If there’s anything that can make the winter season more bearable, it’s a really good playlist. Or like, coats and stuff. Music not only keeps everyone from living in deafening, uncontrollable silence, but it also has emotional content that can keep you warm on even the below-zero days.
More to the point, I’ve done a favor to those who curl up in bed listening to the same summer songs over and over again. It’s November, people. We are headed into a season that destroys all of us equally and takes no prisoners.
Button up, and press play.
1.) Troye Sivan, "WILD"
A true gem in the world, really. This is the song you listen to when you come home from a final, wrap yourself in a blanket, your fuzziest socks, and decompress. You’ll have no trouble blocking out the world around you, and embarking on a story beyond the other final you’ll have the next day.
2.) Ryn Weaver, "Traveling Song"
Here’s the song you listen to as you pack your suitcase and walk through the airport. Here’s the song you listen to as you travel on the train to the destination that holds your heart as the snow falls against the window. Here’s the moment you press play as the frost conceals your window against the gray sky and you think about the people in your life you care about the most. Here’s that song you smile towards the sky for.
3.) Gabrielle Aplin, "Sweet Nothing"
Where’s the song that is literally the embodiment of the leaves falling from the sky and the trees turning bare? Here it is. A delightfully poignant song that encompasses the feeling you get when you hear the crack of a dying leaf beneath your snow boots as you walk to class as it mixes with the sound of laughter.
4.) Melanie Martinez, "Training Wheels"
Lean your head against something soft and press play. This is the winter song that makes you want to touch a snowflake and smell the candied essence of the cool, crisp air. When the wind blows so hard in your face you can’t breathe, here’s the song that makes you keep walking to your class.
5.) Dia Frampton featuring Kid Cudi, "Don't Kick The Chair"
If all of my college students are reading this, you know the feeling before finals where you want to tear your hair out and the panic settles in—the food sprawled out on your bed and all the coffee cups that litter your desk. There’s little sleep to come, and even less room to remember to like, get up and eat something other than Oreos and 
Mac and Cheese. This is the song you play as you write out your notes to that Intro to Journalism final and the desperation kicks in thinking about your math final. Lean back, take a deep breath, and press play.
I’ve become predictable with Troye Sivan at this point. This is the one where the winter feels like fun. (See what I did there?) Wrap yourself up in layers upon layers and strap on some gloves before diving headfirst into the pristine layers of white. Imagine yourself in slow motion throwing snowballs and curled up on a hastily made sled while hanging on to your safety net of another person.
7.) One Direction, "Home"
If you’re like me and you’re away from home missing your family and friends, and the phone calls and FaceTime sessions just aren’t enough, this song will be your comfort. When you’re in the midst of a teary moment and your life feels a little lonely, press play and watch as winter comes to life around you. Remember the moments in the past winters, memories of golden laughter and the sight of your breath in front of you.
8.) Emeli Sande, "Mountains"
The snow is slowly melting by the time this song starts. At least the way I listen to it, this is the song you play as you watch the snow disintegrate into nothing but sludge, water and then the cement is wet, the sun shines brighter than usual and there’s a certain feeling to a town or city. This is the one where you curl up the last few times in your fleece sheets and curl your body next to a heater on low.
9.) Jessie Ware, "Tough Love"
For those walks, rides, or stumbling home with the wind nipping at your cheeks and the feeling of your lips burning against the dying cold, this is the song that plays. It is the moment that the wind picks up and then finally slows down. This is the sound of winter melting into spring, and the nostalgia for the moments of pure bliss and peace. After it's all said and done and another winter has come and gone. There you are.
