These songs embraced me in the quiet moments, lifted my chin to face the trying times, compelled me to silly-dance around my apartment, coaxed a smile onto my face on my walks around my neighborhood and wandered around with me on my travels.
This year’s playlist feels a little all over the place – up and down, and random to everyone but me – in the same manner that my 2017 was its own crazy maze. This was a year full of wonderful moments, some steep, uphill climbs, a good amount of searching, and a great deal of awe and wonder.
2017 was a year of seeking balance, testing my determination, realigning my lifestyle with my values, packing and unpacking, and practicing the joy (and challenge) of being fully present at every point of the journey.
Get a taste of the trek by listening in here:
Putting together my playlist is one of my favorite year-end traditions. Every song helps me relive special moments and seasons in the past year. It was extra hard to keep this playlist short – this one clocks up 2 hours and 41 minutes worth of music, the longest of my year-end playlists with 40 songs! If you do have a listen, I hope you will find at least one song that embraces you, gets you dancing or puts a smile on your face as we enter the new year.
View from my window seat, on one of the many beautiful flights of the year. Cheers, 2016! Thank you for your big skies and open doors!
I’ve prepared a taste of my past year through the music that has moved me through an adventure-filled 2016.
This is a little annual tradition that has swung me into the past four new years: making a playlist to tie up the stories of my year. 2016 has added up to a generous helping of 31 songs. (My longest end-of-the-year playlist so far!)
This year, I’ve added a new challenge. As a final piece and creative writing exercise, I borrowed words from all the songs of my 2016 and built a poem. You’ll find lines from all the different songs strung together with a bit of play from me. Does my year sound a lot like yours?
Open Doors
In these moments, I lose focus.
I don’t remember when we decided we could fly.
Put your head on my shoulders,
If you’re lost and you’re lonely, go and figure out why.
How do we mend a million pieces
strung out across the ground? Hear the healing in your bones, Sit in stillness for the silence of this sound.
Cry, my friend, no more,
you’ve seen your stars aligning I’m sure. We all fear the sound of a closing door, only your faith will prove to bring a cure.
All these vultures that surround you, with cowardice speak their lies out loud.
Take my hand, I’ll give you strength, just when you think all the streets have emptied out.
La soledad viene sin patria, have you missed the lonely call?
Leave what’s heavy.
Leave what’s heavy behind, but I keep running for a soft place to fall.
A light against a darkened sky,
your truth must outshine all the lies,
You let your feet run wild and try to tell the world that fiction is falling from up high.
The cross we bear is all we’ve got para você vem dançar,
It’s like a bit of light in a touch of dark,
do you dare to look your losses right in the eyes?
While you were sleeping, I thought of you. We might make it further if we learned to stay.
We’re here, eyes open, catching and releasing
what builds up throughout the day.
Live to dance in a hurricane, find your heart standing in the eye,
I just hope you’ll stop me
before I build a world around me.
We are waiting on their sunshine and the morning dew, for we live where the war is raging and where we miss the moon,
We’re all lonely together, no matter what we choose to do.
We can tell each other secrets, til we remember how to love.
I was listening to the ocean. I was dancing in the rain.
Words are so easy to say, we speak as though nothing could fall, Slow down when you can, we’re not exempt from all pain,
This story’s a long one, take a deep breath, then five more. Stand tall.
Throw your arms in the air tonight. I won’t be no runaway.
I’ll go braving everything through the shine of the sun. Darling, don’t be afraid when it’s time to stay,
but the doors are open. Run!
Playlists from previous years:
I’ve also just realized that I never shared 2015’s playlist, now also public on Spotify: “SpeakSoon: 2015 in Music”
Here are links to posts on past year’s playlists: 2014, 2013 and 2012.
And finally, a simple rundown of my 2016’s lovely playlist:
Run – Lost Frequencies Radio Edit // Emma Bale
On Our Knees (Feat. R.O) // Konoba
I’ll Move Mountains // Roo Panes
Tomorrow’s Song // Olafur Arnalds
Tightropes // Robyn Sherwell
Gorgeous // X Ambassadors
Falling Faster // Andrew Ripp
Moments – Acoustic Live // Kidnap Kid
Spaceship – Popvilla Sessions // Comet Blue
You’re Mine – Radio Edit // Raving George
Deep End // Birdy
No Angel // Birdy
We Can Be Heroes // Ozark Henry
The Eye // Brandi Carlie
I Need a Forest Fire – feat Justin Vernon // James Blake
Friends feat Bon Iver // Francis and the Lights
Summer’s Almost Gone // The Temper Trap
Lost // The Temper Trap
New Afro Spanish Generation // Buika
Light it Up (feat Nyla & Fuse ODG) // Major Lazer
Dark Necessities // Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sunset Lover // Petit Biscuit
Way Down We Go – Recorded at Spotify Studios NYC // Kaleo
An important year-ender tradition – a playlist to sum up my year.
2014, you were ridiculous, and this music helped me roll with your punches. You were far from what I expected, but absolutely amazing nonetheless. A beautiful, stormy year were you.
Songs are in no particular order. And yes, I’m a little upset that I had to put a Pitbull song into the mix.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So 2012 is so seventeen days ago. But I cannot, I simply cannot say goodbye to 2012 without dedicating a playlist to the year that was. When I need to remember what 2012 felt like, these are the songs I will fill the space with. This was my 2012 in music. Each song walked (or danced!) me through a space in time.
Welcome to the musical scrapbook of my year. Enjoy! (Click on the song titles to have a listen.)
speak soon 