Special Issue: Summer Playlists
That's right—TWO playlists with different vibes to get you through the summer!
Readers, I couldn’t help myself! Last year I gave you two summer playlists: one hot, hot, hot, and one chill. This year I decided to do the same and give you both in one issue. Why two playlists? Summer, more than any other season, brings out two sides of me. One side wants to let loose, drive around with speakers blaring, and sing my heart out, and the other wants to chill in a hammock with my headphones in, gazing up at the sky. These two playlists (perfectly, I think) capture each of those sides.
I took slightly different approaches in making these playlists. The first, “Summer 2023,” is as highly curated and obsessively crafted as usual, with fastidious attention to harmonic mixing, energy levels, and transitions. The other, “Cool Shade for Hot Summers 2023” (keeping the nickname from last year), was created more intuitively with far less fuss (no notecards!). But, of course, my cardinal rule of playlists still applies to both: bangers only. There are no “filler” songs on either playlist.
“Summer 2023” is a fiery mix of new (and new-ish) tracks that are—unapologetically—primarily pop with some alternative, funk, and R&B. They’ll get you singing, dancing, and sweating. (Fan me off, I’m hot, hot, hot!) It features artists like boygenius, Alvvays, Jessie Ware and, of course, Beyoncé. It also contains no less than two songs from the upcoming Barbie movie soundtrack (they’re fire, ok!).
“Cool Shade for Hot Summers” is a mostly chill, mostly alternative, mostly acoustic mix for midsummer moodiness. It’s a blend of both old and new songs that have been comforting to me over the last month or so. The melancholy moments on the playlist are like passing clouds, with breaks of blue sky in between. Notable artists include Modest Mouse, Lucy Dacus, and Fenne Lily. Oh, and there’s just a dash of Scandinavian soul.
Links to the Spotify and Apple Music versions of each playlist are below. If you want to hear more about why I chose some of my favorite songs on the playlists, read on. And if you liked these playlists, let me know by leaving a comment or replying to this email.
P.S. There are explicit lyrics in both playlists.
Summer Playlist 2023
Apple Music link
Cool Shade for Hot Summers 2023
Apple Music link
The annotated playlists
Summer 2023
Padam Padam — Kylie Minogue
If you haven’t heard this song yet, you’re welcome and I’m sorry. It’s catchy and camp and I love it. Keep it on repeat for 12 hours, if you so choose.
It’s Euphoric — Georgia
This song makes me feel like I’m at a bumping backyard party and at some point I dive in the pool and the music goes from blaring to muffled and then I fling myself back to the surface and it’s all party again. Do you know what I mean? Listen. You’ll get it.
Teenage Dirtbag (cover) — Queen of Jeans
I’m giving you not one, but two banging covers. This one is very chill—the chillest moment in the playlist, in fact—and the other, “Cool,” is brighter.1 I poached this cover (as well as another song from Queen of Jeans that’s featured in the “Cool Shade” mix), from a playlist that was featured in one of
’s newsletter issues. Check out her newsletter if you like life updates and musings and short & sweet playlists from a real life music artist.HEATED — Beyoncé
Last year, RENAISSANCE was cemented as a quintessential summer album—always and forever. Will I include a song from it on every summer playlist henceforth? Possibly. It is my goal this summer to learn the fan choreography (listen for the snaps) at the end of this song. Once my Jimbo fan arrives, I’m on it!
Cool Shade for Hot Summers 2023
2005 — Quinn Christopherson
This song is the motto for the playlist: “I want to go back to simpler times,” Christopherson sings. An emotionally rough start to the summer calls for simplicity, chill, and feeling feelings—and that’s what this playlist is all about.
Linger — The Cranberries
While the summer playlist is full of fun and escapism, the “Cool Shade” playlist is full of heart songs. This song in particular has been on my heart lately. I don’t know if it’s the nostalgia, the beauty of the song, or the bittersweetness. It’s probably all three.
Landfill — Margo Price
Each playlist was allotted precisely one country song with their own appropriately fitting vibe. This was one of my favorite songs off of Price’s psychedelically-tinged album from earlier this year. It has a laziness (in a good way) like sitting on a porch in a rocking chair looking out into a wheat field.
Summer Squall — Queentide
I happened upon this band (or they happened upon me?) when they played at a bar/restaurant/brewery/whatever where I was having dinner with some friends. I think it was fate that they had a song about summer—and it’s a good one.
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 Janelle Monáe, Killer Mike, Kesha and more so far, and have many others to listen to ahead. Find out what my favorites are by subscribing and keeping an eye on your inboxes!
Yes there are chill moments in the Summer playlist—gotta have some breathers!