I MADE YOU A PLAYLIST, Vol. 13: "Base Camp" — 2021 Favorites
If you’ve ever gone camping for multiple nights (I’m talking >5 days or so), I’m sure you’ll agree that the campsite usually hits its sweet spot around days 2-4. If you’ve never had this experience, no worries—I’ll explain.
On day 1, everything is exciting but also strange and chaotic because no one knows whose pack holds which cooking utensils and it takes a minimum of ten minutes to find a single s’mores ingredient. On the last day, everyone is sad but pretending not to be (one of the worst combos ever, in my opinion), and even though you’re in desperate need of a shower, no one actually wants to leave. This leaves us with days 2-4. Prime campsite time hits smack in the middle of the trip, when you’ve settled in enough to develop a micro-routine in your micro-corner of the world, and you start to worry less about the weird noises in the woods and instead notice nice things like the patterns the trees make on your tent in the mornings.
(I will now wrap up the extended camping metaphor and explain how it relates to my music listening habits of the past year. Hang in there.)
My point? Sometimes it’s good to build a bubble for yourself and just live there for a while, soaking in the familiarity. Change is necessary, and I’m all about expanding horizons, etc. etc., but in the middle of all our adventuring it’s nice to have a comfy place to come back to—a base camp, if you will.
If last year’s listening theme was escapism, this year was about realizing that sometimes escape simply isn’t possible, and in that case it’s best to build a bubble, settle in, and get to know your surroundings.
Personally, I made some Big Changes in 2021—new job in a new-ish industry, new city, new mattress (!!), new daily walking route. Lots of transitions. So it makes sense that musically, I feel like I was less intent on chasing uncharted territory and instead embraced songs that sounded familiar, comfortable, satisfying, and, in some cases, extremely conventional.
Maybe I spent too much time hanging around my musical campsite when I could have been exploring a new trail or discovering the 8th World Wonder or whatever. But the thing is, I like it here!!! Unlike the streets of my new neighborhood in Nashville, I know these songs like the back of my hand, and it’s been a blast to push the limits of their appeal, only to find that yes, they still hold up after 1,357-odd replays.
Before I pack up the tent and move on to 2022, I’ve rounded up my favorite albums, lyrics, musical moments, and songs from the friendly voices that soundtracked the past 365 days.
Welcome to base camp! Make yourselves at home.
ALBUMS
Ten albums I had on repeat this year (in no particular order):
maybe i will see you at the end of the world — Sydney Sprague
MVPs: object permanence, quitter, time is gone
State of the Heart — Patrick Droney
MVPs: When the Lights Go Out, Little By Little, On Your Way Home
Vince Staples — Vince Staples
MVPs: Are You With That?, Sundown Town, Take Me Home
HOUSE OF CONFUSION — Trace Mountains
MVPs: SEEN IT COMING, THE MOON, EYES ON THE ROAD
Del Water Gap — Del Water Gap
MVPs: Perfume, Sorry I Am, Bug Bites
Cool Dry Place — Katy Kirby
MVPs: Cool Dry Place, Secret Language, Fireman
Collapsed in Sunbeams — Arlo Parks
MVPs: Caroline, Eugene, Too Good
Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma — Topaz Jones
MVPs: Rich, D.I.A.L., Black Tame
Sob Rock — John Mayer
MVPs: Last Train Home, Shot in the Dark, Til the Right One Comes
Sad Night Dynamite — Sad Night Dynamite
MVPs: Krunk, Icy Violence, Killshot
