Year in Music: Early 2021

What better way to kick off this blog than to give you a peek into one of my very favorite personal practices? The biyearly Spotify playlists.

For several years, I’ve made two major playlists a year, “Early ___” (January-June), and “Late ___” (July-December). I start the new playlists, quite literally, on January and July 1st, respectively. I do this no matter if I pull older songs from previous biyearly playlists, or if the genres are mismatched, or even if it reminds me of something painful. I do it to keep record of where I was at, how these songs made me feel, what I was working through, and even what I was capable of seeing in myself at the time. Several years into this process now, it’s become such a valuable tool for remembering the whirlwind of my late 20s, with all the moves, job changes, and personal growth that occurred, but in a way that’s artistically-focused, and not so hyper-aware of the flaws or the triumphs.

So now, as my Early 2021 Playlist is soon coming to a close, I’d like to share a few gems that define what this period was like for me:

When I Get There by Big Wild

This was the perfect song to kick off 2021. To me, it feels like a hopeful, energetic song that contains a lot of organized chaos—something that inspires me at the beginning of a workout, or just as a quick dance moment if I was having a particularly rough day.

Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks

This song re-entered my psyche because of its use in the fourth season of The Crown. I love its power and sorrow intermingled.

Catch You by Ricky Reed, Lido Pimienta

Truthfully, this song instantly transports me to every moment I’ve lived in LA, which has been entirely during the pandemic. I remember the warm, flower-scented walks that I take with my dog through our neighborhood in the Valley, the hope that I try to inspire in myself, and the way that Lido’s vocals and the instrumentation transport me to something better, something that is at least artistic, in moments where I really struggle to get out of my own head.

willow - dancing witch version (Elvira remix) by Taylor Swift, ELVIRA

I love the darkness of this remix. The little ugly moments that unfold into complexity & texture.

I Am (feat. Flo Milli) by Yung Baby Tate, Flo Milli

Hell yes, the power of affirmations. This was one of my favorite pump-up songs of Early 2021. “I am healthy. I am wealthy. I am rich. I am that bitch.”

Best Friend (feat. Doja Cat) by Saweetie, Doja Cat

Truthfully, I added this one with half of a heavy heart, because the pandemic and other events have really changed the ways that I feel like I have access to friendships like this. But I added it anyway because it was aspirational for me, something I wanted to see more of in my life, and something I wanted to be able to aim for in the friendships that I already treasure. MANIFESTATION, BITCH!

Girlfriends Are My Boyfriends by Demi Lovato

This one came later in the year for me, but I’m adding it here because it’s on the list for the same reason that the track above is. MANIFESTATION, BITCH!

Barrett’s Privateers by The Real McKenzies

You weren’t bracing yourself on the deck for this one, were ya? Yep, it’s a sea shanty. And it’s about dashed expectations and weariness. And it’s not Wellerman! There was that time earlier in 2021 when everyone on the internet seemed to be very into sea shanties. I heard one person theorize that maybe it was because we all felt like we were in an unending task that demanded our full attention and strength, with waning hope, clinging to a spirit of community and repetition to keep us going? Anyway, I’m sure that’s nothing, take a crack at this one (and its very fun chorus).

Disco Man by Remi Wolf

Remi Wolf has been a new favorite of mine this year. And this song, simply, fucks. The rest of their work is very worth checking out (including a remix with Kimbra).

Immune by Jensen McRae

This song floated across my Twitter feed via Phoebe Bridgers. The visualization, the exquisite agony in the song, the incredibly local-to-me LA pandemic feelings… it hits on a lot of levels. I highly recommend keeping an eye out for Jensen’s debut album.

Jesus From Texas by Semler

This song makes me want to sob while I sing along to it more than any other, this year. Semler made history by being the first openly queer artist to dominate Christian charts this year, and in the face of my still-occurring faith deconstruction, it’s been incredibly comforting to listen to (the whole EP, in fact). I, too, am tired of the “Jesus from Texas” that’s used to oppress and shame, and I’m interested in continuing the dialogues that make room for everyone at the table.

Zombie (Live from the NIVA Save Our Stages Festival) by Miley Cyrus

Miley’s voice sounds sublime in this track, and again, it’s another song that contains incredible power and sorrow in the same hand. It seems like I have a pattern this year? I wonder if…

Hey by Halley Greg

Sure enough, we’ve got another powerful mix of power, sorrow, and RAGE! If you’re looking for a song to help you expel shame that was shoved onto you from other people, this is it. Halley’s smooth as glass voice twists unexpectedly into something ferocious, something that still gives me chills when I hear the way that it so sweetly voices the rage of a woman that went through shit.

supposed to by BLÜ EYES

This is a song that I first heard on TikTok, and I knew I immediately needed to add it to my biyearly playlist. The sound is somewhere between Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, and the sweetness and sorrow in this one is, once again, hitting.

Good Place by Demi Lovato

This whole album took over my life for almost a full month, so trust me when I say that it was hard for me to only include two songs on this list. But this one, I feel like, sums up what I take away from her album (and her documentary, which I also recommend). In some ways, this is a song that I sing with my whole heart, and at the same time, it’s one that I sing in hopes that I will feel this way. I’m already there, but I wish to be there even more.

Blueneck by Chris Housman

Y’ALL MEANS ALL! As a child that was raised on a strict diet of 90s country music, this song means so much to me. I feel like the values that I was raised on directly led to me developing leftist & inclusive politics, and some of the best people that I’ve ever met were “red state bluenecks,” people who loved where they lived and didn’t want to leave, even if their neighbors sometimes threatened their lives (directly or indirectly). This song goes out to you guys.

ZITTI E BUONI by Måneskin

I have developed an almost embarrassing love for this Italian rock band and its four very attractive members, but besides that, I just want you to hear how hard this song goes. “Zitti e buoni” translates basically to “Shut up and behave,” and the song is about rebelling against the tightness of your upbringing. So yeah, maybe y’all see a trend here? Anyway, for the love of God, watch all of their music videos so that I have someone to yell at about how much I love them.

Somebody Else Now by Daði Freyr

I love everything that Daði has ever put out, but something about this song brings a relieved smile to my face. In a massive time of change and personal reflection, the chorus is so hopeful: “I never thought I needed change / but it makes me proud to say / that I’m somebody else now / that somebody’s not here to stay / they’ll be going away soon / and that’s okay.”

Saudade (When We Are Born) by Ólafur Arnalds

Another favorite Icelandic artist of mine! This one is no thoughts, only vibes, a beautiful instrumental track that I honestly wish was three times longer, but that kind of adds to the pain/beauty of it for me. Saudade (a Portuguese word) means a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia, so in that vein, it hits the nail on the head.

Coastline by Hollow Coves

This song, for me, represents what I’m longing for the most right now: a long fucking road trip up the West Coast. Lucky for me, I get to do at least a little bit of that next month with my husband and dog, vaccinations be blessed, and I am beyond ready.

Did you discover any new favorites in this list? Let me know!