This so-called “quarantine” has, understandably, thrown everyone for a loop and more than likely caused some very emotional thoughts to occur. It almost seems as though we’re going crazy from time to time, but, in the end, we must survive for the better of health and wellness.

Now, one thing I have been doing to get by during this hard and strenuous time is play and listen to music basically every second of the day. Music has always been something that relaxes me and instantly changes my mood when I’m not in the best one at the time.

This being said, I took it upon myself to design a playlist of 50 of my favorite songs, at the moment, in what I call “Hayden’s Quarantine Survival Playlist”.

Within the playlist, you can find a variety of musical genres as well as a range of different artists that have always either stood out to me or are just automatic classics. There’s some new music, as well as a lot of older hits from some of the 2000’s best albums. From Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, and Billie Eilish to Harry Styles, Kacey Musgraves, and Conan Gray, there’s going to be something for everybody.

Links to Playlist:

Apple Music

Spotify

Now, here’s a breakdown of the first 15 songs and why I added them to this playlist:

1. “Find an Island” – BENEE: Now, if you have a TikTok account, it is more than likely you learned the dance or at least heard this artist’s song called “Supalonely”. As catchy as that song is, I took a deeper look into the “Stella & Steve –EP” that both songs are featured on and this song particularly stood out. Attractive electronic sounds and intriguing lyrics fill the song and made me constantly come back for more.
2. “Little League” – Conan Gray: This song screams teenage nostalgia. Whether it’s due to Conan being pretty close in age to myself or just his young appeal, this song fits the exact mood that most students, especially seniors, are feeling right now. The singer reflects on his time in high school and if he “can get a rewind”, all to a strong chorus with heavy-hitting drums and soft, but sweet harmonies. If any song represents my time at South Pointe High School, it’s this one. I truly will miss it and this song only helps me better my memories of a school that I would consider home.
3. “Save Your Tears” – The Weeknd: This and The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” gives off strong 80’s sounds that completely fill me with joy. As sad as some of the lyrics may be, this song honestly only makes me feel good. The keyboards and smooth rhythmic notes can only make me smile. This song is easily one of my favorites from the Weeknd’s newly released fourth studio album.
4. “Savage” – Megan Thee Stallion: How could I not include this song? As easily one of Meg’s biggest hits, this song is the definition of a “bop”. Not only did this song come with another classic TikTok dance, Meg’s lyrics, although quite graphic, are easily a standout factor as they flawlessly flow over a simple two note beat. Personally, I learned every single word and every time I hear this song play, I have no choice but to go all out.
5. “Dime Store Cowboy” – Kacey Musgraves: Kacey Musgraves has easily become one of my favorite artists and this song truly describes her older style in the best way possible. I don’t particularly love most country music but there isn’t a single song by her that I don’t enjoy, as you’ll probably see by the three more songs I have by her on this playlist. Kacey reminiscences on her hometown and the time leading up to her stardom all through sweet lyrics and bright guitars and banjos.
6. “Karma” – Lucky Daye: This song immediately gave me “Them Changes” by Thundercat vibes. A bass guitar fills the song with a deep, jarring riff along with Daye’s deep vocals and harmonies. I can only choose to nod my head and close my eyes when I hear this song.
7. “I Miss You” – Beyoncé: “I Miss You” is a strong contender for the saddest song on this playlist, but sometimes sad songs are exactly what you need when you’re not feeling your best. As cheesy as this sounds, this song goes out to all the people that made my time as a Stallion so great. I honestly don’t know how to describe this song, so if you haven’t already, go give it a listen.
8. “I Don’t Miss You At All” – FINNEAS: When I say this I mean it with complete honesty. I did not mean to put this song right after Beyoncé’s “I Miss You”, it really just happened, but I’m glad it did. The placement of these two songs alone shows the strange dynamics that come from high school. Of course, I would do anything to go back right now, but there are most definitely things that make me say “I don’t miss you at all”.
9. “So Good” – Omar Apollo: Now, this a song that makes me want to just get up and dance, you know, if I could do that. I had never heard any previous work by Apollo, but I’m glad I finally gave him a go, especially with this song. The electric guitar followed by subtle hi-hats and a rhythmic keyboard only make this song even better than it already is.
10. “No Time to Die” – Billie Eilish: The respect that I have for Billie Eilish is insane. Not only is Eilish a 5-time Grammy winner at only the age of 18, she is now one of the few people who has had the honor to write and perform the theme song for a James Bond film. I can’t lie, when I first heard that Billie and her brother Finneas were given the reigns to writing a song like this, I was a little concerned. As soon as I heard Billie utter the first words from “No Time to Die”, all doubt left my body. To summarize, this song is beautiful and Billie proves to be a standout artist of our generation.
11. “Posthumous Forgiveness” – Tame Impala: Originally released as a single before the publishing of their long-awaited album “The Slow Rush”, Tame Impala masters the Alternative genre once again. Similar to Frank Ocean’s “Nights”, this song is basically two-in-one. At a sold six minutes and six seconds long, “Posthumous Forgiveness” is unique even for Tame Impala. I’ve never really heard a song like this, and when I say this I mean it in only positive ways.
12. “I Can See” – Mac Miller: Soft keyboard strokes followed by light 8O8 drums. A song filled with elements as simple as this can truly be amazing and Miller proves just so. Featured on his posthumous album “Circles”, Miller slows down his album’s speed with this song. You can really feel his emotion throughout his lyrics, but with the help of his former girlfriend Ariana Grande, you get an even better glimpse into romance with an amazing chorus.
13. “HAD ENOUGH” – Don Toliver (feat. Quavo & Offset): I’m not sure if it was Don Toliver’s unique sound or The Carter’s sample of their song “Summer” that made me love this song. Either way, I’m glad I found it when I did. Strong verses from all three parties are featured and this song overall is great.
14. “To Be So Lonely” – Harry Styles: The opening ukulele picks and strums alone made me fall in love with this song. There is truly a story behind Style’s work and he specifically features one in “To Be So Lonely”. Although the verses are strong, the true strongest part of this song is its chorus. Beginning with an increasingly loud cymbal, Styles harmonizes and wows all audiences with this meaningful piece of music.
15. “Come Back to Earth” – Mac Miller: The first song I ever heard by Miller and easily my favorite. It opens with some of nicest minor guitar chords that completely make me love his style of rap. When artists, particularly of the Hip Hop and Rap genre, feature pianos and other actual instruments in their songs, I know I’m going to find something different with them that I will 100% enjoy, and I did just so with Mac Miller’s “Come Back to Earth”.

Stay tuned next week for a breakdown of the next 15 songs!