***Honorable Mentions: isolation by John The Blind, Summerland by Diamond White, Juno by Remi Wolf, Digital Meadow by Dora Jar, Take The Sadness Out of Saturday Night by Bleachers, Far From Here by Emmit Fenn, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz
MOMENTS
If I could bottle up these musical moments and drink them like a tonic or a green juice, I’d be guaranteed to live to 101. Here’s the shortlist of “favorite parts” that kept me coming back for more:
The beat drop in Sad Night Dynamite’s “Krunk” 🔥🔥 my god
When Maren Morris’ background vocals come in on John Mayer’s “Last Train Home”
Basically every single outro on John Mayer’s Sob Rock
“Mood Ring” @ 2:34-2:40, when it sounds like Lorde is underwater and in outer space at the same time
MUNA’s bonus little high harmony on “Ohhh when she’s on meeee” in the last chorus of “Silk Chiffon”
The dramatic let’s-jump-off-this-cliff-together delivery of the final chorus in Patrick Droney’s “Like The Water”
The sax solo at the end of “Lockeland” by Moody Joody
The bridge of “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo… 🚦 for obvious reasons
“Like a damn SOCIOPATHHH” — also Olivia Rodrigo… 😈 also for obvious reasons
“IstillputmyhandaroundtheheadrestinmyHondaACCORRRDDDDDDD!” from the second verse (ish) in “Off My Mind” by joe p
“Obstacle” by Manchester Orchestra @ 2:27-2:34—can’t explain it, it just sends me into the stratosphere every single time
LYRICS
Every year I say I’ll start journaling and every year I fail, but if I ever succeeded, these lyrics would line the pages:
if i had a penny for all your potential / i’d be left drowning, my mouth full of metal (Jade Bird, “Now is the Time”)
if time is a river running, well let’s be stones underwater, carry each other (Patrick Droney, “River”)
all’s well that ends well, but i’m in a new hell every time you double cross my mind (Taylor Swift, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”)
god, i’m so obsessed with forever (Carol Ades, “Crying During Sex”)
i’ll let you borrow the spare room in my heart (Delilah Montagu, “BABY”)
life's so fun, life's so fun / got my mini skirt and my rollerblades on (MUNA, “Silk Chiffon”)
when the wheels come off, i’ll be your spare / when the party’s over, i’ll be stacking the chairs (Middle Kids, “Stacking Chairs”)
jiminy cricket lickety split (Dora Jar, “Polly”)
and with all my extra rods and cones, i see / that the rhythm’s more important than the melody (Katy Kirby, “Cool Dry Place”)
i wish i could tell you, you’re drop dead kind / you’re easy to talk to, and you’re generous with time (Del Water Gap, “Sorry I Am”)
you’re better than ever, but i knew you when (Lucy Dacus, “Hot & Heavy”)
small talk in the fishmonger shop (Georgia Parker, “Anna”)
and then when you're ready, i'll be outside and we can go look at the sunrise by euphoria mixed with existential vertigo? cool. (Robyn’s interlude on Lorde’s “Secrets From A Girl (Who’s Seen It All)”)
SONGS
Drumroll please… Guess what! I made you another playlist! These are the steady, reliable, surefire-hit songs I’ve revisited as the past year ricocheted from pandemic life to normal-ish life and back to pandemic life again. Some picks are probably expected (“deja vu,” “Silk Chiffon,” “Anyone,” etc.), but I would like to think that some are fun little surprises. For example, we’ve got ourselves a sneakily satisfying pop-punk cover of “drivers license,” and a time-travel trip back to 2006 thanks to my Hot Vax Summer™️ rediscovery, “Stars Are Blind,” plus Sir Paul McCartney’s otherwise-forgettable “The Kiss of Venus,” fascinatingly reimagined by Dominic Fike.
Note: You can listen however you want—in order, on shuffle, forwards, backwards, break it off in bite-sized pieces, whatever floats your boat. But just know that I slaved over this sequencing for hours.
