As the snowy season approaches, here are 12 songs to add to your playlist and help you embrace the cold. The list below contains some of my personal favorites to listen to while walking to school or during downtime.
“Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan and Hozier
This is one of my favorite songs to listen to when it’s snowing, and I’m studying inside. I love the collaboration with Hozier and the emotional emphasis he brings to the lyrics. The music emulates how frigid temperatures can impact your emotions. It provokes feelings of isolation and seeking connections as the weather holds you back.
“Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” by Bleachers
This song captures Christmas well, and it’s beautifully sung by Jack Antonoff, so I couldn’t leave it out. The lyrics describe how the narrator wishes their past relationship a good Christmas, but they don’t want their ex to reach out to them. It’s the perfect sad indie pop song to listen to with the snow falling as you walk to grab a cup of hot cocoa.
“Evermore” by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver
This song is from one of my favorite Taylor Swift albums, “Evermore,” and it’s perfect for the snowy months. The melody is calm despite the lyrics being deep, with lines like: “Hey, December/Guess I’m feeling unmoored.” It illustrates saying hello to a new season even as you’re feeling lost, disconnected and insecure.
“Winter Song” by The Head and The Heart
This song illustrates winter with its themes of growing up, fading love and the bittersweet ending of youth. It captures the season with the lyrics directly referencing the feelings of winter. “Has time driven our seasons away?”
“How to Dream” by Sam Phillips
This tune was featured multiple times in the television show, “Gilmore Girls,” which is mainly set in the fall and winter, so there should be no surprise it made it onto this list. When I hear this song, I think of Rory and Lorelai Gilmore drinking coffee at Luke’s Diner.
“End of Beginning” by Djo
This song was trending a couple of years ago, but is still a perfect song to reminisce to. The lyrics are about becoming a new person as the calendar year changes. This song is a fantastic way to say goodbye to the old year and your old self.
“Is it new years yet?” by Sarbina Carpenter
This is one of the only pop songs on this list, but it’s such a fun, catchy hit that it had to be included. The song is all about wanting to move past the old year and facing loneliness during the holidays. This is an excellent song to add to a frosty playlist in to balancehe sad songs.
“1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins
This song might be a trending TikTok sound used during Halloween, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad piece. The background music is catchy and joyful despite the lyrics saying farewell to childhood. I still think it’s a terrific winter song because of its coming-of-age themes and lyrics describing bittersweet nostalgia.
“Blue Coupe” by Twin Peaks
This song’s message is themed around coping with loss and resilience, yet it perfectly highlights winter emotions. These feelings arise as we cope with the loss of summer and find the resilience to keep doing school work.
“Northern Wind” by City and Colour
“Northern Wind” is another love song about longing, contrasting the narrator and the person they’re describing. A recurring theme for winter songs is longing; I felt that it would be perfect for this list. In addition, I really like the album cover; it looks exactly like a cozy sweater with the bright colors featured.
“Love to Keep Me Warm” by Laufey and dodie
This is one of the happier songs in the playlist, highlighting an appreciation of cozying up with a loved one while it’s cold out. The melody rings out like a warm hug, and it utilizes classic jazz, similar to many traditional holiday songs.
“I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
A holiday classic, Ella Fizgerland and Louis Armstrong sing about the warmth of love and feature winter elements including gloves, icicles, fires, and overcoats. It’s an iconic classic sung and a perfect blend of two of the greatest jazz singers.
