euphoria / melancholia

Most of what I choose to listen to can be generally described as "heavy". Whether it's rock or electronic, I struggle to be engaged by songs that don't hit hard. For whatever reason though, when a certain mood strikes, I find myself listening to Lana Del Rey for an entire day. I've realised that when it comes to soothing music, there are certain types of sad that render me powerless. From The Beatles to Enya, I've decided to categorise the different versions of sad that I turn to when I want to feel my softer emotions.

Sexy Sad

Lana Del Rey is the epitome of "sexy sad". Her silky vocals, big band instrumentals and intimate lyrics encourage simultaneous undressing and weeping. I couldn't tell you what Yayo is about, but when her voice cracks as she barely croaks the words, I magically transform into a three-piece from Honey Birdette. And Cola? You don't want to know what magically happens when that song's on. King Princess is a more recent discovery of mine, but she rivals Lana's sexy, sad energy. Few artists appeal to the lesbian in me like King Princess, so much so that I believe a woman named Talia broke my heart. It's okay King Princess, let's get wasted together and comfort each other. I'm a lesbian now.

Forest Sad

The eternal forest elf, Enya, has been my soothing angel for over a decade now. Her entire discography would calm my stressed mind as I studied in the library at university. Many of her songs are sung in languages I don't understand, but the sorrow is in her voice and production. And admittedly in her permanent association with Lord of the Rings which makes my big nerd heart feel every emotion. Norwegian singer Aurora feels like the reincarnation of Enya, who was too powerful to actually leave the earth before being reborn. Both women transport me to a lush, green forest where it rains lightly all day. And if I get lost, some mystical creature will guide me to their secret world. Maybe that's a metaphor for something...

Exception Sad

Like I said before, I listen to a lot of heavy music. So when I come across a musician that normally incites moshing or raving and instead they've produced something deeply melancholy, I feel that. The Used have a handful of songs like this among their vast discography, such as Yesterday's Feelings which captures a rare glimpse of Bert's gentler side. I've also added a couple of MIKA's sorrowful tracks, as their juxtaposition from his normally erratically joyful persona strikes me. While it would be redundant to categorise The Beatles into any one genre, I would still consider While My Guitar Gently Weeps to be a standout sad song among mostly upbeat love songs and wacky trips. I find songs like these to be reminiscent of people like Robin Williams, who despite spending his life making people laugh, was so personally tormented that he ended his own life.

Acoustic Sad

The old guitar and voice make a powerful pair when done right. This particular combination is so reliant on songwriting and vocals, because everything else has been stripped away. Cat Power, Yusuf, DMA'S and Gordi do amazing things with this simple set up. Gordi is a powerhouse of a singer, who could break my heart singing "toaster" repeatedly with that voice. Of course, she goes and writes heart wrenching songs and crushes my soul instead. Cat Power and Yusuf have the rare gift of putting into words observations about people and the world that the rest of us can barely feel let alone express. DMA'S aren't purely acoustic, but they just send me on a journey with one of the smoothest voices I've ever heard. Elliott Smith technically belongs in this category, but I'm putting the singer-songwriter in the next one because, well...

Tear-Your-Heart-Out Sad

Okay, this is pretty self-explanatory. This is the how-dare-you-hit-me-where-I-didn't-even-know-I-was-sad type of sad. I remember hearing the beginning of O Lord by Cub Sport and all distractions fell away as I strained to hear every beautiful a cappella voice. Little did I know that their songs Come On Mess Me Up and Chasin' would similarly ruin me. These are the songs I listen to if I want to feel sad, and sit in how sad I feel. Now we come to the ill-fated Elliott Smith, whose tragic life brings all the more heartache to his songs. The man was plagued from the moment he was born with a broken family, abuse, drugs and eventually died by apparent self-inflicted stab wounds. Angeles to me signifies the attempt to create beauty by a man who seldom had the opportunity to experience it himself.

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There you have it. My soothing playlist, which doubles as a great playlist to cry to if you're in the mood.