It’s time for a new playlist and I am so excited to share this one with you! If you’re new here, each season I make a playlist of mostly new songs to capture its essence. But they aren’t just “throw songs into a list” kind of playlists—nay! These are highly curated and obsessively crafted. If you want to fully understand the geeky way in which I make playlists you can go read about it here. But the gist is that I spend weeks selecting an eclectic mix of only the best songs and then put them in the perfect order so that the flow and transitions are smooth. This makes for a listening experience that feels like an exciting journey—one you’ll want to come back to over and over again. Oh, and, one important rule that I apply to all my playlists: bangers only1. No fillers or skippable tracks.
This year’s spring playlist is inspired by the first line of the first song on the playlist, “The People Say.” “I have to sing to keep from dying,” Steve Mason sings. That’s how I feel about music. It’s what keeps me alive, inspires me, and brings me joy. This playlist is meant to be life-giving and joyful. It’s full of uplifting vibes and diverse, vibrant sounds. I’m giving you horns! I’m giving you drum lines! I’m giving you beats that will make you want to dance however you are able! It’s liquid sunshine—which, here in Portland where it’s currently pouring snow/rain, we could use.
The playlist is genre-less (or rather genre-full?). It ranges from R&B to alternative to jazz to hip-hop and more—small servings of each, like musical tapas. It features songs from artists like Vagabon, Dolly Parton, De La Soul, Caroline Polachek, and Rosalía. I think everyone will find at least one gem to fall in love with.
If you need a mental health mosey2 or a mood boost wherever you are, let this be your soundtrack.
Links to the Spotify and Apple Music versions are below. If you want to hear more about why I chose some of my favorite songs on the playlist, read on. And hey! If you want to let me know what you thought of it, feel free to leave a comment or reply to this email.
P.S. There are some explicit lyrics.
Apple Music link
The Annotated Playlist
The People Say - Steve Mason
Every playlist has to have a strong opener—something with enough energy to hook you but not so much that you have nowhere to build from. When I listened to Steve Mason’s Brothers and Sisters (keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming album review), I knew this had to be it. It’s a great, big, theatrical song with so much movement it will have you bobbing your head and tapping your toes.
Borrow Trouble - Feist; Never Fall Apart - Andrew Bird
I try to put songs next to each other that have some sort of common thread. “Borrow Trouble” and “Never Fall Apart” both have moments that remind me of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” See if you can spot them.
Carpenter - Vagabon
This is my favorite song on the playlist. I basically built the whole playlist around it. I wanted every song to feel like it existed in this song’s universe in some way. It is alternative but has a bit of a worldwide feel in its rhythm, so I tried to sprinkle strong rhythms throughout the playlist. I think it transitions well into “Many Roads” for that reason (and they also have the same bpm).
Shine - Dolly Parton
It’s my goal include an excellent cover song in every playlist I make and this one—as Bill and Ted would say—is most excellent. Dolly Parton takes the 1990s alternative rock song from Collective Soul, shreds it apart with fierce banjo-picking and fuses it back together with sunshine and heart. And there’s no better place to put it than before a song from her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.
Flowers - Miley Cyrus
I couldn’t not include this song because it’s just so fun and and empowering and I will always associate it with the first few months of 2023 (thanks in part to my next door neighbors belting it at the top of their lungs—still love it). It is one of two pop songs I included on the playlist (the other is “Sunset” from Caroline Polachek). I generally wanted to steer away from inorganic pop-y sounds, but this one feels grounded enough while still having some punch. (Just skip it, Laura!)
The Magic Number - De La Soul
I tossed a big hip-hop throwback into the mix in honor of De La Soul’s catalogue being made available streaming. It’s somehow both a snapshot of the sound of its time and also timeless. I attribute that to their talent. RIP, Trugoy the Dove. 💔
We Caa Done - Popcaan & Drake
Here’s a Drake collab I bet you haven’t heard. It’s part of a little reggae moment on the playlist with Koffee’s “Pull Up”. Popcaan is great, but Drake’s vocals are 🥵🥵🥵. Lord have mercy! Enjoy!
So Long - Danielle Ponder
Whew! This song is a force. When you get to it, it’s going to knock your off your feet. Ponder has a rich, powerful voice—like Jennifer Hudson powerful, Adele powerful, maybe even Whitney powerful. The album that this song is from, Some of Us Are Brave, is one that I really should have written about last year. Highly recommend it if you love this song.
Oh Me, Oh My - Lonnie Holley & Michael Stipe; Geronimo - Young Fathers
I like to save some of my favorite songs and moments for the last section of the playlist, and this one is a special one. “Geronimo” has such a great build and I wanted to put something kind of somber and lower energy before it to make that build feel even more pronounced. I think it links together with “Oh Me, Oh My” well musically and there’s also a spiritual thread between them with Lonnie Holley’s mention of the hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in “Oh Me, Oh My” and the lyric, “I’m on the verge of something divine that’s going to keep me in line” in “Geronimo.” It’s almost like the latter is a response to the former. It feels powerful.
Hospital (One Man Down) - Madison Cunningham & Remi Wolf; IKYK - Ogi
I wanted to end this playlist with a bang and build up to a lot of energy in the last stretch. The penultimate song, “Hospital,” is delightfully chaotic with bendy, clanking instruments in a slanty minor key. It sets up “IKYK” nicely—which is a bright, major key song full of optimism and warmth. I think “IKYK” is the kind of song that will make you want to listen to the playlist all over again and it transitions really nicely back to the first song, if you do.
For anyone who’s interested, here’s the end result of the playlist—with all of the songs’ notecards containing their relevant information laid out in order. If you have no idea what any of this means, go here.
Thanks for reading! If you listen to the playlist and enjoy it, let me know in the comments or reply to this email. The next issue of the newsletter is back to reviews. I’ve listened to albums from Miley Cyrus, Yves Tumor, Steve Mason, Shalom and more. Find out what my favorite(s) are by subscribing (if you haven’t already) and keep an eye on your inboxes!
I think mellow songs can be bangers, too. Fight me.
Credit to TikTok-er and forager Alexis Nikole for coining this phrase.
Ahh, had no idea this Dolly cover existed, definitely stealing for my Spring playlist!!!