On New Year’s Day, I vowed to make 2016 the best year I would ever have. It would be the year I graduate high school. It would be the year I start a completely different journey: college. And, it would be the year that I finally fulfill my annual resolution, a project usually left to gather dust as soon as the second week of the year rolls around. But, no matter how naive my optimistic self was back then, I think we can all agree that 2016 was trash.
I say this because the most qualified presidential candidate in American history was forced to run against the least qualified presidential candidate in American history, one who likes to grab pussies and build walls in his spare time. The nasty jabs, the sharp insults, the horrific confessions -- 2016 was the year of fear, anger, and hatred. But, on Tuesday, the anxiety will finally end, as this whole wave of chaos will finally subside. Till then, here are a few songs that will help you survive the final stretch.
1. Hozier, “Like Real People Do”
If you’re frustrated with America like I am, you’re in luck! Hozier is Irish and, like the rest of the artists on this list, is not American. “Like Real People Do” will make you feel a different kind of heartache -- a lofty, nostalgic, butterflies-in-your-stomach heartache.
2. Drake, “Marvins Room”
Drake’s Canadian, so if you’re looking for a maple match for you to depend on as you pack your bags, book your flight to Toronto, and never come back, he’s got your back. So does Justin Trudeau, Canada’s dreamy prime minister.
3. Lykke Li, “No Rest For The Wicked”
This Swedish (Sweden: another happy little country for the American emigrant!) singer is known for her sorrowful, passionate voice, wavering over all kinds of heartbreak. You can cry for the future of America along with her while listening to “No Rest For The Wicked.”
4. MIA, “Paper Planes”
This downtempo rap ballad is icy and spunky by nature, and even though the election is drawing near and near, “Paper Planes” succeeds in transporting you to another world. Now, if only escaping the United States for a few days were just as easy...
