The M’s playlist: A Jam-packed January with Maneka
Is it 2023 already? From writing down the wrong dates to simply not understanding my emotions, January is my time to celebrate and mourn the end of 2022. While I want to make 2023 better than ever, I’m conflicted by the good and bad days of the previous year. I’m afraid the bad will stick.
Music helps me get through my ever-changing emotions. With this playlist, I hope to mirror the five stages of grief. There are songs to get you through each stage: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
While Taylor Swift’s “Long Live” encourages you to romanticise last year, Bastille’s “Pompeii” and Avril Lavigne’s “Losing Grip” stir up some unforgettable nostalgia. Aside from my penchant for Swift (despite being someone who’s never even been in a relationship), throughout the playlist you’ll likely notice the recurrence of older songs. That being said, one of my current go-to, newer sad songs, is “How Do I Say Goodbye” by Dean Lewis—it always delivers tears. Similarity, Eminem’s melancholic song “Beautiful” can also activate the waterworks—once you understand the lyrics.
For rock lovers, this playlist has you covered with hits from Queen and Linkin Park to vent out your frustrations. 21 Pilots also prompts us to accept the end of the year by reminiscing. To finish it off, Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” helps us get a grip on the remainder of the year—because life is indeed “now or never.”
I invite you to dive head-first into your mixed emotions and process them with this playlist.
Features Editor (Volume 49) | features@themedium.ca —Maneka is a third year student completing a specialization in Philosophy with a minor in political science. Previously, she served as one of The Medium’s Staff Writer and Associate Features Editor. As this year’s Features Editor, Maneka hopes to raise awareness, shed light over current issues, and highlight student voices and organizations. When Maneka is not studying, writing, or working, you’ll probably find her binging on, or rather re-watching her favorite shows, listening to music, thinking about her dog, or likely taking a nap.