After months of listening to seasonally sad songs, the focus this past month has been on turning that to more upbeat songs. Here are my top 5 songs for January 2025.
When The Sun Goes Down – Arctic Monkeys
The transition from slow vocals and minimal instrumentation to full-blown indie rock is a major part of what makes “When The Sun Goes Down” so good. Lead singer Alex Turner’s British vocals paired with the funky bass and distorted guitar make it the perfect song to sing along to.
With its upbeat instrumentals paired with carefree lyricism, “Time to Pretend” is one of those songs that instantly fill you with a sense of nostalgia and youthful happiness; it makes me want to roll the windows down and turn the volume all the way up. The lyrics talk about participating in reckless behaviors, just because “we’re fated to pretend.” This lyric can be interpreted as the need to pretend life is better than it is as you continue to grow older; however, the song is more specifically about a rock-star fantasy life.
Greer is one of the best bands if you’re looking for a pick-me-up: this song has bright electric guitar, happy-sounding vocals, interesting bass lines and drums that perfectly suit all these elements. Despite lyrics like “why do I keep coming back for more when all that you do is shut me out the door,” many Greer songs, including “Bittersweet,” still have an overall positive vibe; lead singer Josiah always sounds like he’s smiling when singing, which makes listeners want to smile too.
Considering I turned 17 this month, “Seventeen (Age)” has been my anthem. Similarly to “Time to Pretend,” this song has the same comforting feeling of reckless nostalgia. Though stereotypical, lyrics like “hey mom, I’ll take the van, we’ll drive it up and down the road without a plan” and “we’ll hop the fence, you’ve got my back,” contribute to the overall feeling of teenage angst.
Imposter Syndrome – Sidney Gish
With wordplay and the signature indie electric guitar sound, “Imposter Syndrome” is another fun song to sing along with. In this song, Gish discusses inhuman feelings: “no one suspects that I’m not fine and nobody outs behavioral Frankenstein.” Throughout the song, she refers to herself as less than human yet more than a dog; she’s stuck in social and behavioral purgatory. Lyrics such as “I am my own dog,” “not K through eight, nor K dash nine” and “for human, grossly underqualified for canine, grossly overqualified,” further this idea of “imposter syndrome.” Though the topic is somewhat depressing, the way Gish sings so happily gives it an entirely different vibe.
For the full Jan. playlist, click here.
