Leaving the comfort of the weekend and your blanket burrito is hard enough, and it's even harder when you're trading it for a long commute at rush hour. But what better way to help with that weekday dread than a playlist made for train delays and angry pole hoggers? Here's a glimpse of my commute and some of the songs that remedy my Monday blues.
The Walk
"It Wasn't Me (Shaggy Cover)" by Brika and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
The commute begins with the seven-minute walk with easy listening tunes from Laura Mvula to Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" or Nat King Cole to James Bay's "Let It Go." But my default morning crooners are Miami-based singer Brika and the great Ella Fitz and Louis Armstrong. Brika's take on Shaggy's 2000 hit is more laid-back than the original but still worth the fun singalong. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong's rendition of the 1930's classic is from their "For Lovers" album that's filled with all kinds of easy listening love tunes ideal for date night, but in my case it makes for an up-lifter on a dull stroll.
Catching the Train
"Riot (Vince Moogin Remix)" by Bibi, Panic at the Disco's "Death of a Bachelor" Album, or "Can't Feel My Face (Jakoban X Not Your Dope Remix)" by The Weeknd X Ember Island
I can hear the train coming, so I run down the steps and scramble to swipe through the turnstile, but by this point the train just left the platform. Sometimes I turn to Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder" and "Sugar" or The Black Keys' "Brothers" album or DNCE's EP, but nothing beats Bibi's can-do lyrics and Panic's Sinatra-pop. They got me pumped up to sprint for it and now they'll get me through the frustration of missing and waiting for the next one.
LOL, Train's Delayed
Disney/Pixar Greatest or Labrinth's "Beneath Your Beautiful"
The train's here, but my 45-minute trip turns into an hour or more because of train traffic. The MTA then apologizes for the inconvenience, and I don't accept their automated apology. But it's the perfect time to wallow in nostalgia or contemplate life. So I default to albums, specifically the Disney/Pixar greatest hits album, to remember the good ol' days when adulting was unnecessary and my biggest problem was multiplication tables. I also turn to Labrinth's "Beneath Your Beautiful" for encouragement to overcome with "Vultures," "Express Yourself," or his hard-hitting duet with Emeli Sande in "Beneath Your Beautiful." I may or may not be shedding tears of joy.
The Exit
"The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson, "679" & "No Diggity (Cover)" by Jackson Breit, "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce, "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake
After some amount of time, I do get to where I need to be. The exit, like every other great exit in history, deserves a great exit song, a song that the exitee can strut/runway walk to. Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback" or Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" are reserved for the hardest days of the week, and every other day it shifts between Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel," Jackson Breit's "679" & "No Diggity" cover, or the Ciara classic "1,2 Step." After the exit I'm convinced that I can get through all of Monday... until Tuesday comes along.
