“30-Day Song Challenge” — Days 8- 14

Ain’t no party like an Instagram Story party…

Here’s the next batch of songs in the challenge. This group was a bit more effortless than the last, perhaps the easiest group to curate! Let’s get into it…

Day 8: A song about drugs or alcohol

While I was originally going to pick “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd, I tried thinking about songs that I better connected with. This song came in like an angsty storm when I was in high school dealing with my first great romance. While this song appeals to anyone dealing with a person they can’t seem to help themselves over, the songs lyrics hint at a heroin addiction and how it can take over one’s life.

Day 9: A song that makes you happy

If you haven’t seen the ridiculously cheaply made music video for this one off single by John Mayer, go watch it now. This song is infectious and allows for endless repeats. Along with many memories of summer bike rides/skates/bus rides/car rides in LA listening to this song, I recall a moment while playing dodgeball with LGBTQ+ friends in Cleveland. I was going through a rough patch and felt particularly down. This song came on while playing and it made my day better, instantly. I can’t think of any song that has done for me what “New Light” does each and every time I hear it. If that doesn’t warrant a spot in this category, I don’t know what does.

Day 10: A song that makes you sad

One of my favorite songs of all time, “Hanging On” expresses — amongst other things — the pains of codependency, the futility of ending love, the inability to make sense of your own circumstances, and the regrets of a failed experience. I suffer from consistent bouts of dwelling on the past and the sensation of regret. Active Child’s lyrics capture much of how I look back on many memories from the lives I once lived. While this song brings me back to people and places I’d much rather move on from, part of the healing process is allowing these thoughts to come back and consistently letting them go peacefully — a practice we should all attempt to explore.

Day 11: A song you never get tired of

Happy looping percussion samples, warm and fuzzy bass lines, and bright synths building to a crescendo of howls and cymbal crashes all add up to a song that I could listen to any day, any time. I actually play an imaginary music video in my head on each listen wherein a low budget group of werewolves and vampires play out a supernatural West Side Story. It all culminates in a random dance battle under a full moon. With that much of a visualization playing on my mind, it’s no wonder I like this song so much. Hopefully you get where I’m coming from.

Day 12: A song from your preteen years

Coming off of one of my all-time favorite rock albums, Sum 41’s “Nothing On My Back” was among the many songs I was made to listen to while driving around with my older brother. Much of my musical taste in the early 2000s was shaped by what he listened to and Sum 41 remains one of the groups that I still consistently revisit, unadulterated pop-punk on full display.

Day 13: A song you like from the 1970s

Fun fact: Cheap Trick was my first ever concert. I even went back stage to meet them. I think I was five years old at the time but I still remember things like being on my dad’s shoulders right near the stage and shaking hands with big famous people. While many people are more familiar of the “Live at Budokan” rendition of this classic, it was particularly delightful to finally listen to the original recorded version (especially discovering the delay effect on “crying” and “dying” which helps make sense of the crowd chanting in the live recordings.. such fun!).

Day 14: A song you’d love to be played at your wedding

Hellogoodbye’s evolution as a musical force is something to behold. After following Forrest from his electro-pop beginnings to basking in his most recent funkadelic gifts to the world, I found a deep appreciation for this track in particular. There’s so much to love in such a soft track with plenty of production work adding depth and little gems to discover through each listen. Whether you know where this artist came from or you discovered him more recently, this song could definitely fit right in as the reception is winding down and everyone is feeling some kind of way.

Let’s keep it going! Next week will be days 15–21. Looking forward to sharing more of my favorites.