Okay, here we go! 100 songs that have earned permanent spots in my micro-corner of the world. I hope you find something familiar. 🥰
Base Camp: 2021 Favorites
Feels Like - Gracie Abrams
When The Lights Go Out - Patrick Droney (watch this version, too)
Anyone - Justin Bieber
Silk Chiffon - MUNA feat. Phoebe Bridgers
drivers license - jxdn
object permanence - Sydney Sprague feat. Danielle Durack
You Sexy Thing - Zella Day
The King of Wishful Thinking - Go West
the angel of 8th ave. - Gang of Youths
Amalfi - Wild Pink
Last Train Home - John Mayer
The Runaround - Joshua Speers (also my favorite music video of the year)
Crying During Sex - Carol Ades
Got Me - Laura Mvula
Lockeland - Moody Joody
He Gets Me So High - beabadoobee
Can We - Jim-E Stack feat. Kacy Hill
RUBBER BANDS - BERWYN
Deserve You - Justin Bieber
BABY - Delilah Montagu
Rich - Topaz Jones
Icy Violence - Sad Night Dynamite
TAKE ME HOME - Vince Staples feat. Fousheé
Go Easy, Kid - Monica Martin
Good Days - SZA
deja vu - Olivia Rodrigo
4Runner - Rostam
Polly - Dora Jar
Stacking Chairs - Middle Kids
Now is the Time - Jade Bird
Mimi - Big Red Machine feat. Ilsey
Getting Over Our Love - Ric Robertson feat. Lucius
Cool Dry Place - Katy Kirby
Caroline - Arlo Parks
PACK IT UP BOY - City Girl feat. tiffi
The Promise - Samia feat. Jelani Aryeh
The Walls Are Way Too Thin - Holly Humberstone
quitter - Sydney Sprague
Matches and Metaphors - Morgan Wade
Yours in the Morning - Patrick Droney
Wildfire - Cautious Clay
Bonafide - Emotional Oranges feat. Chiiild
Totally - Inhaler
Boilermaker - Royal Blood
knuckle tattoo - girlhouse
I Can’t Wait to Be British - Carol Ades
Dreams with You - Kississippi
Stop Making This Hurt - Bleachers
Harmonia’s Dream - The War On Drugs
Show Up - Samia
Mood Ring - Lorde
jealousy, jealousy - Olivia Rodrigo
One Night - Griff
You Could Be The One - Niko Rubio
Grumpy Old Man - Remi Wolf
Slide Tackle - Japanese Breakfast
Golden - Zella Day
Til the Right One Comes - John Mayer
Stars Are Blind - Paris Hilton
Spit Of You - Sam Fender
Heart On Fire - Eric Church
Off My Mind - joe p
Perfume - Del Water Gap
Hood of My Car - Anderson East
Fall Into Me - The Chain Gang of 1974
Far from Here - Emmit Fenn
alien jewelry - John The Blind
barcelona - Winnetka Bowling League feat. Sasha Sloan
Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen It All) - Lorde
Hot & Heavy - Lucy Dacus
Cub Pilot - Fruit Bats
Don’t Stop Loving Me - Joshua Speers feat. SKAAR
Five N’ Dime - Mills
Wouldn’t Come Back - Trousdale
Last Resort - Natalie Hemby
Obstacle - Manchester Orchestra
Better - Michigander
Please Don’t Leave Just Yet - Holly Humberstone
Nothing New - Taylor Swift feat. Phoebe Bridgers
What If I Love You - Gatlin
Symptom of Your Touch - Aly & AJ
Oh shit… are we in love? - Valley
Free - Parcels
Distance - Yebba
Old & Fine - serpentwithfeet
Coming Back - James Blake feat. SZA
The Kiss of Venus - Paul McCartney feat. Dominic Fike
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You - Lauryn Hill
SUNDOWN TOWN - Vince Staples
Introvert - Little Simz
The Dress - Dijon
All Night Parking (Interlude) - Adele feat. Erroll Garner
End of a Dark Age - Amy Allen
Anna - Georgia Parker
My Place - Goldpark
Pivot in Place - Bre Kennedy
SEEN IT COMING - Trace Mountains
Signs of Life - Foy Vance
New Person, Old Place - Madi Diaz
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) - Taylor Swift
Listen HERE:
Or HERE if you’re team Apple Music.
Thanks for reading, listening, caring, etc. See you next year! ❤️🎶
Natalie