Congrats! You’ve officially made it to spring alive. A formal extension of congratulations seems necessary—we all deserve it after these long, dreary winter months. The sun has made her return with open arms. I know it’s time for me to initiate farewells to my winter hibernation playlists: goodbye to grunge, metal, shoegaze, and sad girl indie. Just kidding—I’ll most likely listen to them in the next week (at the most). This week’s Now Playing: features songs that embrace the spring spirit. They sound like sunshine, like picnics, like a warm breeze caressing your face. Vibes at their finest. Excellent driving-with-the-windows-down songs. As always, I broke up the theme of this playlist into five categories: indie pop, dance pop, indie/alt rock, dream pop, and feel-good oldies. Yes, I know—lots of pop. Isn’t it wonderful?!
Be sure to follow along with the playlist equivalent by navigating to my Spotify profile, @sabrina.capello. Read on and enjoy!
Indie Pop. An obvious choice to a spring playlist, of course. These will definitely have you head swaying, shoulder shaking, and toe tapping, at the very least. They’re just cheerful, vibey songs, perfect for a beautiful, cloudless spring day.
- “Be Sweet” by Japanese Breakfast
- “Strawberry Blonde” by chloe moriondo
- “Black Licorice” by Peach Pit
- “Angel Baby” by Troye Sivan
- “Eat Your Heart Out” by WALK THE MOON
- “Solid” by MUNA
- “UGH!” by The 1975
- “A Head Full of Dreams” by Coldplay
- “Suckerpunch” by FLETCHER
- “4EVER!” by LANY
Dance Pop. Now these might be venturing into summer vibes—however, I strayed from any basic summer classics in my attempt to separate the two. These are perfect for upbeat, early spring days. Honestly, anything by MARINA is a headbanger, and don’t even get me started on Lady Gaga. Absolute perfection in every way.
- “Disco Heaven” by Lady Gaga
- “Grow a Pear” by Kesha
- “River” by Miley Cyrus
- “Are You Satisfied?” by MARINA
- “Strobelite” by Gorillaz, feat. Peven Everet
- “Adventure of a Lifetime” by Coldplay
- “American Boy” by Estelle & Kanye West
- “Valerie” by Mark Ronson, feat. Amy Winehouse
- “Can I Get It” by Adele
- “Photo ID” by Remi Wolf & Dominic Fike
Indie/Alt Rock. Would any playlist of mine be complete without at least one Paramore song? Of course, I had to include a category of rock, except this time, it’s specifically catered to be spring friendly. “Pool” is absolutely immaculate, and “U + Ur Hand” provides just the right amount of angst to still be feel-good.
- “You’re All I Have” by Snow Patrol
- “Change Your Mind” by The Killers
- “Pool” by Paramore
- “In My Home” by Young the Giant
- “My Honest Face” by Inhaler
- “Leave Me Alone” by I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
- “Happy Together” by Gerard Way, feat. Ray Toro
- “Starlight” by Muse
- “1901” by Phoenix
- “U + Ur Hand” by P!nk
Dream Pop. I’ve been going through this phase recently, ever since the first really good day of weather. Dream pop is a wonderful mix of indie vocals, pop bass, and an electronic, spacey quality. Also, there’s something paradoxical about listing to Mitski on a beautiful spring day. I have a feeling that’s not what she was envisioning, but alas, here I am.
- “I Bet on Losing Dogs” by Mitski
- “Heartbeats” by The Knife
- “Sugar” by Men I Trust
- “Daydream / Wetdream / Nightmare” by Saint Motel
- “Life Worth Missing” by Car Seat Headrest
- “This Time” by Tanukichan
- “Only Friend” by Wallows
- “Lost In Yesterday” by Tame Impala
- “Pharmacist” by Alvvays
- “Lights On” by Hatchie
Feel-Good Oldies. What’s a spring playlist without a few disco, a few classic rock, and a few new wave songs? A not good one, in my opinion. Stevie Wonder is necessary on a beautiful spring day. Hall & Oates, am I right? Anyways, these are the perfect balance to the pop-y, dance-y songs above. They bring an essential component of what springtime is all about.
- “Drop The Pilot” by Joan Armatrading
- “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany
- “Say You Love Me” by Fleetwood Mac
- “For Once In My Life” by Stevie Wonder
- “These Dreams of You” by Van Morrison
- “Manic Monday” by The Bangles
- “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Daryl Hall & John Oates
- “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” by Billy Joel
- “Angeleyes” by ABBA
- “Sunny” by Boney M.
Enjoy! Commemorate the beginning of this spring with these essential tracks. Don’t forget to follow my playlist Now Playing: on Spotify if you want the every-other-week updates!