Winter 2022/23 Playlist: Annotated
Through the end of October and November, I decided to learn more about metal, since it’s a genre I’ve hitherto largely neglected. I figured that exploration would have an impact on my winter playlist this year—and it absolutely did not. Not even a little. Instead the playlist ended up being weirdly chart-toppery? The heart wants what it wants, I guess.
1) “There’s Always Something There to Remind Me” by Lou Johnson - You should Google this song—it has a fascinating history. It was written by Burt Bacharach, and Dionne Warwick was the first to record a demo of it, but Lou Johnson’s is the first version that charted. Don’t you think soul music is just perfect for winter? It keeps you warm.
2) “CUFF IT” by Beyoncé - When I include songs off recent hit albums on my playlists, I try not to include the big-bit hit, just for a change of pace. But I couldn’t help it this time! It’s so good! Renaissance has really helped me get through my chores this year.
3) “Karma” by Taylor Swift - I struggle with Taylor Swift. I understand the appeal, but for the most part, her music doesn’t click with me. However, I gave Midnights a try, and this song and I did indeed “vibe like that.”
4) “You Sexy Thing” by Caleb Hawley - Did you watch Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix? This cover appeared at the end of a particularly deranged episode, and I immediately looked it up. Can’t get enough of it.
5) “Invincible” by Omar Apollo feat. Daniel Caesar - Sometimes I hear a song by an artist, and then I don’t listen to them for a while, and later I check in on them and realize they blew up while I wasn’t paying attention. Omar Apollo is one of those. This song is very pretty, and the arrangement makes my brain do cartwheels.
6) “Kill Bill” by SZA - After listening to SOS a few times, I still think I like Ctrl better. But who can resist a song about murdering one’s ex-boyfriend?
7) “Dressed in Black” by Ezra Furman - No one does “60s vibes but depressing” like Ezra Furman. I pledge allegiance to Ezra.
8) “I Love You, Baby” by Opus Kink - Spotify put one of Opus Kink’s songs on my Discover Weekly playlist, and I was like, so it’s Tom Waits + Gang of Four + a horn section? A recipe guaranteed to appeal to Becky’s tastes.
9) “People Watching” by Ganser - Occasionally you meet people at parties who are in a band, but you rarely expect their band to keep going and actually make it. I’ve been cheering Ganser on from the sidelines for a while now. Chicago’s own post-punk gods.
10) “Fleez” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Thank goodness Yeah Yeah Yeahs released a new album this year. They’d been away for far too long. Singing along with Karen O is an important form of Millennial catharsis—and as a bonus you can dance to this one, too.
11) “Get Seduced” by The Faint - Speaking of Millennial catharsis—when I was a youngster, there was nothing more cathartic than dancing the night away at a Faint concert. I always thought their 2008 album Fasciinatiion was underrated.
12) “Love/Lover/Friend” by Caroline Rose - Caroline Rose’s past albums have been so musically (if not lyrically) chipper—I was delighted to hear this quiet, very nearly spooky number. It sounds like snowfall after midnight.
13) “Déclaration” by Stromae - My friend Gena recently introduced me to this Belgian artist. This song sounds like walking down an icy city sidewalk.
14) “You Make Loving Fun” by Fleetwood Mac - Christine!!! [insert a thousand weeping emojis here] After she passed, I knew I had to make space for her incredible voice on this playlist.
15) “Threatening Each Other re: Capitalism” by illuminati hotties - illuminati hotties were another Discover Weekly playlist find. I like this song a lot—it reminds me of something I might have listened to in high school. I would have found it on the Better Propaganda website and downloaded it. Does anyone else remember Better Propaganda?
16) “Paper Crown” by Tele Novella - This song simultaneously irritates me and intrigues me. I almost didn’t put it on this playlist because I find it so annoying. But some aspects of the vocal melody really surprise me! In their bio, Tele Novella describes themselves as “coin-operated medieval country songs through a 1950s western lens,” and I genuinely think that provides helpful context.
17) “My Love” by Florence + The Machine - Why have a dance party when you could have a witchy dance party? A glittery blizzard of a song.
18) “Swan Upon Leda” by Hozier - I am convinced that there is no artist more inherently wintery than Hozier. Is he descended from abominable snowmen? Who can say?
19) “Hearts Aglow” by Weyes Blood - If you’re looking for a perfect winter album, I suggest you listen to the entirety of And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow. She nailed it. Quiet but rich. Totally gorgeous.
20) “Q4” by Father John Misty - This is my favorite song off Father John Misty’s early 2022 album Chloë and the Next 20th Century, and I’ve been looking for space for it on one of my playlists since, but it never seemed to fit. I guess winter is what it needed.
21) “Someday We’ll Be Together” by Johnny & Jackey - Since I started with 1960s soul, I figured I’d end with it, too. This is the original version of the song, several years before The Supremes covered it.
Two playlists in a row without the Mountain Goats! Who even am I?
Need more winter music?