A New Year Playlist

One of my year-end rituals is to create a playlist to ease out of holiday and seasonal music and into a new rhythm and a new year. It's usually a mix of some of the songs I've enjoyed from the year, catching up on recommendations, and a perusal of those eerily accurate and enjoyable algorithms labeled "Discover New Music" on Spotify.

It's like that app is saying, "You know you can listen to other things besides Taylor Swift, right?"

Oh, I know, Spotify. I know.

2020 was…honestly; I'm still unsure how to put it into words. We all went through a spectrum of experiences, emotions, and may still be wondering where and when we'll get a solid footing to move forward. Changing the calendar to January 2021 doesn't magically alleviate or fix what the past ten months wrought. Loss still hurts and change is still difficult, but a new year can be an avenue to refresh our perspective and posture - even if ever so slightly.

As silly as it may sound, this New Year playlist helps me do that. As I was curating the songs, I realized a theme and flow that reminded me of how it was before the pandemic and to dream how it might be someday soon. This playlist reminds me of the vibes in some of my favorite coffee shops. The singer-songwriters and folk/indie-rock take me to The Good Beans Cafe, Fireside, or Flatlands in Ohio. The booming pop and chill contemporary reminded me of the atmosphere at Madcap or Foster Coffee Co.

Which is why I used a photo I took outside of a snowy Flatlands Coffee as the cover (a great roaster and cafe in Bowling Green, Ohio).

The playlist bursts with new work from familiar faces, a few new songs I recently fell into, and selections from my 2020 heavy rotation. The Joseph "NYE" remix felt like the perfect vibe to start with, and I had to end with an absolute ANTHEM from Young Ritual.

Enjoy the playlist on Spotify (or don't - that's fine too). It's a gift of sorts. Maybe there are some artists or songs you haven't come across, or it's been a while, and it sparks something good for you today. Perhaps it will remind you of being in your favorite coffee shop or around loved ones or something else that helps you enter into 2021 refreshed and renewed.

Listen in the player at the beginning of this post or on Spotify by clicking the link below: