famestelenia on hey baby – Single

1. This feels like the kind of thing that I should be a little ashamed that I love. ↩
2. Something about sampling old ads just hits really well, I dunno. ↩
3. Slowly picking up the lyrics to this one, “silver spoons and butter knives” just sticks right in my head. ↩
4. Kept thinking to myself “shoutout to the music history classes for helping me understand all these Catholicism references.” ↩

Sitting here in the depths of winter, keenly aware of the fact that my instinct in winter is to listen to depression music, and that’s really not what I need right now. Instead, this playlist is me making an active effort to have happy, or at least upbeat, music around.

Don’t tell anyone, but I had to come back and add this after initially scheduling this post, because I absolutely did forget this time: the link to the full playlist.

Machine Learning – J. Maya on Machine Learning – Single

Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan on Pink Pony Club – Single

Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Clean Bandit & French The Kid on Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Single

O Superman (For Massenet) – Laurie Anderson on Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology (Remastered)

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Dicked Down in Dallas – Trey Lewis on Dicked Down in Dallas – Single

Cruel Unusual – Otherwish on iii, Empty Spaces

Midnight Drive – HurricaneTurtle on Midnight Drive – EP

Heaven On Earth – Hayden Blount on Heaven On Earth – Single

Towers – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Sorry 4 The Wait – Lil Wayne on Sorry 4 The Wait

East Side of Sorrow – Zach Bryan on Zach Bryan

Bitter Coffee – Make Night on Bitter Coffee – Single

Desilusão (MTG) [feat. Loirin prod] – Bruno & Marrone, Zé Felipe & Mc Jacaré on Desilusão (MTG) [feat. Loirin prod] – Single

Happy Trails – Orville Peck on Happy Trails – Single

Up, Out, and Leaving – Hayden Blount on Up, Out, and Leaving

Astronaut In The Ocean – Masked Wolf on Astronaut In The Ocean – Single

Carom – Fyfe & Iskra Strings on Carom – Single

LIGHT AGAIN! – Lil Nas X on LIGHT AGAIN! – Single

Born Slippy (Nuxx) – Underworld on 1992 – 2012

I think about it all the time featuring bon iver – Charli xcx & Bon Iver on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat

THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS – Bon Iver on SABLE, – EP

Man In Finance (G6 Trust Fund) – Girl On Couch & Billen Ted on Man In Finance (G6 Trust Fund) – Single

Something’s in the Wind – Masked Wolf on The Devil Wears Prada but God Wears Gucci

Stained – LINKIN PARK on From Zero

Flirting with a Burnout – Vokon on Flirting with a Burnout – Single

The Emptiness Machine – LINKIN PARK on From Zero

Auld Lang Syne – Sleeping At Last on Auld Lang Syne – Single

Qué Pasaría… – Rauw Alejandro & Bad Bunny on Cosa Nuestra

Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal) – Fergie on The Dutchess

Tarot – Bad Bunny & JHAYCO on Un Verano Sin Ti

Everything is romantic featuring caroline polachek – Charli xcx & Caroline Polachek on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat

Overflow – LINKIN PARK on From Zero

Hungover in a Deer Stand – Dylan Marlowe on Mid-Twenties Crisis

Memories – Babbage on Memories – Single

light dark light – Fred again.. & Angie McMahon on two more days – Single

Great Mother (feat. Neco Novellas) – HAEVN on Wide Awake (Deluxe)

Hotel Bible – Max McNown on Hotel Bible – Single

i Am A Mountain – Coldplay on Moon Music (Full Moon Edition)¹

Breathe – RÜFÜS DU SOL on Inhale / Exhale

Rise Up Again – Nathan Ball on Lost Track of Time – EP

How About a Drink? – Billy Raffoul on How About a Drink? – Single

That’s So True – Gracie Abrams on The Secret of Us (Deluxe)

Medusa – Cameron Whitcomb on Medusa – Single

Tell Me Why – Masked Wolf & Kota the Friend on The Devil Wears Prada but God Wears Gucci

