January jams to chill out to

A new year, and a new decade, brings a fresh start for those that are in desperate need of one, so why not update your playlist with some new-to-you songs that will help you chill when your goals look to be a bit too far out of reach and the stress of the semester becomes overwhelming.

These songs will bring a sense of calm when the stress of the first full week of class hits and provide a bit of a pick me up when you’re feeling down.

This list is based on my playlist on Spotify called Calm Down (a little basic, I know, but it is what it is), which is comprised of a bunch of chill, relaxing and soft songs. The following songs are in no particular order. They appear as they did when my playlist was on shuffle.

The first song in this selection is “Lemon Boy” by Cavetown. This soft, quirky song is one that I could listen to on repeat for days. The song itself is actually really deep, revealing anxieties and a dark side (Lemon Boy) of the songwriter and how he accepted them and decided to use them to bring about good things. I find this song very inspirational, and it’s incredibly calming to listen to.

Next is “Fear” by Blue October. Blue October is my favorite band, but all fangirling aside, this is such an uplifting song. It’s about how fear can control you, hold you back and continue knocking you down, but it’s also about getting back up and not letting fear have hold on you for another day. This song is so soothing and has been on my Calm Down playlist since the day I created it.

Hearing this song performed live was life changing. After years of listening to the studio version, I thought it was amazing and didn’t think it could be any better than what was on the album, but seeing this song performed and hearing Justin Furstenfeld’s, singer and songwriter for Blue October, voice brought me to tears. His voice was so raw and it made the song so much more meaningful to me.

Now, the next song doesn’t really make much sense on my playlist because it has a rather dark meaning, but the sound is what allowed it a spot on my playlist. The song is “The A Team” by Ed Sheeran. The melody is calming, and personally it allows me to catch my breath and focus on gathering my thoughts and calming down.

“Fool” by Cavetown is a bit more upbeat, but is still a relaxing song nonetheless. Something about this band is so soothing. The lead singer has such a relaxing and calming voice. This song is another quirky and random song by Cavetown. This makes the song that much more interesting to listen to.

Another song by Blue October not so sneakily made its way onto my playlist. “How to Dance in Time” is such an amazing song by the band. It is a sweet and soft romantic ballad for Furstenfeld’s wife, whom he mentions in the song. This song fills me with warmth everytime I hear it, followed by a sense of calmness washing over me. I adore this song so much and highly recommend that you listen to it, as well as any other song by Blue October, but I might be slightly biased.

If any of you decide to look into any of the songs mentioned on this list (which I hope you do), this next song will probably make you question just about everything about me, so maybe don’t look this one up. This song is kind of messed up and I honestly can’t tell you why I like it or why it is on this playlist. The song is “Do, Re and Me” by AJJ. Again, I have no answers as to why, so please don’t ask.

This next song I have loved since the first time I heard it. It is constantly stuck in my head, and if it’s not, it’s stuck in one of my sisters’ heads which in turn brings it back into mine. “Lovely” by Billie Eilish and Khalid is incredibly calming to me. Their voices apart are amazing, but together they give me chills. 

The song “This Is Home” is quite possibly my favorite song right now. This is another song by Cavetown. Everything I’ve heard by this band so far has been so relaxing and calming, but deep. I just love his voice, and I relate to the lyrics of this song so much. As much as I love this song, I am finding it incredibly difficult to put just how much I love it into words. I highly recommend giving this song a listen.

Next is a song that my sister introduced me to. The song “the broken hearts club” by gnash is one of the sadder songs on my playlist, but I find the barely there instrumentals and the softness of the melody very soothing. 

“Talk to Me” is yet another song by Cavetown on this playlist. This one might compete with “This is Home” as my favorite song. It is such a soft and tranquil song. It expresses how it’s OK to feel certain things or not know what to do or say, and how talking with someone about what you feel is helpful and relieving. The singer also expresses that some anxieties will always be there but it can be eased by telling someone about it and having someone there to help calm you down. Of all the songs on this list I would recommend this one the most. It’s relaxing and quickly calms my thoughts.

The final song is by a band called The Avett Brothers, a group that combines many different styles of music including bluegrass and folk, as well as rock and rap. “Souls Like the Wheels” is a soft and soothing folk ballad. I absolutely love their mellow and calming voices. 

There are several other songs by The Avett Brothers that are calming as well that  have yet to make it onto my Calm Down playlist. A few songs that I really enjoy are “The Ballad of Love and Hate,” “I and Love and You,” and “We Americans.” Even though these have yet to make it onto my Calm Down playlist, they are still amazing and I recommend giving them a listen..

I encourage you to have a playlist for when you need a break from thinking and the stresses of life. Maybe you’ll find some of these songs helpful in calming your mind and allowing you to chill out this January. I hope you enjoyed my list, and I hope that you check out some of these songs.

Photo Credit / Cavetown