Spring is officially in full swing and I am completely here for it. The sun has been absolutely cracking the flags here in Liverpool and it’s really got me feeling like there could be some light at the end of the tunnel (anyone else?). Spring is the mark of new beginnings, and what better way is there to kick off the season than with a new four-part blog series? Yeah that’s right, I’ll be sharing a seasonal playlist for Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter of 2021. I’ve picked out 30 songs that I feel represent Spring as a season. Hopefully you’ll feel the same way!
Let’s Talk Spring Music
First of all, what does ‘Spring Music’ mean to me? Well, when I think about the sort of music that I associate with Spring, it’s a blend of calming tunes that have a ‘fresh’ feeling to them. Which I guess in a way mimics how Spring feels as a season. Crisp mornings, fresh air and blooming flowers. It got me thinking about how we associate certain songs with a certain occasion or time of year. For example, Summer will always be a time for ultra upbeat, pop hits, whereas Winter is all about songs that I can sit inside and get cosy to (or disco dance floor hits for Christmas parties…parties, anyone remember them?). There’s actually a really interesting article from VICE all about why we associate songs with certain seasons which I’ll leave –> here for anyone who’s looking to explore. But I digress…let’s get back to Spring.
So yeah, we’ve established that Spring is all about calm, fresh tunes. But that doesn’t mean that that’s ALL that we want to listen to at that time of year, right? As much as a huge part of my Spring listening is around that sort of genre, I also really love embracing more pop and electropop music around this time of year too. Basically anything that feels exciting and new is a winner for me in terms of Spring listening. So with this playlist I’ve chosen a mix of different genres of music that I think all come under the category of Spring.
30 Songs To Add To Your Spring Playlist
I’ve chosen to split this playlist into three separate sections…aptly named part one, two and three. It may only be a 30-track list but I think within that there are three separate themes of Spring that’re covered. Starting everything off is part one, which is a series of songs that ease you into the season. Think relaxed, calming songs that mark the beginning of Spring. Then in part two it’s all about more upbeat tunes that then build into the final part, where we’re going into full electropop. But enough explaining…let’s give it a listen, eh?
Spring Playlist Track Listing: Part One
1. Oh, What A World – Kacey Musgraves
2. willow – Taylor Swift
3. Light On – Maggie Rogers
4. Fire – Waxahatchee
5. circle the drain – Soccer Mommy
6. Hurt – Arlo Parks
7. John Hughes Movie – Maisie Peters
8. Can’t Fight – Lianne La Havas
9. Sunday Morning – Maroon 5
Part One Favourites
It wouldn’t be an F O playlist if I didn’t talk you through my favourites now would it? I’ve picked out two standout tracks from each part of the playlist. Starting with part one I’ve gone for ‘Fire’ by Waxahatchee and ‘circle the drain’ by Soccer Mommy. Both are from 2020 album releases so they’re still feeling quite new to me, even though they’re not technically new, which I love. The message behind Waxahatchee’s ‘Fire’ is something that really stands out, as she wrote it about trying to reach a sense of self-acceptance and her struggles in trying to get there.
Right after ‘Fire’ I’ve put Soccer Mommy’s ‘circle the drain’ which I think really flow into each other well. Not just in sound but in the lyrics and meaning behind them. While Waxahatchee focuses on self-acceptance and struggles getting there in ‘Fire’, Soccer Mommy lays her daily struggles bare in ‘circle the drain’. Listen to them back to back and let me know if you’re feeling the same connection!
Spring Playlist Track Listing: Part Two
10. The Steps – HAIM
11. Easy – Real Estate
12. Driftwood – Travis
13. Trouble Sleeping – Corinne Bailey Rae
14. Bad Habit – Your Smith
15. P.D.A. (We Just Don’t Care) – John Legend
16. You Ain’t The Problem – Michael Kiwanuka
17. Brass in Pocket – Pretenders
18. This Must Be The Place – Talking Heads
19. Seasons (Waiting on You) – Future Islands
20. Open up the Heavens – Jade Bird
Part Two Favourites
Next up are my part two favourites, which are ‘Easy’ by Real Estate and ‘Driftwood’ by Travis. I used to listen to Real Estate a lot in my mid-teens but then I just completely forgot they existed for years. ‘Easy’ was one of my favourite tracks from their 2011 album ‘Days’ and I’m so glad that it’s back on my radar because it’s the perfect Spring song. Travis’ ‘Driftwood’ is another sort of ‘throwback’ song for me. I’m sure I’m not alone in having artists that shaped my childhood, and Travis were a band that I’d definitely put into that category. We always seemed to have their music playing in the car when I was a kid, along with Keane, The Killers, U2 etc. Anyway, it’s a great Spring tune that sounds just as good now as it did when it was released 20 years ago.