Hold On Me – Kygo & Sandro Cavazza on Hold On Me – Single

Circuits – Fyfe & Iskra Strings on Carom – Single

Callback – HurricaneTurtle on Tunes of Now – EP

Bears & Wolves – Lilith Max on Bears & Wolves – Single²

Rust – Ben Böhmer on Bloom³

need dat boy – Lil Nas X on need dat boy – Single⁴

Una Velita – Bad Bunny on Una Velita – Single

Sometimes We Come Back – THE RUNAWAY WILD on Sometimes We Come Back – Single⁵

Much Ado About Nothing – Waxahatchee on Tigers Blood

Drunk Again – Aidan Canfield on Rivertown – EP

Breathe, Be Happy – Tep No on Breathe, Be Happy – Single⁶

Smoke – Deepend, Peachy Pete & Outliers on Smoke – Single

Old Neptune, He’s Roaring – Brian Sauvé on Hearth Songs

little mystery – Fred again.. & John Martyn on two more days – Single

Way Back Home – Ed Prosek, Portair & Driftwood Choir on Way Back Home – Single

King – Deepend, LAST CALL & Horxata on King – Single

Strangers – Kenya Grace on Strangers – Single

Dancing Like We Do – Poul, Alberto Ciccarini & Josh Reflex on Dancing Like We Do – Single

Plead the Fifth – Cooper Alan on Plead the Fifth – Single⁷

Khé? – Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos on Cosa Nuestra

I’m Good (Blue) – David Guetta & Bebe Rexha on I’m Good (Blue) – Single⁸

Crazy – Doechii on Crazy – Single⁹

1. Remembering how much of early Coldplay was definitely Depression Music, and then listening to this happy tune, I love that for them. ↩
2. Good one to listen to the words; it’s not happy, it’s angry, and she’s really telling a story well. ↩
3. Possibly my favorite addition this month? I dunno why this one clicked for me as much as it did. ↩
4. Just when I was starting to think “I haven’t listened to Lil Nas X for a while…” he drops some new music, and it’s great. ↩
5. I’ve listened to about half the lyrics of this one, I just tune in for bits and pieces, and while it’s not happy, it sure is upbeat in that 80s funky synth-wavey way. Who doesn’t want a horror movie in the form of a bop? ↩
6. Tep No always feels sorta like it should be played during a guided meditation or a yoga class, and the name fit the vibe I was going for this month. ↩
7. Gloriously chaotic. ↩
8. I honestly love pivoting “Blue” into being a party anthem like this. ↩
9. I did specify, “happy, or least upbeat”, and this is… one of those things. ↩

Spent almost the entire month various kinds of ill, so this is a short one – didn’t particularly feel like scrubbing through new music, most of the time. But hey, it’s got a healthy dose of Christmas music in with my usual nonsense.

And, lest I forget, here’s a link to the entire playlist.

Machine Learning – J. Maya on Machine Learning – Single

Carson – Harry Strange on Carson – Single

Louder – Kygo, Julia Michaels & Chance Peña on Louder – Single

Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan on Pink Pony Club – Single

Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Clean Bandit & French The Kid on Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Single

O Superman (For Massenet) – Laurie Anderson on Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology (Remastered)

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Chariot – The Midnight on Chariot – Single

Dicked Down in Dallas – Trey Lewis on Dicked Down in Dallas – Single

Cruel Unusual – Otherwish on iii, Empty Spaces

Watch Me Trying – Harry Strange on Watch Me Trying – EP

Manifest – Russ on Manifest – Single

Desperate Guy – Isak Danielson on Desperate Guy – Single

Midnight Drive – HurricaneTurtle on Midnight Drive – EP

Oh My Love – ConKi on Oh My Love – Single

Heaven On Earth – Hayden Blount on Heaven On Earth – Single

Either Way – Thorin Loeks on Either Way – Single

the warmth – Paris Paloma on Cacophony

Towers – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Sorry 4 The Wait – Lil Wayne on Sorry 4 The Wait

East Side of Sorrow – Zach Bryan on Zach Bryan

Totoro – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

Royal We – Janani K. Jha on Royal We – Single

Way Down We Go – Deepend & Stephen Puth on Way Down We Go – Single

Bitter Coffee – Make Night on Bitter Coffee – Single

For a Long Time – Star Pitchee on For a Long Time – Single

Codeine – LYOD & Alexis Troy on Codeine – Single

Dancing On My Own – Calum Scott on Only Human (Deluxe)

