It’s finally spring and I couldn’t be happier.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the winter, but as a full-time university student who works and attempts—emphasis on attempts—to have a social life, spring couldn’t come sooner.
With this being my third year at Queen’s, the one and only thing getting me through the winter is the thought of putting on a skirt and blasting music in my ears while I walk to my third back-to-back class of the day.
So, here it is folks, my spring playlist that will hopefully make you want to get outside, dance, and not want to leave Kingston after every minor inconvenience.
“Wide Open Spaces” by The Chicks
Thanks to my mom, I’ve been obsessed with The Chicks for as long as I can remember and out of every song on this list, this one screams spring the most.
Now, I’m not a big fan of country music, but I do love to dance, which is why I’m a big fan of this song (and The Chicks in general). The title track of the album captures the feeling of freedom and possibility, urging those listening to explore the wide open spaces around them.
Its infectious melody is coupled with beautiful lyrics describing girlhood and the female coming-of-age experience perfectly. The lyrics: “She needs wide open spaces / Room to make her big mistakes / She needs new faces,” will forever be ingrained in my brain (and I hope yours too) after listening.
“Chocolate” by The 1975
Before making this playlist, I knew I wanted to include a song by The 1975, but had no idea which one to include. While I’m very much a lyrics person—I appreciate clever wordplay and deeper meanings in songs—there’s something about the upbeat rhythm and catchy melodies of The 1975 that always make me want to dance.
I’m by no means saying The 1975 don’t have songs with great lyrics. In fact, I like most of their songs because of their lyrics. “Chocolate” is just one of those songs that makes you want to get up and move—for all I care, Matty Healy could be singing in another language, and I would still love this song the same.
“Free Man in Paris” by Joni Mitchell
Ever since Joni Mitchell made her return to the stage at this year’s Grammys, I’ve been listening to her music non-stop (yes, I’m an Apple Music listener). Though “Free Man in Paris” differs from the previous songs in its tone and style, it deserves its spot on this playlist.
The lyrics speak to a sense of liberation and freedom—the “Free Man” Mitchell is referring to was actually her friend and the man in charge of her record label, David Geffen, who said he felt most alive in Paris, where nobody could call him and ask for favours.
While Kingston is nothing like Paris, there’s something about this song, probably the raw emotion in Mitchell’s voice and the beauty of her lyrics, that makes all my problems fade away, if only for a moment.
“Salad Days” by Mac DeMarco
I know this playlist seems like a mishmash of a bunch of random songs, but trust me when I say I’ve chosen every song, “Salad Days” especially, very carefully.
Mac DeMarco is a one-of-a-kind artist and while “Salad Days” may not scream spring, its laid-back vibe and nostalgic lyrics capture the essence of the season in a unique and introspective way.
The lyrics speak to a sense of reflection and introspection, as DeMarco contemplates the passage of time and the fleeting nature of youth. Accompanied by the gentle strumming of his guitar, “Salad Days” in a sense encourages us to slow down and appreciate the simple joys in life—something we, or at least I, often forget to do.
“New Romantics (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift
I said it once and I’ll say it again, I love to dance and “New Romantics” by Taylor Swift is one of the only songs—along with “Wide Open Spaces”—that never fails to make me jump around my tiny bedroom with my headphones on at 1 a.m. while my roommates are sleeping.
It’s the perfect anthem, no matter what season it is or what mood I’m in. The lyrics are literally “We are too busy dancing / To get knocked off our feet / Baby, we’re the new romantics / The best people in life are free.” I mean, come on, it’s begging to be danced to.
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Never in a million years did I expect to put Joni Mitchell and The 1975 on the same playlist, but here we are. While I’m very aware this playlist is a little chaotic and diverse in its selection of songs, each track is well worth a listen.
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