7 Albums to Wash Away Your Quarantine Woes
“It’s Your Bed Babe, It’s Your Funeral” by Maisie Peters
What song makes it worth listening to: “Please Take Care of Yourself”
In quarantine, it’s easy to let go of our health and general well-being in favor of binge watching an extra series or five. Maisie Peters urges you to prioritize you. If you don’t want to listen to the whole album then, at least consider “Please Take Care of Yourself” as a must-listen.
“Before the Sun Goes Down” by The New Respects
What song makes it worth listening to: “What Makes the World”
It’s easy to feel lonely right now. Rather than stream “Nobody” by Mitski (although I have to admit you have impeccable taste if you do so), you should stream The New Respects. Most well-known for their cover of “You Should Be Dancing” in “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: P.S. I Love You,” the family band creates good vibes all around.
“Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa
What song makes it worth listening to: “Future Nostalgia”
If you haven’t heard of Dua Lipa’s critically-acclaimed album by this point in social distancing then you clearly haven’t been social distancing correctly. Lipa describes songs such as “Break My Heart” as “dance crying.” If that’s dance crying then I want to dance cry every single day. Her music can only be described as art, so much so that many DJs on YouTube are creating remixes with songs from “Future Nostalgia.”
“All the Feels” by Fitz and the Tantrums
What song makes it worth listening to: “I Just Wanna Shine”
While Fitz and the Tantrums is known best for their TikTok hit “Out of My League” and most streamed on my Spotify for “Fool” from their self-titled album, “All The Feels” is their album that has all the feels. The band overall has an 80s feel, but this especially shines in “All the Feels.” For a tinge of retro in the modern day, stream Fitz and the Tantrums.
“Heard it in a Past Life” by Maggie Rogers
What song makes it worth listening to: “Say It”
Maggie Rogers, a New York University grad, continually amazes with her sound. If you like music that you can simply vibe with, she’s the artist for you. Speaking as a survivor of the National Merit Prep program, I can confidently attest that her songs helped me stay level-headed in the most stressful times.
“Fine Line” by Harry Styles
What song makes it worth listening to: “Sunflower Vol. 6”
Although this entire album should already be saved on your music streaming service, consider this your last chance to make the right decision and stream Harry Styles.
“The Thrill of It all” by Sam Smith
What song makes it worth listening to: “One Last Song”
It’s natural to feel a little sad during quarantine. While I’m not encouraging you to feel sad, it’s 100% valid to face those emotions (a.k.a. you should read my article on this). The best way to face melancholy is head-on with Sam Smith. The best part about this album is the range of emotions it invokes, including happiness through songs like “Baby, You Make Me Crazy.”
6 songs
“Good Old Days” (feat. Kesha) by Macklemore
Not to take you back, but quarantine is arguably the best time for reflection. Whether you’re leaving high school for the next chapter of your life or will be returning next year, “Good Old Days” teaches the importance of cherishing the present. After all, the present is a gift.
“Fool” by Fitz and the Tantrums
Me talking about Fitz and the Tantrums again? It’s more likely than you think. “Fool” is easily one of my favorite songs and the music video makes me choke on my cereal laughing every single time I watch it. Without fail, “Fool” brings out the fool in me.
“Art Exhibit” by Young the Giant
While I recommend every single song by Young the Giant, “Art Exhibit” is the only song I’ve ever heard and wanted to play during every single type of occasion, from a marriage to the apocalypse. Since the current news can make us feel like we’re in an end-of-the-world simulation with COVID-19 stats or like heaven on Earth with John Krasinski’s “Some Good News” show shining a light on reasons to smile, play “Art Exhibit” to vibe through your conflicting emotions.
“Tongue Tied” by Grouplove
It’s easy to hope for the summertime but no other song better encapsulates it than “Tongue Tied.”
“Electric Love” by Børns
This song makes you feel like you are experiencing a brand new life. There’s mystery, lightning and, of course, electric love. If you want to feel like a new person, “Electric Love” is just the zap of music you need.
“Ok” by Wallows
In the e-boy dominated band’s latest music video release, Wallows creates a mechanical song that is actually fitting in our digital age. “Ok” isn’t just okay though; it’s a song crafted for now. Built upon awkward pauses and voice glitches, it’s the song we didn’t know we needed in between Google Meet transitions.
5 Bands
This funky pop group produced some pretty unappreciated bops. With their roots in New York City, their vibrant vibe pays honor to the city of lights. Some songs you shouldn’t miss out on include “Make a Move” and “It’s Not All About You.”
Not to expose myself as someone who loves boy bands and apparently artists who present themselves in the style of all caps (see: MAX), but PRETTYMUCH got me through the flu and midterm season. Not to mention they were my number one streamed artist on my #SpotifyWrapped. Let’s cut to the chase: you need to listen to them. My personal favorites include “Jello,” “Teacher,” “Phases” and “No More.”
This diverse band has Palestinian, Filipino and Mexican roots; despite their differing backgrounds, the boys fit together like pieces of puzzle. Praised for their single “Mariposa,” I instead cheer for “Mango” as the song of the summer (assuming there is one).
This folk band invites you to essentially “be friends” with every song. Their quirky yet upbeat rhythm makes them not only a band to listen to during quarantine but one to look out for. They’ve only produced songs for two years now and are on the rise. Some must-listens from my summer 2019 include “Denim Jacket” and “The Feeling.”
What’s a Florida music countdown with at least one Florida band? This Miami-based band features a group rivaling the Beach Boys. If you want to pretend the beaches are reopened or try to ignore Jacksonville, I would stream “Barbados” and “Kendall Drive.”
4 music videos
“Thunderclouds” by LSD
“Down for You” by Cosmo’s Midnight and Ruel
“Acid Dreams” by MAX
“Tusa” by Karol G and Nicki Minaj
3 soundtracks
“Shrek”
You really can’t go wrong with Shrek’s soundtrack. “Smash Mouth” and Eddie Murphy on the same album? I can’t argue with that.
“Hercules”
Alan Menken outdid himself on this soundtrack. Although the muses get the most praise for each of their songs and I agree Megara achieved a demigod status by singing “I Won’t Say I’m in Love,” there are plenty of other songs on the soundtrack that are unappreciated. We need more praise for Danny DeVito’s “One Last Hope.”
Not that this is my favorite movie (it is) but, truly this soundtrack shines. While most movie scores feature songs that have double meanings, “Princess and the Frog” holds songs that not only have meaning but are also very catchy. The movie isn’t perfect but it does signal Disney moving away from the damsel in distress trope by making Tiana an independent woman. “Almost There” is my international women’s day anthem. Although this holiday passed, why not celebrate empowerment every day with “Princess and the Frog.”
2 Remixes
“Say So (Multifemale Megamix)”
To my friends who watched me put the entire 4 minute and 44 second remix on my private story while screaming, I’m not sorry because this remix is good. There’s around 16 songs in this piece but the production value is so high quality that I convinced my mom it was all one song at one point. If you need to kill time, you can also pick apart the video aspect and see what music videos the editor pulled from.
“Pop Culture” by Madeon
I was definitely torn between SYGOTBEATZ remix of “Ballin’” and this but ultimately, “Pop Culture” is a classic remix. Featuring 39 songs, this is sure to transport you back to 2011. We can all use some a time machine of sorts right now, “Pop Culture” is exactly that.