Desilusão (MTG) [feat. Loirin prod] – Bruno & Marrone, Zé Felipe & Mc Jacaré on Desilusão (MTG) [feat. Loirin prod] – Single

365 – Charli xcx on BRAT

Happy Trails – Orville Peck on Happy Trails – Single

Up, Out, and Leaving – Hayden Blount on Up, Out, and Leaving

Afloat – Isak Danielson on Truly Yours, Isak

Astronaut In The Ocean – Masked Wolf on Astronaut In The Ocean – Single

After Dark x Sweater Weather – mikeeysmind on After Dark x Sweater Weather – Single

Heartbeat – Childish Gambino on Camp

Spring breakers featuring kesha – Charli xcx & Kesha on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat

Apollo – SYML on Infinity – EP

Infinity – Jaymes Young on Feel Something

Something Like This – Thorin Loeks on Something Like This – Single

Carom – Fyfe & Iskra Strings on Carom – Single

BABYDOLL (Speed) – Ari Abdul on BABYDOLL (Speed) – Single

The Places We’ll Go – Ross Copperman on The Places We’ll Go – Single

LIGHT AGAIN! – Lil Nas X on LIGHT AGAIN! – Single

Born Slippy (Nuxx) – Underworld on 1992 – 2012

I think about it all the time featuring bon iver – Charli xcx & Bon Iver on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat

Mid-Twenties Crisis – Dylan Marlowe on Mid-Twenties Crisis

My World – Calum Scott on My World – Single

Disease (The Antidote Live) – Lady Gaga on Disease – Single

THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS – Bon Iver on SABLE, – EP

Neverita – Bad Bunny on Un Verano Sin Ti

Goodbye (feat. Lyse) [Slow Version] – Feder on Goodbye (feat. Lyse) [Slow Version] – Single

Man In Finance (G6 Trust Fund) – Girl On Couch & Billen Ted on Man In Finance (G6 Trust Fund) – Single

O Come, O Come Emmanuel – Sleeping At Last on Christmas Collection 2016

Silent Night – Sleeping At Last on Christmas Collection 2016

Mary, Did You Know? – Straight No Chaser on I’ll Have Another…Christmas Album

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Straight No Chaser on I’ll Have Another…Christmas Album

Lully Lullay (Coventry Carol) – Straight No Chaser on I’ll Have Another…Christmas Album¹

O Holy Night (Live) – Tracy Chapman on A Very Special Christmas Live From Washington D.C.²

O Come, All Ye Faithful – Pentatonix on A Pentatonix Christmas

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Pentatonix on A Pentatonix Christmas

Mary, Did You Know? – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me³

White Winter Hymnal – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

Silence (feat. Khalid) – Marshmello on Silence (feat. Khalid) – Single

Thinkin Bout You (Frank Ocean Cover) – Midnight Pool Party on NOON // 199

Carol of the Bells – Lindsey Stirling on Warmer in the Winter

Losers (feat. Jelly Roll) – Post Malone on F-1 Trillion (Long Bed)

Something’s in the Wind – Masked Wolf on The Devil Wears Prada but God Wears Gucci

Stained – LINKIN PARK on From Zero

Village Wedding – Chanticleer on Colors of Love

Christmas Eve / Sarajevo (Instrumental) [Remastered] – Trans-Siberian Orchestra on The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

Belong – RÜFÜS DU SOL on Inhale / Exhale

Body On Me – SAINt JHN on Body On Me – Single

Flirting with a Burnout – Vokon on Flirting with a Burnout – Single

The Emptiness Machine – LINKIN PARK on From Zero

Flying at Night – Laurie Anderson on Amelia

That’s Christmas To Me – Pentatonix on That’s Christmas To Me

Auld Lang Syne – Sleeping At Last on Auld Lang Syne – Single⁴

1. I don’t actually like this cover very much – I want this song to be a slower and… sadder, almost? This is too upbeat. ↩
2. Tracy Chapman is a treasure. ↩
3. Two different versions of this in here, and I keep being wrong about which one is which, somehow. ↩
4. Added New Year’s Eve, because what am I gonna do, not sing this a bunch on New Year’s Eve? ↩

Listen, before you get into this playlist, I’d just like to say: we all deal with the stress of the election in our own way. My way just happened to be “open YouTube, search for ‘tiktok thirst trap compilation’, and switch off my brain.” Which I mention because there’s a clear trend in where I picked up music this month.

