A Jawbreaker Summer Ending: August 2019 Playlist
Image by Lauren Tepfer
A Jawbreaker Summer Ending: August 2019 Playlist
link to playlist: https://spoti.fi/31yXjtj
The inevitable return to school, the ending of vacation, and the beginning of a new job, new school, and new life can be nerve-racking. Life holds so much uncertainty, it’s surprising we even manage to get through it. During the transition from bikinis to school uniforms or business attire, it is critical that we take care of ourselves. For some that means a vacation, meeting up with old friends, or finding a playlist that eases your nerves. Along with Jawbreaker’s aesthetically beautiful photo collections, creative poetry pieces, and personal essays, here is a stress-free playlist following the ending of Summer 2019:
Enjoy Your Life - MARINA
Blinding My Vision - K. Roosevelt
Borderline - Tame Impala
Jet Black (feat. Brandy) - Anderson.Paak, Brandy
Closer to You - Clario
I BEEN BORN AGAIN - BROCKHAMPTON
Waves - Tame Impala Remix - Miguel, Tame Impala
Youth - Glass Animals
Doin’ Time - Lana Del Rey
Sundress - A$AP Rocky
Sanctuary - Joji
Lava - Still Woozy
Peach - Kevin Abstract
That’s Life (feat. Mac Miller & Sia) - 88-Keys, Mac Miller, Sia
Cheap Queen - King Princess
Prophet - King Princess
Let’s Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS
Imagination - Foster The People
My Dude - Litany
Summer Girl - HAIM
This Life - Vampire Weekend
Pieces of US (feat. King Princess) - Mark Ronson, King Princess
Drama (feat. Drake) - Roy Woods, Drake
blonde - Isaac Dunbar
While this playlist incorporates a variety of talented artists with meaningful songs, there are a few key tracks that make this playlist worthy of a good listen in your car with friends or alone in your room the night before school starts. “Enjoy Your Life”, “Jet Black”, “Prophet”, “That’s Life”, and “blonde” are the songs that truly encompass the goal of this playlist: to lift your spirits and ease your stress.
“Enjoy Your Life” as the first song on the playlist was not chosen without intent. MARINA’s songs are all very empowering, exciting, and demanding of attention. What sets this song apart is its message: it feels liberating and carefree. The song’s most empowering verse says, “Sit back and enjoy your problems / (Oh) you don’t always have to solve them / (Yeah, uh-uh-uh-uh-uh) ‘cause your worst days, they are over / (uh-uh-uh-uh) so enjoy your life”. Its beats are optimistic and MARINA’s words are comforting. According to Genius, “Enjoy Your Life” was a healing way for Marina to calm down and accept her issues. It is essential to feeling better and knowing that things only get better when you look at the bigger picture. Not everything has to be perfect and life only happens if you let it.
While this song may be the 9th track in Anderson .Paak’s Ventura album, “Jet Black” definitely isn’t rated 9th on the album. Featuring the artist Brandy, the song is a perfect mix of Brandy’s melodic voice and Anderson’s perfectly mellow expressions. They transition beautifully in the lyrics, “We peakin’ / Hands above us / Feels like someone liftin’ me.” The song’s beats and the distinct Anderson .Paak tempo is perfect both for car rides to music festivals. The Generation of Infamous even dubbed it to be one of the hottest songs of April 2019. This playlist probably won’t be the only place that features such a groovy song--be ready to hear “Jet Black” everywhere for the rest of the summer.
The news of Mac Miller’s overdose last year was beyond tragic. Content creators, family, friends, and fans all grieved the singer/rapper/producer’s untimely passing. His songs have all been honored and can still be heard on the radio. His legacy lives on as 88-Keys, Sia, and Mac have collaborated on a song together known as “That’s Life,” released this June, nearly 10 months after Mac's death. According to Stereogum, the song was actually recorded in 2015. The message of the song was inspired by a conversation between 88-keys and Mac regarding relationship advice. Mac was struggling in a romantic relationship and 88-Keys explained he was “trying to relate to his situation, just letting him know he’ll come out on the other side.” It is songs like this that reminds his audience how talented and how missed Mac Miller will always be.
Any lover of Lorde or Conan Gray has to know King Princess, formally known as Mikaela Straus, and her iconic song “1950” released last year. One of her newest releases, “Prophet”, is similar to “1950” with her rich timbre and soft beats. This song is a tribute to her growth as an artist over the past few months. She explores repetition and taking her voice to what may be described as dreamy tone. She furthers this in her lyrics: “I can only think about you / And what it’s like to walk around you / And why they like to talk about you.” King Princess’ music history goes far back to when she was a child. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she expresses her musical childhood and constant singing in the shower. Now, she’s 20 years old and is loved by nearly 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. That is one of the many reasons “Prophet” is key to the playlist. It’s young, mellow, and most importantly, it speaks to listeners everywhere.
Isaac Dunbar is one of the most underrated and talented young artists on this playlist. At only 16 years old, he has released numerous singles, some of which appear on his debut album, “balloons don’t float here”, which hit streaming platforms last month. He records most of his songs in his bedroom, including “blonde”. In just two minutes and 26 seconds, Dunbar turns a funky and suspenseful opening into an indie pop hit where he says, “Give me another taste / of what it's like to waste years with you.. Beyond his deep lyrics, this artist throws in phrases to keep his listeners entertained by saying “Ugh!” or “Ew!” similar to the way Billie Eilish says “Duh!” in her “bad guy” hit song. As the finale song to the playlist, it walks through emotions of being lost and in love. However, it isn’t sappy. It is exciting and visionary until the very last second.
No matter how your summer went, it deserves a great ending, so you can move into the next phase of your life feeling hopeful and groovy. These songs, especially the ones discussed above, are meant to give you that bit of excitement and nostalgia of Summer 2019. Time is passing and hopefully these songs make it even a little better.