Spring Playlist Track Listing: Part Three
21. All The Colours Of You – James
22. Spring Snow – Vampire Weekend
23. Sound & Colour – Alabama Shakes
24. I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) – Jamie xx, , Young Thug, Popcaan
25. Safe Passage – Laura Mvula
26. Dancing On My Own – Robyn
27. Can’t Believe The Way We Flow – James Blake
28. Door – Caroline Polachek
29. Youth – Glass Animals
30. The Divine Chord – The Avalanches, MGMT, Johnny Marr
Part Three Favourites
My part three picks are two songs that are both really new to me. The first is ‘Door’ by Caroline Polachek. I actually can’t even remember how I came across this track at all. I’m guessing it was just a case of browsing on Spotify and checking out the ‘Fans Also Like’ section of a similar artist and then stumbling across her (one of my favourite ways to find new music!). It was basically everything that I love in synth/electropop and I instantly fell in love with it. When it came to putting this playlist together I knew that it had to make a feature!
The second is ‘The Divine Chord’ by The Avalanches ft. MGMT and Johnny Marr. What a weird and wonderful collab that is. MGMT were always the ultimate ‘Sunny Day’ band for me to listen to back in my teens so it’s no surprise that ‘The Divine Chord’ has such a sunny vibe to it. It’s the perfect final track for the playlist for me!
What tracks are on your Spring playlist this year? Are there any tracks from my playlist that might make their way onto yours? Do you associate a certain genre of music with Spring? I want to know what it is!
Female Original
Want to get in the full Spring mood? Check out these two delicious Spring ciders.
I loved reading through this playlist, it definitely got me into the spring spirit! xx
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 x
Ooooh love the stuff you’ve picked here! This is definitely very much my music taste! Maisie Peters is my favourite artist so I love that you’ve included John Hughes Movie and Light On by Maggie Rogers is such a bop as well! You also really can’t go wrong with a bit of Robyn and Dancing on My Own either!
Thank you! So glad you like the songs I chose for this playlist. Haha agreed – you can’t go wrong with a bit of Robyn! x
I love seeing ‘willow’ on your spring playlist! I am not a dedicated Taylor Swift fan, but something about ‘willow’ truly enters my heart and makes it a light and fresh piece of music I can listen to again and again! In the same vein for me is Alan Walker’s ‘Lily’. <3
Thanks for sharing!
I’m with you there! I’m definitely not a a Taylor Swift super fan but willow is incredible. 🙂 x
Great choice and review. These all sound so good!!
Cheers,
Diana
Thank you! x
Great playlist, Faye! P.D.A is one of my fav songs ever. So smooth. Thanks for sharing x
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Thank you! It’s definitely one of my favourite John Legend songs 🙂 x
Music is really a solace to me right now and helping me to feel calm or happy! And these are some great tunes! Thanks!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
I feel exactly the same at the moment! So glad you like the tunes 🙂 x
Can I just say you have a great music taste? I literally love most of this songs and they are on my spring playlist too! Love this xx
Haha thanks so much! Glad to know we’re on the same wavelength with Spring tunes 🙂 x
This is a great Spring playlist! These seem like perfect songs for Spring! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Thank you so much Lucy! x
I haven’t heard of many of these songs but I will definitely check them out. Love a good list 🙂 x
I hope you enjoy discovering some new tunes 🙂 x
I’ve genuinely only heard of a few of the songs that are on this list, and I’ve only heard of a handful of the artists so I’ll be heading over to Spotify to listen to this!
I hope you enjoy giving the playlist a listen! 🙂 x
I like singer-songwriter for this time of year!! Not sure why, really, but I think it fits the mellowness–if that makes sense :’) x
I completely get what you mean! I think Country music could be especially suited to Spring as well…although I can easily listen to Country all year round! x
Some of these songs remind me of the good old days, when I was so careless and free…I will be adding some of these back to my playlist, thank you for sharing them x
I love that you have such great memories of some of the songs on this playlist! I hope you enjoy listening to them all over again 🙂 x
I love having different playlists depending on my mood! I never thought to split them into the seasons too but I suppose I do have a summer playlist! Thanks for sharing!
I always seem to make a Summer playlist but never any other seasonal playlists so I thought this would be a fun challenge! 🙂 x
this is such a great playlist for the spring, I love it. Good tunes there!
Ana C, http://www.adreamersland.com
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Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 x
I love that also like section on Spotify for finding new stuff as well! It also helps me find old favourites that I’ve totally forgotten about sometimes. I was really curious to see what you’d put here because nothing comes to mind when I think spring music, but I can definitely get on board with the vibe you’ve got going on in this playlist x
It’s such a great feature! Glad you’re on board with the vibe I’ve gone for Spring music 🙂 x
I love switching up my music for the seasons as it always impacts my mood too! I didn’t actually know any of the songs on this list though so I need to change that.
Tash – A Girl with a View
I hope you enjoy discovering some new tunes! x
I love music that reminds me of Spring and Summer. It makes me think of being on a long drive somewhere, with the windows down and the blue sky!
Ahh same here! I hope you enjoyed the playlist Jenny 🙂 x