Machine Learning – J. Maya on Machine Learning – Single

Carson – Harry Strange on Carson – Single

Louder – Kygo, Julia Michaels & Chance Peña on Louder – Single

Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan on Pink Pony Club – Single

All-American Boy – Steve Grand on All American Boy

5ever – EDEN on 5ever – Single

Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Clean Bandit & French The Kid on Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Single

O Superman (For Massenet) – Laurie Anderson on Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology (Remastered)

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP

Chariot – The Midnight on Chariot – Single

Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti on Timeless – Single

Dicked Down in Dallas – Trey Lewis on Dicked Down in Dallas – Single

Cruel Unusual – Otherwish on iii, Empty Spaces

Watch Me Trying – Harry Strange on Watch Me Trying – EP

Chalk 1.3.3 (2017 Export Wav) – Flume & Jim-E Stack on Arrived Anxious, Left Bored

Manifest – Russ on Manifest – Single

Desperate Guy – Isak Danielson on Desperate Guy – Single

I’M DROWNING – BERWYN on WHO AM I

Midnight Drive – HurricaneTurtle on Midnight Drive – EP

Von dutch – Charli xcx on BRAT

Dancing In The Flames – The Weeknd on Dancing In The Flames – Single

Oh My Love – ConKi on Oh My Love – Single

Heaven On Earth – Hayden Blount on Heaven On Earth – Single

We’re Ok – Yoste on We’re Ok – Single

Maps – Yoste on Maps – Single

90 days – Dimside on 90 days – Single

Either Way – Thorin Loeks on Either Way – Single

the warmth – Paris Paloma on Cacophony

Towers – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Sweat – Isak Danielson on Sweat – Single

Friday Night Song – EDEN on Friday Night Song – EP¹

Talk talk featuring troye sivan – Charli xcx & Troye Sivan on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat

Sorry 4 The Wait – Lil Wayne on Sorry 4 The Wait

East Side of Sorrow – Zach Bryan on Zach Bryan

Haku – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

Afterglow – Goth Babe on Oregon Coast – Single

Totoro – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

Lonely – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

Ecstasy Homosexuality (Radio Edit) – The Irrepressibles on Ecstasy Homosexuality – EP

Royal We – Janani K. Jha on Royal We – Single

Ever Know – HAEVN on Wide Awake

Familiar Halls – Echo Wolf on Familiar Halls – Single

Flowers (Demo) – Miley Cyrus on Endless Summer Vacation

As You Want – CRi on Hold You EP

Way Down We Go – Deepend & Stephen Puth on Way Down We Go – Single

Rennen – SOHN on Rennen

Homebody – Billy Raffoul on Homebody – Single

Bitter Coffee – Make Night on Bitter Coffee – Single

What Have You Done To Me? – Imogen Heap on What Have You Done To Me? – Single²

For a Long Time – Star Pitchee on For a Long Time – Single

Codeine – LYOD & Alexis Troy on Codeine – Single

Pressure – RÜFÜS DU SOL on Inhale / Exhale

If This Is It – Russ on If This Is It – Single

Big Boy (Slowed Reverb) – It’s Cuffing Season and All the Girls Are Leaving – Farizki on Big Boy – It’s Cuffing Season and All the Girls Are Leaving – Single³

Dancing On My Own – Calum Scott on Only Human (Deluxe)

Desilusão (MTG) [feat. Loirin prod] – Bruno & Marrone, Zé Felipe & Mc Jacaré on Desilusão (MTG) [feat. Loirin prod] – Single⁴

365 – Charli xcx on BRAT

Happy Trails – Orville Peck on Happy Trails – Single⁵

Up, Out, and Leaving – Hayden Blount on Up, Out, and Leaving

Part Of You – Elderbrook on Another Touch

Afloat – Isak Danielson on Truly Yours, Isak

Astronaut In The Ocean – Masked Wolf on Astronaut In The Ocean – Single

After Dark x Sweater Weather – mikeeysmind on After Dark x Sweater Weather – Single

