Another year, another year-end playlist to share! I’ve cobbled this one together from my most-listened tracks of 2019, as well as some late favourites and a couple that I threw in just cause I like them.
Once more, with feeling: you can listen on Spotify and see my commentary on the tracks below.
Dua Lipa is back, and she’s bringing disco back with her! This track is fun, smart, and easy to dance to, and has me super excited about Dua’s upcoming album. If the tracks on Future Nostalgia are anything like this one, 2020’s going to be a good year for music.
I Will Follow You into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
I have no idea why I started listening to this song again in 2019, but I did, and I’m so glad I did. This song meant a lot to me in high school, and it’s kind of a strange relief to realize that it still means a lot to me so many years later.
Favourite lyrics: “no blinding light or tunnels to gates of white / just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark”
All I’ve Ever Known - Eva Noblezada, Reeve Carney
This year, Hadestown came swinging into my life like a giant wrecking ball made of anticapitalist messaging and springtime and hope. “All I’ve Ever Known” is the sweetest love ballad, I would happily die for Eva and Reeve, please inject both their voices directly into my veins, thank you, goodnight.
(If you would also like to fall down a Hadestown rabbit hole, you can listen to the full soundtrack on Spotify—it’s entirely sung through, so you won’t miss anything!)
To be honest, almost any of the tracks off Lover could have made it onto this list, but I chose “The Archer” specifically because something about the lyrics resonated with me really deeply. Self-doubt, loneliness, desperately reaching for someone to hold onto—all of those feelings were motifs for me throughout the year, and this song encapsulates them perfectly.
Favourite lyrics: “I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost / the room is on fire, invisible smoke / and all of my heroes die all alone / help me hold onto you”
Ben Platt is a man of many talents. Who else could have shattered my heart into a million pieces in Dear Evan Hansen and then given me my favourite pop song of 2019? “RAIN” is a pulsing, exuberant song about throwing yourself into love headfirst, and that’s the energy I’m bringing with me into 2020.
Favourite lyrics: “breathe deep, let it wash over you / we’re slowly becoming lovers / I promise you we won’t be like the others / we won’t go running for cover”
Another one of my favourite love songs this year (even though it’s a couple years old now). Something about Jack’s delivery here, like he’s shouting because he can’t contain his excitement, is just so infectious. I’ve mentioned my “songs to play at my wedding” playlist on this blog before, and “Let’s Get Married” is on it, like, eight times.
Bonus: Mitski’s cover of this song is also a favourite of mine. She brings out the honesty and vulnerability in these lyrics really beautifully.
Favourite lyrics: “change me at all costs / starlight and star-crossed / take me so breathless / we could be reckless”
You Learn - Original Broadway Cast of Jagged Little Pill
If I can’t fly to New York to see this musical, the best I can do is play the cast album on repeat for all of eternity. The creative team of Jagged Little Pill did a great job reworking Alanis Morissette’s work for a Broadway ensemble, and as an added bonus, I can finally beam Antonio Cipriano’s voice directly into my ears with studio clarity.
Also, this song kind of wraps up the year in a nice bow for me. As cheesy as it sounds, I did a lot of living and loving and crying and losing and bleeding and screaming in 2019, and I learned a lot, too.
What’s Up Danger - Blackway, Black Caviar
Technically, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse came out in 2018, but I saw it in 2019, and I can think of no better anthem for 2020 than “What’s Up Danger.” The movie was an absolute delight, this song makes me feel like a bona fide superhero, and I could really use a shot of bravado, so here we go: it’s time for a leap of faith.
2020, we’re coming for you.
