Color Theory Funk

Hello! Welcome to the second ‘Color Theory’ article! Now, recently it seems like everyone I’ve talked to (myself included) has been in a funk. Midterms have been somehow going on for the past two weeks, the weather is back to being mildly hot, and now Halloween is upon us. Honestly, just a lot is going on. 

When thinking about what color I should write this article on, I truly had no clue. Nothing was speaking to me (because of said funk). However, the funny thing is I already have a playlist for when I get into a funk aptly called ‘guess I’m in a funk’. The colors I associate with a funk, and with this playlist, are similar to those of a Remi Wolf album cover (don’t be deceived by the image on this article, Remi Wolf actually isn’t included in this playlist unfortunately). Just a bunch of bright, clashing colors all jumbled together. Similar to if you googled ‘funky’ or ‘groovy’. Being in a funk truly is the most mind-boggling feeling ever. Everything just seems a little off to me. I haven’t seen my friends in a few days, I’m sick of my usual music, and I want to stop writing papers about Plato. Thus, this playlist stems from a time when I needed to listen to anything but what I was listening to on repeat. The songs feel like a mash up of different contrasting colors and, for me at least, were the perfect recipe to get me feeling less funk-y. My best advice is to put these songs on with the singular goal of just dancing around your room. Speaking from experience, sometimes that all it takes to get you feeling like yourself again. 

The first song on this playlist is “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan. I first heard this song on TikTok, as Roan was one of those artists who got her start on TikTok. I absolutely loved it. The production is fun, and the song gets more intense as it progresses. Roan’s voice is also incredible and very unique—a bit of rasp can be heard as she sings the verses and turns to a belt as she reaches the chorus. This song is also a perfect dance song. The second I hear it I just want to drop what I’m doing and dance around. Which is perfect for getting out a funk! 

The next song I stumbled upon is “Serotonin” by Nic D. Again, another song I discovered on TikTok and liked enough to look up on Spotify. This song is just fun! The production is pretty lowkey and the song itself borders on rap rather than clear singing. I’m obsessed with the lyrics—the chorus centers around an abundance of references like ‘13 ways to Tess, I’m Danny Ocean’. It’s an upbeat song that is a little different than the music I usually listen to, so this was definitely a winner when it comes to beating funks. Another Nic D song, “Fine Apple”, is also on this playlist. The lyrics are fun and creative and has a similar upbeat nature. 

The third song that I think is fantastic at getting out of funks is Valley’s Oh shit…are we in love?. I love this song! I love Valley! The song starts out mellow but builds into the chorus and then just becomes the most ‘dancey’ song. When I listen to this, I picture myself in a music video just immensely over acting every single one of the lyrics. The song itself has some good advice about getting over funks (even though that is most definitely not what it is about) with lyrics like “back up” “slow down” and “don’t think too much”. 

“Clean” by Maude Latour is the next song. Maude is a singer-songwriter who just recently graduated from Columbia, so she definitely knows what it’s like to be in a funk and just be overwhelmed with school. Her production contains a good amount of synth which makes the song feel pretty electronic. The song is the definition of ‘pop’ as well and is just another song that’s perfect to dance to. “Clean” embodies that feeling of trying to get out of a rut as Latour sings about the struggle that is just keeping her room clean. This is the perfect song to put on during a Sunday afternoon when it’s finally time to clean your own room and actually get your life together.