Roses (Imanbek Remix) – SAINt JHN on Roses (Imanbek Remix) – Single

Technologic – Daft Punk on Human After All

Safe and Sound – Capital Cities on Capital Cities – EP

Ride It – Regard on Ride It – Single

Heartbeat – Childish Gambino on Camp

Barking – Ramz on Barking – Single

Love Myself – Cameron Whitcomb on Quitter – EP

Spring breakers featuring kesha – Charli xcx & Kesha on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat

One More Before I Go – Elderbrook on Another Touch

Apollo – SYML on Infinity – EP⁶

Infinity – Jaymes Young on Feel Something

Something Like This – Thorin Loeks on Something Like This – Single

Carom – Fyfe & Iskra Strings on Carom – Single

BABYDOLL (Speed) – Ari Abdul on BABYDOLL (Speed) – Single

Levitating – RÜFÜS DU SOL on Inhale / Exhale

The Places We’ll Go – Ross Copperman on The Places We’ll Go – Single

LIGHT AGAIN! – Lil Nas X on LIGHT AGAIN! – Single

Born Slippy (Nuxx) – Underworld on 1992 – 2012

I think about it all the time featuring bon iver – Charli xcx & Bon Iver on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat

Mid-Twenties Crisis – Dylan Marlowe on Mid-Twenties Crisis

Wait For You – Elderbrook & Carlita on Another Touch

Conrad – SOHN on Rennen

My World – Calum Scott on My World – Single

Better Me For You – Max McNown on Night Diving

Disease (The Antidote Live) – Lady Gaga on Disease – Single⁷

THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS – Bon Iver on SABLE, – EP

Never Over – Elderbrook on Another Touch

Breed – The Acid & RY X on Breed – Single

Neverita – Bad Bunny on Un Verano Sin Ti

Goodbye (feat. Lyse) [Slow Version] – Feder on Goodbye (feat. Lyse) [Slow Version] – Single

Our World – Farlight on Our World – Single

Man In Finance (G6 Trust Fund) – Girl On Couch & Billen Ted on Man In Finance (G6 Trust Fund) – Single⁸

And, down here at the bottom, strategically placed just to make sure people see that there are these little notes below it, here’s the Apple Music playlist link.

1. “I’m going to sing my Friday night song.” “What’s it about?” “Friday.” “Oh-“ is a hilarious way to start a song. ↩
2. New Imogen Heap? In 2024? It’s more likely than you think! ↩
3. I still can’t decide if I actually like this song, there’s some bits where the ‘slowed’ part feels like it wasn’t done quite right. ↩
4. I haven’t at any point looked up what the lyrics are and tried to translate them, I just enjoy that the vibe of this song is “absolutely filthy” ↩
5. I’d call this song “a gateway drug to Christmas music.” ↩
6. This… feels like a song my dad would’ve liked. ↩
7. This month has featured new Lady Gaga, new Bon Iver, and new Imogen Heap. Wild. ↩
8. All I can think with this song is “girl, you don’t actually want to date that man, he’s gonna be toxic as hell.” ↩

I think this may be the longest one of these I’ve ever posted? Gosh, it’s almost like I’m trying to distract myself from something.

On a happier(?) note, a reader¹ asked me to try sharing a link to the entire playlist on Apple Music, in addition to the per-song thing I usually do, so I’m making an attempt at that; please enjoy the naming scheme I use when rotating these playlists out.

Hallelujah Anyway – Luke Sital-Singh on Hallelujah Anyway – Single

Machine Learning – J. Maya on Machine Learning – Single

Under The Surface – Sultan + Shepard & Nathan Nicholson on Endless, Dawn

Let Me Drown – Orville Peck on Bronco

Daytona Sand – Orville Peck on Bronco

Carson – Harry Strange on Carson – Single

Bones Shake – Hazlett on Bones Shake – Single

Believe Again – Luke Sital-Singh on Believe Again – Single

The Age of Believing – Aron Wright on The Age of Believing – Single

I Don’t Want To Lie (living room floor version) – Yoste on I Don’t Want To Lie (living room floor version) – Single

