by Zach Siddiqui
Take those twenty-odd calendar days you’re clinging to and shove them in the trash. In every way that matters, summer’s over. Not that that has to be a bad thing! The air is cooling off, the pumpkin scones are rolling out in the cafés, and your old sweaters are crawling out of storage like all those dead ninjas undergoing the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation in Naruto.
Maybe it’s because of how our education and vacations tend to be structured growing up, but September always feels like a time of transition. Want to be among the first to kiss Summer 2021 goodbye? Check this playlist dedicated to seeing this season off, capturing all the flavours of a fresh start.
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- I’ll Make It Worth Your While – Artificial Pleasure
Is it cheating to pull this from the soundtrack from the literal back-to-school sequence in season 2 of Elite? Maybe so, but Artificial Pleasure easily delivers on the genuine article with this faux-vintage electrifier. Enjoy the fantasy thrill of you, too, walking among the commoners while having a bank account big enough to deserve a morning montage all to itself.
- Where Are You Now? – Royal Blood
“Where Are You Now?” manages to channel hop-out-of-bed pep while maintaining Royal’s Blood distinctive blues-rock sound. This is the beat you want to guide today’s summer-fall look. Mostly, though, the title of the song is the investigative journalism we need but can’t handle this early in the day… As if any of us really know where we are.
- Super Rich Kids – Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean goes above and beyond by synthesizing a calming influence with a scathing cultural analysis of the family units that comprise the North American financial elite. Maybe you also recognize it from all the Gossip Girl reboot promo from earlier this year. Either way, this is the gentle intercession we need for a Tuesday morning.
- Fire It Up – Outasight
Just because summer’s dead doesn’t mean I am — or that you are, for that matter. In happier times, Outasight’s unapologetic pop number would be the song for rolling into the homecoming house party. For now? Carry the good energy in your ears and cherish it like Bulgari diamonds.
- Ain’t it Fun – Paramore
Look: I could’ve ended this on “Wake Me Up When September Ends” or something else that got played way too many times in graduation slideshows. As it is, whether you’re starting a new degree, a fresh job or just a new chapter of you, Hayley Williams’ heartfelt vocals will carry you through that feeling of ageing. Don’t be ashamed to like this Top 40 radio hit. Accept the love you know you deserve.
You can view the rest of this playlist at Attuned’s Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6eEVOiRRUWdUOV1FtzXG9F?si=b8ae8972fea748b3
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