Enduring lockdown: to listen
Struggling to combat boredom during lockdown? Deepali Foster has curated a list of songs that speak to every quarantine mood.
In an era where self-worth is often measured by the number of hours spent exercising, working or reading each day, it’s concerning that the cult of productivity has reached such a peak during these unprecedented times. Scrolling through the abundance of #bananabread and #escapril posts on Instagram offers an illusory narrative of such productivity and self-improvement. However, the pressure to function as usual during the lockdown, or to surface from confinement having completed your debut novel, taught yourself three languages, and attained the abs of your dreams is highly damaging.
It’s a privilege to be coping well during this lockdown period. However, it is important to acknowledge its capacity to promote feelings of anxiety and stress. Living in confinement with the added uncertainty about the future has left many feeling unmotivated, vulnerable, trapped and lonely. Therefore, I have compiled a list of songs for the feelings that will inevitably surface during the highs and lows we’ll experience over the coming months. As you listen to these tunes, remember that it’s okay to just be, to just exist.
When you’re missing your loved ones
Being apart from our loved ones during this turbulent time is challenging. Although I can’t promise that the songs below will heal the wound of an absent friend or partner, these lyrics of heartache and yearning remind us that, whilst you may feel physically isolated, you are not emotionally alone. Described as a modern Joni Mitchell, singer-songwriter Molly Payton’s harmonies are chilling as she reminisces on how “We stayed in bed until late afternoon”.
When It Hurts So Bad by Ms. Lauryn Hill / No One Else by Molly Payton / So Far Away by Carole King / You Send Me by Sam Cooke / Left Side by Eloise / Love The Things You Do by Pip Millet / Lucky Love by Michael Seyer
To vent your lockdown frustration
This collection of music is diverse, featuring rock classics and more contemporary artists. Yet every recommendation carries strength and a punch. The angst of Buckley’s “I Want Someone Badly” and the defiant percussion of Fiona Apple’s “Heavy Balloon” are perfect for channelling your annoyance about cancelled graduations, missed holidays, and the general disruption in our present lives.
I Want to Break Free by Queen / Heavy Balloon by Fiona Apple / I Want Someone Badly by Jeff Buckley / She by Harry Styles / Sunlight by Hozier / The Chain by Fleetwood Mac / Juliette by Little Feat / Don’t Stand So Close To Me by The Police / Feverbreak by Odette, Hermitude
If you’re dreaming about future summers
Best listened to outside, “Bloom”, sung by the Australian band, The Paper Kites, spurs romantic reveries through its acoustic styling and reflective lyrics; “In the morning when I wake, and the sun is coming through”. The folk-influenced melody interestingly juxtaposes Edwin Raphael’s hypnotic melancholy indie tune, “Isle of Strawberries”. Though both evoke the nostalgia of past summers spent basking in the sun with friends.
Isle of Strawberries by Edwin Raphael / Bloom by The Paper Kites / La La Land by Bryce Vine / Sunburn by Hope Tala
When you’re unable to leave your bed
For the days when you can’t muster the strength needed to get out of bed, these songs are ideal. Lie back, cocoon yourself in a duvet, and absorb these musically intriguing songs. Biig Piig crafts a versatile sound in “Lie To Me”; she seamlessly blends rap, hip-hop, lo-fi and indie elements to produce a unique style. Its complexity will engage your mind as you continue to hit the snooze button on your alarm.
Lie To Me by Biig Piig (feat. Mac Wetha / Dreams by The Cranberries / Get Gone by Fiona Apple / Toothpaste Kisses by The Maccabees / Reality by Jacob Lee / Girlfriends by The Academic / Spirits by The Strumbellas / Let My Baby Stay by Mac DeMarco / Wish You Were Gone by Cosmo Pyke
For an instant party
These groovy songs, from the slinky disco-inspired sounds of “Fou”, to the catchy rhythms of Flor’s electric alternative pop single, “Get Behind This”, are definitely worthy of a boogie, whether you’re getting dressed for Friday night cocktails via Zoom, or simply hyping yourself up with a solo dance party!
Didn’t Cha Know by Erykah Badu / Elvis Ain’t Dead by Scouting For Girls / Out Tonight by Rosario Dawson (RENT The Musical) / Still Feel by Half.Alive / Fou by L’Impératice / Pleaser by Wallows / I Saw Her Standing There by The Beatles / Get Behind This by Flor
If you’re feeling stressed
Daily, we are swamped with concerning news and statistics regarding the current pandemic. Clerel’s “Wild Things” from his debut EP Songs From Under A Guava Tree is at once soulful and uplifting, thanks to its Motown rhythm and silky harmonies. The stripped-back, mellow songs on this list provide tranquillity in such an overwhelming time.
Like A Star by Corrine Bailey Rae / Wild Things by Clerel / Blue Sea, Red Sea by Billie Marten / Forget Her by Girl In Red / Naked As We Came by Iron & Wine / Carry You by Novo Amor / Each Good Rain by Michelle Qureshi
To be transported from reality
Those of us who can’t currently escape our physical confinement can still escape imaginatively. From Ceasar’s “A Cappella”, with its ethereal quality, to the Musical Theatre showstopper, “Moving Too Fast”, the songs listed below are transportive; they immerse you in a story, distancing you from your own.
Strange Fruit by Dominique Fils-Aimé / High Folk by Bug Beach / Moving Too Fast by Jeremy Jordan (The Last Five Years) / Cleopatra by The Lumineers / A Cappella by Daniel Caesar / No Space Left by Memory of Jane, TV / Moon Rave by Skin
If you need a cathartic cry
Often, the primary impulse when we experience uncomfortable emotions is to block them out. However, especially in the dystopia that we’re living in, letting ourselves ‘feel’ is more important than ever. Sufjan Stevens described his newest album, Aphoria, as a “homage to the beauty and depth of analog sound, and how it can evoke deeply felt human emotion”. His ambient tracks unsettlingly magnify current feelings, encouraging listeners to ‘lean into’ experiences of pain. Stevens encapsulates strong emotions of sorrow and despair beautifully in song.
Cursive by Billie Marten / Misology by Sufjan Stevens, Lowell Brams / Vincent by James Blake / Solitudes by Matt Holubowski / I Started A Joke by the Bee Gees / Should Have Known Better by Sufjan Stevens / Sleep Is A Rose by Rhodes / Visions of Gideon by Sufjan Stevens / Dandelion Wine by Gregory Alan Isakov / Garden Song by Phoebe Bridgers / Honey by Kehlani
When you need to hear a friendly voice
Plot twist: listed above are in fact podcasts, not songs, to listen to on difficult days for a chuckle or a dose of positivity. In You’ll Do, comedy couple Catherine Bohart and Sarah Keyworth share hilarious anecdotes about their relationship, in an attempt to debunk the rom-com myths of 21st-century love. Sophie Cliff’s Practical Positivity podcast is also invaluable when you’re low in spirits; the ‘Joyful Coach’ shares how to adopt a positive mindset and build the confidence and self-worth required to embrace happiness.
And finally, just for the heck of it!
Red Clay by Charlotte Dos Santos / New Orleans by Hanorah / Vienna by Ben Platt (Billy Joel cover) / Barefoot In The Park by James Blake, Rosalía / Do Not Disturb by Mahalia