Stay High – One Room on Lagoona

Stay Out of Trouble – OPLURE on Stay Out of Trouble – Single

I AM BLACK – BERWYN on I AM BLACK – Single

Little Bit of Magic – Thorin Loeks on Little Bit of Magic – Single

Little Homies – Vince Staples on Dark Times

Louder – Kygo, Julia Michaels & Chance Peña on Louder – Single

Far As I Can Go – Ian Harrison on Far As I Can Go – Single

Neptune – Beauvois on Dimensions – EP

Asymmetry – Axel Flóvent on Away From This Dream

Zzz – EDEN on Zzz – Single

Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan on Pink Pony Club – Single

places to be – Fred again.., Anderson .Paak & CHIKA on places to be – Single

My Kink Is Karma – Chappell Roan on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

Swallows – Bailey & Lonely in the Rain on Swallows – Single

Tamly Maak – Amr Diab on Tamally Maak

Good God, Hot Damn – Hayden Blount on Good God, Hot Damn – Single

ten – Fred again.., Jozzy & Jim Legxacy on ten days

All-American Boy – Steve Grand on All American Boy

5ever – EDEN on 5ever – Single

Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Clean Bandit & French The Kid on Sad Girls (feat. Rema) – Single

28 – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Moon River – Aquilo on A Quiet Invitation To A Hard Conversation

Edge of Saturday Night – The Blessed Madonna & Kylie Minogue on Godspeed

i think you can save me – Dimside on i think you can save me – Single

Dance (‘Til You Love Someone Else) – Sam Smith on Love Goes

My Mind (Now) – Paris Paloma on My Mind (Now) – Single

Devil on My Shoulder – Dylan Marlowe on Mid-Twenties Crisis

Calamity Song – The Decemberists on The King Is Dead

Sabrina (I Am A Party) – Fred again.. on Actual Life (April 14 – December 17 2020)

Instant Crush (feat. Julian Casablancas) – Daft Punk on Random Access Memories

Eat The Acid – Kesha on Gag Order

O Superman (For Massenet) – Laurie Anderson on Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology (Remastered)

The Great American Bar Scene – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Oklahoma Smokeshow – Zach Bryan on Summertime Blues – EP²

peace u need – Fred again.. & Joy Anonymous on ten days

.seven – Fred again.. on ten days

Fólk fær andlit – Hildur Guðnadóttir on Fólk fær andlit – Single

where will i be – Fred again.. & Emmylou Harris on ten days

Silence in the Suburbs – George Pippen on Silence in the Suburbs (Reimagined) – EP

Chariot – The Midnight on Chariot – Single

Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti on Timeless – Single

Willfully Blind – Max McNown on Willfully Blind

When Evil Follows – Midnight Danger on When Evil Follows – Single

Dicked Down in Dallas – Trey Lewis on Dicked Down in Dallas – Single³

Midnight Ride (feat. Kylie Minogue & Diplo) [Sofi Tukker Remix] – Orville Peck on Midnight Ride (feat. Kylie Minogue & Diplo) [Sofi Tukker Remix] – Single

can’t sleep – Dimside on can’t sleep – Single

What If Nothing Breaks? – Snow Patrol on The Forest Is The Path⁴

Shorter Than A Night – Petit Biscuit on Discipline

Dancing In The Dark Alone – Deepend, Carston & Horxata on Dancing In The Dark Alone – Single

Cruel Unusual – Otherwish on iii, Empty Spaces

just stand there – Fred again.. & Soak on ten days⁵

The View Between Villages – Noah Kahan on Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)

Pocket (Montreal) – EDEN on Friday Night Song – EP

Hold You – CRi on Hold You EP

When No One’s Watching – Charles Fauna on L I M B O

Fade Into You – Vide on Fade Into You – Single

fear less – Fred again.. & Sampha on ten days

NATURAL – Cameron Hawthorn on NATURAL – Single

Watch Me Trying – Harry Strange on Watch Me Trying – EP

Samradh Samradh – The Gloaming on The Gloaming⁶

Permanently Lonely (From “Skincare”) – Orville Peck on Permanently Lonely (From “Skincare”) – Single

I Don’t Wanna Leave – RÜFÜS DU SOL on Surrender

Say Adieu – Lonely in the Rain & Yorina on Say Adieu – Single

Somewhere – Harry Strange on Somewhere – Single

Like Whiskey – Dixon Dallas on Happy Anniversary

Chalk 1.3.3 (2017 Export Wav) – Flume & Jim-E Stack on Arrived Anxious, Left Bored

