Spring 2021 Playlist: Annotated
Maybe it has something to do with being stuck inside for a whole year, but this year’s Spring playlist leans pretty hard into the concept of Spring itself. Normally I avoid songs that mention the season in question, but not this time. My body wants to be outside in the sunshine.
1) “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!” by X-Ray Spex - Another issue with being stuck inside all year is that I want to scream. This classic by X-Ray Spex achieves the desired effect.
2) “Like a Lady” by Pom Poko - I almost always like my Spotify Discover Weekly playlists, but lately they’ve been especially good. This song was on one of them, and it’s basically the only song I want to listen to now. Has a nice little sense of humor about itself.
3) “Strawberries” by Asobi Seksu - I believe this was also on a Discover Weekly playlist. It’s from 2006, but has some groovy 60s vibes. That should be all you need to know—60s vibes are always catnip for me.
4) “Tipsy” by Chloe x Halle - I’ve been trying to get into Chloe x Halle, and it hasn’t been going as well as I expected? I do enjoy this one, though. Who doesn’t love a song wherein a woman threatens the life of a man who treats her poorly? You can draw a straight line from The Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” to this song, even though they’re nothing alike.
5) “Shameika” by Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters is the album that keeps on giving. It came out too late in 2020 for me to put this one on last year’s Spring mix, so it had to go on this one!
6) “We Used to Wait” by Arcade Fire - A few weeks ago my friend Gena said, “It’s the perfect day to listen to The Suburbs.” She was absolutely right, and I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since. Also—that album came out eleven years ago?? I am ancient??
7) “mirrored heart” by FKA twigs - FKA twigs makes some of the most challenging music I’ve ever listened to—it always takes me a while to wrap my brain around it. But I enjoy the process! I’m finally coming around to her MAGDALENE album, which is where this song appears.
8) “Dark But Just A Game” by Lana Del Rey - Here’s the thing: Lana Del Rey is totally ignorant and entitled, and yet she keeps making music that I really like. It’s infuriating. If only her songs were as garbage as her personality. This is my current favorite off her new album. Ugh.
9) “Beginning Middle End” by The Greeting Committee - For the past few years I’ve been putting songs from the soundtracks of the various To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movies on my Spring playlists, since they typically come out in February. But this year they released the last one in the trilogy—no more Lara Jean and Peter! Where will I find gentle indie love songs now?! ::sniffle::
10) “Harbor Me” by The Mountain Goats - Classic Mountain Goats—a song that sounds more heartwarming than it actually is. I mean, harboring those who need help is a good thing, but living in fear of discovery is not. When you really listen to the lyrics, this song is more about the fear part.
11) “On the Floor” by Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is one of the best overall albums I’ve listened to in recent years, and I’ve been eagerly waiting to put this upbeat little number on my Spring playlist.
12) “Your Girl” by Basia Bulat - This song was on one of my Discover Weekly playlists, and I thought, is this Linda Ronstadt? It is not, but they have similar voices! And the 60s vibes again—I couldn’t resist.
13) “Legal Man” by Belle & Sebastian - Speaking of 60s vibes, we’ve got a literal sitar on this one. I was going through a Belle & Sebastian phase earlier this year—I used to listen to them a ton, but I hadn’t in a long time. This one stuck out to me—and the lyrics really are about springtime! Though they’re also quite cheeky, in typical Belle & Sebastian fashion.
14) “Do Ya” by Electric Light Orchestra - I was also going through an ELO phase earlier this year. This song is delightful. If it doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart, I don’t know what will.
15) “Kyoto” by Phoebe Bridgers - This song just sounds like Spring, doesn’t it? Lyrics are way more depressing than the melody, obviously. This is Phoebe Bridgers we’re talking about.
16) “Agrim Agadez” by Etran de L'Aïr - This is the second band from Niger that Spotify has sent my way—not sure what that’s about, but I like it. It’s a repetitive but joyful song.
17) “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” by The Slits - An excellent cover. When they sing “I’m just about to lose my mind,” I believe it. They sound more angry than wounded by the betrayal.
18) “Be Sweet” by Japanese Breakfast - New Japanese Breakfast! This song makes me want to dance. It has more 80s vibes than 60s—an unusual twist for the playlist.
19) “Love is a Place” by Metric - A quiet heartbreaker from my high school days. Also mentions Spring directly!
20) “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” by The Wombats - This popped up on an early 2000s playlist I was listening to recently—I’d completely forgotten that this song existed. And the lyrics of the chorus spoke to me: “Let’s dance to Joy Division and celebrate the irony; everything is going wrong, but we’re so happy.” That has to be the past year in a nutshell, right?
Need some more Spring music?