Gravitating Towards Comfort Music
Illustration courtesy of Kaitlin Curtis // @kaitlincurtis
Whether you played Animal Crossing, rewatched the same TV show again, or scrolled through your camera roll to reminisce on old times, many of us likely sought comfort in something familiar to us over the past several months during the COVID-19 pandemic. And this is not a coincidence.
Experts have found that this sense of nostalgia “counteracts the meaningless that individuals experience when they are bored” as well as “acts as a buffer against existential threats,” according to studies published in American Psychological Association and SAGE Journals, respectively.
“Nostalgia mobilizes us for the future,” North Dakota State University psychology professor Clay Routledge said to National Geographic. “It increases our desire to pursue important life goals and our confidence that we can accomplish them.”
So maybe my uncontrollable urge to rewatch Dance Moms actually made sense (what a relief). I think I became so overwhelmed with everything changing in my life and the massive abyss of uncertainty in front of me, so I needed to cling onto something familiar as a form of escape. I’ll say it, I live for drama.
This tendency to gravitate toward the familiar was also evident in my music. This could partially be attributed to the fact that very few artists released new music during quarantine (except for Taylor Swift who released “folklore,” which essentially saved my summer), but I think I’ve always sought comfort in the same handful of albums, even before quarantine. Whether I’m listening to music I listened to in high school, on Kiss 108 radio in elementary school, or my parents’ favorites, I always feel a sense of security and contentment when listening to familiar music.
Here are 10 Comfort Songs I Can’t Get Enough of Lately:
1) Vienna - Billy Joel
This song feels like a metaphorical hug when you need it most. An oldie but a goodie, it reminds me to slow down, take a step back, and enjoy life before I get too burnt out while trying to be the best at everything. As an ambitious, perfectionist college student (I’m a Virgo sun with a Capricorn moon and rising—I can’t help it), “Vienna” is a much-needed reminder that I’m doing better than I give myself credit for. Listening to Billy Joel’s music reminds me of my parents, and listening to oldies radio stations in the car with them at home.
2) As the World Caves In - Matt Maltese
Though this song is newer to me, I have spent hours listening to it over the past month. The song deals with being with someone you love as the apocalypse is imminent, and how things will be okay as long as you have each other. In a way, it is moderately depressing because that’s a very real possibility in 2020, but it’s also kind of beautiful. Isn’t that what we’re all kind of looking for these days?
3) Warm Ways - Fleetwood Mac
Listening to “Warm Ways”—and Fleetwood Mac’s eponymous album in general—immediately transports me to last fall. The album was my go-to when studying or relaxing, and listening to it now reminds me of long days in the library or the Little Building common rooms, where I was blissfully unaware of how much my life would shortly change less than a year later.
4) What’s Up? - 4 Non Blondes
I relate to this song’s lyrics on a spiritual level now more than ever, especially the line, “I scream from the top of my lungs, ‘What’s going on?’” The song pretty much sums up my feelings toward 2020 and all of its absurdity. If you’re looking for a particularly topical cover of the song, check out this TikTok.
5) cardigan - Taylor Swift
I distinctly remember how I felt when I woke up and checked Instagram like any other day on July 23 only to find out Taylor was dropping a surprise album that very night. After constantly hearing bad news regarding the pandemic for over four consecutive months, it felt like there was finally some hope for 2020. Being a Taylor fan since the very beginning, the album “folklore” unsurprisingly became a fast favorite and will likely dominate my Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year. While every song on the album holds a special place in my heart, “cardigan” has consistently been at the top of my rankings since its release.
6) Falling - Harry Styles
Though I’ve always loved Fine Line” as an album, I don’t think I gave “Falling” enough credit as a track until a few months ago. I found myself listening to this on repeat, staring at the ceiling in my bedroom at home, and contemplating the meaning of life and what has come of the world. At some points, I really feel like the song makes me levitate in the air, which I can’t say about many other songs.
7) Would That I - Hozier
“Wasteland, Baby!” came out in the spring of my senior year of high school, and I remember listening to the album in the car on my way to and from school almost every day. Now, I find myself continuing to come back to the album. Whenever I’m at work or simply want to listen to something more mellow, I’ll put this album—and especially this track—on, and I feel at peace. It transports me to an Irish cottage in the woods, where all is right in the world.
8) Angeleyes - ABBA
When the song became part of a TikTok trend (I watched a lot of TikToks over quarantine), it gave me yet another reason to watch “Mamma Mia!” for the umpteenth time and replay all of ABBA’s discography. Even though the song is no longer trending, I still find myself constantly humming it and wishing I was Rosie from “Mamma Mia!” more often than ever.
9) 400 Lux - Lorde
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: “400 Lux” is better than “Ribs.” Aside from the fact that it doesn’t send me spiraling into an existential crisis in the way that “Ribs” does, I find that this song’s lyrics and simple but sweet message set it apart from some of the other tracks on “Pure Heroine.” As someone born and raised in the suburbs, I admire how Lorde incorporates and even romanticizes the idea of coming of age in the suburbs, which I still am unable to do. This song, and album in general, make me feel nostalgic in a way I struggle to put into words. Maybe music peaked in the mid-2010s!
10) Zombie - The Cranberries
The politically-charged song “Zombie” was written in 1994 about the decades-long conflict known as “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Though we’re living in a different time and continent then The Cranberries, the lyrics feel particularly topical today, between the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. The lines “Another head hangs lowly / child is slowly taken / and the violence caused such silence / who are we mistaken?” very well could have been written today. While the song was already one of my favorites, recently watching “Derry Girls” on Netflix (which takes place in Northern Ireland during the ‘90s) reminded me of how topical the song really is after hearing it playing in the intro of the first episode.
So yes, embrace this nostalgia as much as your heart desires. This year has been unpredictable and turbulent, and it’s understandable to want to latch onto something comforting and recognizable. In fact, Kaitlyn Tiffany from The Atlantic wrote that nostalgia even “reinvigorates” the idea that life is beautiful and meaningful “by reminding you of a time when it tangibly did,” either from a few months ago, or a few years ago.
It’s often hard to remember things weren’t always like this. I could be watching a movie from the ‘80s and be shocked to see people at a party not wearing masks and social distancing, only to quickly realize that our current situation is nowhere near normal. So if looking through a photo album or rewatching a movie helps reground you, then, by all means, do so.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is too much nostalgia can potentially be harmful. Nicole Johnson from National Geographic cites a 2012 study which found that people with preexisting anxiety disorders or depression may find themselves “lost” or “trapped” in nostalgia as a coping mechanism. Therefore, as with most things, it’s important to practice moderation.
It’s safe to say, however, that listening to the same music will likely be a source of comfort rather than anxiety for many. If you find yourself channeling the past in your music recently, know you’re not alone. And if you also can’t stop listening to “folklore” to the point where it’s essentially white noise, you’re also definitely not alone.