As someone who is an advocate for mental health, I am always looking for new ways to help people cope with whatever they're feeling, be it depression, anxiety, or just overall stress. I've found that taking long drives (preferably at night) with the music up to 100 to be extremely therapeutic. So, here are 10 songs to listen to after you've had a long day work or a full day's worth of studying and find yourself driving to who-knows-where.
1. Drive by Halsey
Personally, Halsey's music is always my go to for a quick fix for whatever I'm feeling. Drive, however, is particularly uplifting when I find myself on one of these drives. It's simultaneously relaxing and empowering, and it's fun to sing along to when you need to forget about the struggles you're facing. Must have on your night drive playlist.
2. Lose It by Oh Wonder
Oh Wonder is an alternative pop duo from London, England. Their music is consistently on the slower side, but Lose It picks up just a bit after the first chorus and is sure to pull you out of whatever mood you were previously in.
3. Somebody Else by The 1975
If you know this song, you might be scolding me -- but hear me out. This song should be the anthem to all breakups and heartache everywhere. The song describes how it feels when you're not with someone anymore and you're pretty much okay with it, but still have the thoughts about them that sting. But after two verses and two choruses of heartache, Matty sings in the bridge, "Get someone you love, get someone you need. [Expletive] that, get money." followed by an epic breakdown.. what more do you need? This song is guaranteed to get you through your breakup and those moments that you think of your ex-beau and feel a twinge of sadness.
4. Ease by Troye Sivan featuring Broods
This song is perfect for when you do that inhale, exhale of satisfaction as you rapidly pass under the streetlights. Ease is song that brings you to have optimistic thoughts and makes you appreciate all the wonderful things you have in life. It's a good song to listen to after you've had a good cry and are ready to be whatever had you in a slump.
5. Misguided Ghosts by Paramore
I've said previously in a couple of different articles that Paramore is one of my favorite bands. I've grown up on their music, and can listen to the same songs still feel the magic in them that I've been feeling since I was 9. Misguided Ghosts came out on the Brand New Eyes Album when I was 13 and it's always a song I've turned to in times of distraught (and there were a lot of those in my early teens, naturally). After listening to it for nearly six years, I'm still not sure what it means, but I always feel better when the song is over.
6. Empty by PVRIS
This list has been mostly made up of happier chill songs, but this is a song where it allows you to feel your negative feelings. The lyrics are tragically beautiful and Lynn's vocals when she screams sings, "What do you want from me?" gives me chills every time. This is the song to listen to while you're crying, and I strongly recommend listening to Ease right after.
7. White Blood by Oh Wonder
I couldn't resist throwing another Oh Wonder song on this list. While Lose It is uplifting, White Blood stays at a slow and steady pace throughout the entirety of the song. It's a nice song to hum to and think about life, a song you can really feel.
8. 1, 2, 3, 4 by The Plain White Ts
Do I even need to give an explanation for this one?
9. Buzzcut Season by Lorde
In anticipation for new Lorde music (Yellow Flicker Beat is no longer holding me over) Buzzcut Season is one of my favorite songs off of the Pure Heroin album. Though the lyrics paint a mortifying picture, the instrumental balances it out and gives the piece a good vibe to it.
10. BLUE by Zayn
I had a much greater appreciation for Zayn Malik's voice, artistry, and overall existence after he left One Direction. Mind of Mine, in my utmost humble opinion, is an embodiment of long overdue self-expression and BLUE is a song that easily calms my nerves, and it's fairly easy to relate to. I think we could all use somebody to love us blue.
