Hi all! I’ve been thinking that now might be a good time to update you on the music I’ve been loving this winter; the one with the autumn playlist was something I really enjoyed putting together, so I figured I may as well make this a seasonal thing. If I’m honest, 2018 was a little lacklustre in terms of music releases for me, but some of the artists I started listening for the first time such as Billie Eilish and XXXTentacion introduced me to other music I wouldn’t usually have considered. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the round up of my winter favourites.

Winter Playlist: 

• imagine by Ariana Grande

Ariana has really had an upward momentum in her career since thank u, next, and I’m so happy with the direction she’s going in. imagine features soft trap beats and percussion before swelling magnificently during the bridge to showcase Ariana’s signature whistle notes. Personally, imagine really emotionally resonated with me and showed a more vulnerable side to Ariana. As she pleads, ‘why can’t you imagine a world like that?’, it’s hard not to think about how poignant this question truly is in the aftermath of ex Mac Miller’s untimely death last year.

• Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

Dreams is one of my favourite songs of all time and in my opinion it’s one of Fleetwood Mac’s best (and fun fact, it was actually their only #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100). Lyrically, Dreams focuses on emotional upheaval and loss and was written by Stevie Nicks in just 10 minutes, in  response to her breakup with fellow bandmate Lindsey Buckingham. For me, it’s just a super mellow song; the jangly guitar riffs remind me of long road trips and journeys to new places. My absolute favourite line is ‘when the rain washes you clean, you’ll know’ because it’s such a relatable metaphor: accepting loss is difficult and when you get there, it’s just an instinctive realisation.

• Without Me by Halsey

It almost irks me to include this because Halsey can be so problematic, but I’m just here to talk about her music, not her personality. Without Me is by far my favourite Halsey song and like Dreams and imagine, it reflects on emotional turmoil in a relationship. Halsey’s vocals are searingly raw and the pain in her voice is emphasised by the climatic synth production. I like that it doesn’t romanticise toxic relationships but instead focuses on the damaging reality of them. Abandonment is a horrible feeling and Without Me perfectly captures the feelings of rejection, insecurity and anger that comes with it.

• Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi

I don’t have lots to say about Someone You Loved because Lewis was randomly recommended to me on an Apple Music playlist, but there’s something about this song and its simplicity that just really works. His tone, lyrics and the production really complement each other nicely and works to create a really poignant song. I also listened to his EP Breach and I can definitely see why he’s a front runner for this year’s Critics Choice Award at the Brits.

• I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes) by The 1975

I know The 1975 are very love/hate for a lot of people, but I’ve always loved them so sorry not sorry for including them again. (Plus I’m seeing them in concert in 2 days, so I’ve been listening to them a lot in preparation!) I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes) is the closing track from their most recent album A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships. Whilst I have slightly mixed opinions on the album, this song was an instant stand-out. It has such a 90s Britpop/cinematic sound to it and feels really nostalgic. Matty loves a good pop culture reference; just as Robbers was a homage to Quentin Tarantino’s True Romance, Always Wanna Die is reportedly supposed to mimic the end of the 1967 US Romcom, The Graduate. 

• Trip by Ella Mai

Ella’s voice is so mellow and chill, I’m really obsessed with her and Jorja Smith at the moment. I found Ella through Boo’d Up and loved how 90s RnB the song felt, whilst still feeling fresh. Trip is similar in composition and production to Boo’d Up and whilst the ‘your love is my drug’ lyrical theme isn’t overly groundbreaking, it definitely doesn’t make the song less listenable. Trip is just one of those songs I can have on in the background and do work to without getting too distracted, which is always a plus.

• ZEZE by Kodak Black ft. Travis Scott & Offset

This is probably the song that fits in the least with the others in almost every possible way; production, lyrics, performance-style, etc. However, ZEZE offers a change of pace from the themes of sadness/heartbreak/reflection that seem to (unintentionally) recur with my other recommendations. I’m not a huge listener of any of the artists, with the exception of Travis Scott, but I just like the beat and general vibe of the song, it’s super catchy. I think I’ve also been listening to it a lot because Paddy always requests it in Snobs (our second home 😉 ).

• Lost in the Fire by Gesaffelstein & The Weeknd

This collaboration with French DJ/Producer Gesaffelstein follows on from two tracks on Abel’s most recent mini album, My Dear Melancholy. Despite not being full length, Melancholy was one of my favourite albums from 2018 and I really enjoyed Gesaffelstein’s contributions (I Was Never There is so atmospheric). In many ways, Lost in the Fire is pretty standard material for The Weeknd and is obviously a tribute to his girlfriend Bella Hadid, who he got back together with mid-2018. I like almost anything by The Weeknd because he’s one of my favourite artists so at worst, this is formulaic but definitely cohesive with his overall style and aesthetic.

• 7 Rings by Ariana Grande

Coincidentally, I’m ending another playlist with an Ariana Grande song! Stylistically and lyrically, 7 Rings is a marked change in pace for Ariana and is completely distinctive from both her most recent offerings, thank u, next and imagine. I really like how she’s sampled the melody of My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music and interestingly, this isn’t her first artistic homage to The Sound of Music. However, her Cardi B/Nicki Minaj-esque flow is definitely proving divisive for many critics and fans. Personally, I like that Ariana isn’t afraid to switch things up and bring something unexpected to the table. 7 Rings is just a fun girl-boss track and makes me feel like I’m hella rich (I mean, my student loan just dropping also kinda helps but still) and I’ve had it on repeat these last two days.

Thank you so much for reading as per, I hope this isn’t too random and thrown together! I’m hopeful that 2019 will bring some good new music, so I can continue this series into Spring and Summer, etc. I’m off to Paris in literally 3 days and I cannot wait, so look out for my next blog post on my time there. Until next time💖

Hol xo