As we struggle through the dark, cold days of winter, it’s nice to listen to songs that remind us of the light amidst the darkness. I’ve made a playlist of songs that feel like sunshine, so that next time you walk to class in the cold, you can fall in love with life again.
1. Natasha Bedingfield: “Unwritten”
Starting off strong, we have a classic feel-good song. “Unwritten” is about taking the experiences life throws at you and making them your own. As the song’s title suggests, Bedingfield calls her listeners to write their own stories. The constant peppy beat throughout the song feels like a reminder to keep going no matter what happens.
2. Bad Bunny: “DtMF”
This song is actually quite nostalgic and regretful, but I think that makes it all the more beautiful. “DtMF,” short for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” means “I should’ve taken more photos.” It’s a bittersweet reflection on the passage of time and looking back at old memories. Bad Bunny begins by reminiscing about the beautiful sunsets of his homeland, Puerto Rico. Although the song could be considered regretful and longing, to me, it is more of a love letter to memories.
3. Wolf Parade: “I’ll Believe In Anything”
Recently popularized through the hit TV show Heated Rivalry, this 2005 song carries a chaotic joy to it. Though played a couple of times in the show, it is best known for Scott Hunter’s public coming-out moment, when he fully accepts his love for Kip despite his fear of public backlash or losing his career. This song feels intensely chaotic, yet deeply personal. It starts off brightly with the lines “Give me your eyes / I need sunshine.” My favorite lines come later: “I’d take you where nobody knows you / And nobody gives a damn.” The song feels like a rejection of societal pressure and an acceptance of happiness despite anything else that might be going on.
4. Phillip Phillips: “Home”
Like “Unwritten,” “Home” is another classic. The upbeat mix of percussion and guitar strumming comes together to make a joyful song. On top of that, the lyrics, specifically the final lines in the chorus, “Just know you’re not alone / ’Cause I’m gonna make this place your home,” are a hopeful reminder that there will always be light amidst darkness.
5. Taylor Swift: “Long Live”
“Long Live” is an ode to the present and knowing that all the work you did in the past led you to right where you are. This song is about celebrating all the difficulties you fought, and the people you fought alongside, to get to this moment. This is one of my favorite songs to listen to on a dark day, as Swift’s unadulterated joy feels like a reminder that life is worth loving.
6. David Bowie: “Heroes”
My favorite song of all time, “Heroes” tells the story of two lovers separated by the Berlin Wall. The song is bittersweet, acknowledging the difficulty of their situation but giving a brief moment of hope beyond the wall. In 1987, a decade after the song’s release, Bowie returned to West Berlin to perform a concert. He placed his concert next to the Berlin Wall to allow the citizens of East Berlin to also hear his performance. In an article for Vox, Max Fisher states that the concert “allow[ed] these two halves of the city to hear the same show, divided but together.” “Heroes” is an ode to hope, even in the darkest of times.
7. Electric Light Orchestra: “Mr. Blue Sky”
What screams ‘falling in love with life’ more than a song about finally seeing the blue sky again after days of cloud and rain? For a playlist of songs that feel like sunshine, “Mr. Blue Sky” quite literally matches the description. If you’re ever feeling down this winter, this is the perfect song to cheer you up.
8. The Kinks: “Waterloo Sunset”
“Waterloo Sunset” is about an observer finding paradise in the simple joys of life. The observer watches two lovers meet on this landscape, relishing in the profound, beautiful connections that happen all around us. This song is a beautiful reminder of the extraordinary things that exist in an incredibly ordinary world.
9. Djo: “End of Beginning”
“End of Beginning” is a nostalgic song about appreciating the past while getting ready for the new life ahead of you. Written during Djo’s move from Chicago to Los Angeles, the song reflects uncertainty yet hope. I love the line where his sister, Caroline, reassures him that he will be fine, that this new step is a good direction for him.
10. Olivia Dean: “I’ve Seen It”
My final two songs are a bit slower, neatly wrapping up this playlist. In “I’ve Seen It,” Olivia Dean talks about all the different kinds of love we find around us in our day-to-day lives. From platonic to romantic to self-love, Dean’s song (the final song on her album The Art of Loving) is a beautiful depiction of the joy with which we are surrounded, whether or not we can see it right now. For a playlist about falling in love with life, this felt like the perfect inclusion.
11. Vanbur: “Falling Colour”
Finally, I wanted to end with a mostly instrumental song. This song is light and airy — the epitome of hope amidst darkness. The violin and cello begin to pick up pace toward the middle of the song, crescendoing until everything falls away again and the song slows back down. “Falling Colour” is love, sunshine and hope.
You can find the playlist here.
‘Solar Flare’ is a weekly playlist column where Sun contributors spotlight a slice of musical taste with the campus community. It runs every Monday.
Katherine Winton is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at kwinton@cornellsun.com.