Bystander – robrobrob & Tailor on Save Me – Single

Loading – James Blake on Playing Robots Into Heaven

Manifest – Russ on Manifest – Single⁷

Desperate Guy – Isak Danielson on Desperate Guy – Single

My Youth Is Fading Away – Petit Biscuit on Discipline

Driftwood Choir – Ed Prosek, Portair & Driftwood Choir on Driftwood Choir – Single

Oak Island – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

I’M DROWNING – BERWYN on WHO AM I

Sunrises (feat. Shaun Holton) – Max Cruise on Sunrises⁸

glow – Fred again.., Duskus, Four Tet & Skrillex on ten days

Midnight Drive – HurricaneTurtle on Midnight Drive – EP

Von dutch – Charli xcx on BRAT⁹

Hold Me In The Fire – Snow Patrol on The Forest Is The Path

Dancing In The Flames – The Weeknd on Dancing In The Flames – Single

Oh My Love – ConKi on Oh My Love – Single

S P E Y S I D E – Bon Iver on SABLE, – EP

always – Dimside on always – Single

Heaven On Earth – Hayden Blount on Heaven On Earth – Single

On Your Own – Shallou & ARDY on 24, summer – EP

Doblexxó – J Balvin & Feid on Rayo

Travelers – Echo Wolf & jacket. on Travelers – Single

Ocean Waves (feat. Sheilu) – SRTW & nourii on Ocean Waves (feat. Sheilu) – Single

We’re Ok – Yoste on We’re Ok – Single

Years That Fall – Snow Patrol on The Forest Is The Path

Maps – Yoste on Maps – Single

90 days – Dimside on 90 days – Single

Either Way – Thorin Loeks on Either Way – Single

the warmth – Paris Paloma on Cacophony

i saw you – Fred again.. on ten days

Towers – Zach Bryan on The Great American Bar Scene

Sweat – Isak Danielson on Sweat – Single

backseat – Fred again.., The Japanese House & Scott Hardkiss on ten days

Friday Night Song – EDEN on Friday Night Song – EP

Talk talk featuring troye sivan – Charli xcx & Troye Sivan on Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat

Sorry 4 The Wait – Lil Wayne on Sorry 4 The Wait

Heavy Is the Crown – LINKIN PARK on From Zero

East Side of Sorrow – Zach Bryan on Zach Bryan¹⁰

Surrender – Kygo & Fred Well on KYGO

Haku – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

Going Deep – Yardhand on Move 2 – EP

Nothingleft – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

hourglass – Le Youth, Lexer & Bailey on & – EP

All My Fault – Swimming Paul & Thals on All My Fault – Single

Sympathy is a knife – Charli xcx on BRAT

The River – Ed Prosek, Portair & Driftwood Choir on The River – Single

Afterglow – Goth Babe on Oregon Coast – Single

Isla – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

Totoro – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

AETERNA – Coldplay on Moon Music¹¹

Lonely – Yoste on All’s Well and I’m Worse Than Ever

Teenage Luv – Lost In Pacific & Hadar Sopher on Teenage Luv – Single

Ecstasy Homosexuality (Radio Edit) – The Irrepressibles on Ecstasy Homosexuality – EP

Break My Love – RÜFÜS DU SOL on Inhale / Exhale

Royal We – Janani K. Jha on Royal We – Single

1. Apparently I have readers? Hello, readers! ↩
2. I vehemently disagree with some of the Lyrics Genius analysis of this song. Not enough to make an account and write up my own, but still. ↩
3. I don’t know how I feel about the fact that I know all the lyrics to this already. ↩
4. Good for singing/sobbing along to in the shower. ↩
5. I’ve got a few songs in various playlists that I just skip immediately right now, but can’t bring myself to remove. This is one. “Haven’t heard your voice for a while” ↩
6. Pretty sure I stole this off my friends’ wedding playlist. It’s a vibe. ↩
7. “That’s what I call foresight, that’s what I call manifesting” is fun to sing along with. ↩
8. I’ve finally given in and made an entire separate playlist for this vibe of track. Y’know, the kind of thing that you’d hear as background music during a car chase scene set in 1980s LA? ↩
9. Yes, yes, I know, I am extremely late to the brat summer ↩
10. A little bit too on-the-nose at the moment, but when I’m in the mood for it, a good one. ↩
11. New Coldplay? In 2024? Weird in several ways. ↩