I MADE YOU A PLAYLIST, Vol. 15: "Chlorophyll" 🌱

Green light, go!

Last weekend I went on a hike with the sole intention of getting a workout — the kind of hike I typically just power through, music blaring in my headphones, only stopping to lose a layer or sip some water. Instead, I turned from the paved path past the trailhead and stopped barely 50 yards up the trail because there was something about the late afternoon Daylight Savings sunlight and the perfect temperature and the birds I happened to hear just before I pressed play on my music.

I proceeded to stop approximately 67 times to take at least 67 photos of the trees and the little green weeds/wildflowers sprouting in the underbrush and the sun’s reflection through the still-bare branches, all 67 of which looked extremely average and are now lumped together into one green-brown hued block on my camera roll. But I digress.

🖋: Ross Gay | 🖼: Secretly Society

I felt so energized by the sunlight and the tiny glimmers of green on the ground that I started thinking about photosynthesis, which I have not thought about in any great detail since ninth grade biology. I remembered, of course, that animal cells and plant cells have some pretty notable differences—namely that plant cells can turn sunlight into energy and animal cells cannot. Obviously. (Also, #mitochondriaisthepowerhouseofthecell.)

I have a confession to make. I was on such a magical sunlight-induced high that I legitimately pulled out my phone and Googled whether animal cells can have chloroplasts inside them, too. Just to check. Because maybe, just maybe… But no. (If you need a refresh, chloroplasts are the parts of the plant cell that are truly only responsible for photosynthesis. Like, there is absolutely no reason a chloroplast would be inside an animal cell. None. Zero.) Please don’t tell Mrs. Smith. I swear I deserved that Biology Award she gave me at the end-of-year ceremony.

What I really mean by all this Bio 101 nonsense is that spring is HERE, the sun is BACK, and things are HAPPENING. Coincidentally, I’m finally feeling quite settled and welcomed and happy in my still-new-ish Nashville home. I remain almost entirely dependent on Google Maps, but gosh, I’m starting to feel like I actually live here now! Yeehaw!

Anyway, if you have yet to catch on, this is the SPRING 2022 edition of I Made You A Playlist. Heads up—green is my favorite color. If it’s not yours, I’m so sorry.

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LISTEN

angel in realtime. by Gang of Youths

Spotify | Apple

I haven’t felt this strongly about an album in so long. I started digging into Gang of Youths’ discography after falling in love with this album’s lead single, “angel of 8th ave,” last year, and oh my god this band is a treasure trove. Dramatic real-life background stories? Check. Hidden family secrets revealed in song? Check. Anthemic stadium-worthy production? Check. Disarmingly honest and life-affirming lyrics? Check check check.

I am begging you to go on a walk and listen to this album in order, start to finish, and try your very best not to zone out or look at your phone too much.

I’ll bet you the first Dairy Queen swirl cone of the season that you’ll have tears in your eyes (or at least a lump in your throat) by the time you arrive at the last 30 seconds of the closing track, “goal of the century.” It’s an ALBUM-album, a complete body of work that tells a story and makes you think. I think I’ll love it forever.

If you listened and love it too and want more, here ya go:

• Listen to this Tape Notes episode (a deep dive into the recording/production process — two hours long but totally 1000% worth it for the isolated background vocals alone)

• Read this track-by-track breakdown by Chris DeVille for Stereogum

• Listen to the band’s interview with Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music

AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS by MICHELLE

Spotify | Apple

A perfect spring-summer transition album! The harmonies! So good. “POSE,” “LAYLA IN THE ROCKET,” and “50/50” are some favorites, but the whole thing achieves porch-hang playback status.

Humble Quest by Maren Morris

Spotify | Apple

Power ballad Maren is amazing, but understated Maren is my personal favorite, and her latest album is righttt up my alley. It’s pretty and poignant with pockets of playfulness, and it’s given me a new appreciation for producer Greg Kurstin (iykyk… / iydk, yes you do… he’s worked with Adele, Maggie Rogers, Sia, Beck, etc.).

“Background Music” and “Detour” are my current faves, but I daresay this is a bona fide no-skips situation?! I plan to pick it up on vinyl this week (the true test!) so I’ll keep y’all posted…

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READ + WATCH

Hold up—pause. This is no longer a playlist newsletter, it is now a full-fledged ad campaign for Starstruck. It’s on HBO, there are now 2 seasons, the episodes are only 20 minutes long… It is utterly charming and perfect. I’m on a mission to alert the world to writer/creator/star Rose Matafeo’s modern rom-com brilliance, and I will not stop until you give this show a shot.

+ I’m already tragically behind on my 2022 Goodreads goal (surely my Starstruck obsession has nothing to do with this?)… Nevertheless, here are a few books I’m excited to tackle soon:

Time Is A Mother by Ocean Vuong

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti (I mean, do you SEE this cover?!? 🌿)

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FOLLOW

Allow me to introduce you to your new Instagram bestie, @maryoliversdrunkcousin. These fun little poems (written by Lyndsay Rush) touch on everything from Shel Silverstein fan fiction to egg shell-inspired wedding vows, which I realize both sound extremely random. Just trust me—she’s onto something here.

maryoliversdrunkcousin

A post shared by Mary Oliver’s Drunk Cousin (@maryoliversdrunkcousin)

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PLAY

Time for more tunes! To me, this playlist sounds like those first few perfect days/weeks of spring, when everything feels so… possible, and things that have been right there all along somehow seem to be within reach for the first time in an eternity.

We’ve got punchy guitars, dance-y drums, dreamy vocals, a few 80s throwbacks, and some shuffle beats for an extra boost of serotonin. I hope the name speaks for itself, but just in case it doesn’t, allow me to clarify: These songs are meant to make you feel A) like you are a tiny plant cell performing photosynthesis and absolutely thriving on nothing but sunlight, or B) like you are a bird of paradise or monstera leaf slowly unfurling in real time. (Yes, I am on #planttok.)

Press play and charge UP!!! 🔋

“Chlorophyll”

1. Banger - The Droptines

2. The Start - Amber Run

3. Angelica - Wet Leg

4. All I Need Is a Miracle - Mike & The Mechanics

5. Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles

6. Heavy Heart - Bartees Strange

7. Single, No Return - Ten Fé

8. Staircase - Amy Allen

9. Soak Up The Sun - Sheryl Crow

10. Opening - Dora Jar

11. SGL - Now, Now

12. Way Way Back - Aly & AJ

13. Linger - The Cranberries

14. If Ever I Could Love - Keith Urban

15. Wild - Spoon

16. Ready or Not - Shakey Graves feat. Sierra Ferrell

17. Fanfare - Henry Jamison

18. Sunflower, Vol. 6 - Harry Styles

19. Every Little Kiss - Brucy Hornsby & The Range

20. unison - Gang of Youths

21. anotherlife - Nilüfer Yanya

22. Four Leaf Dream - Matilda Mann

23. Lost Track - HAIM

24. LAYLA IN THE ROCKET - MICHELLE

25. Who Am I But Someone - Kate Bollinger

26. Everything Is Simple - Widowspeak

27. Really Want to See You Again - more*

28. From The Back of a Cab - Rostam

29. The Getting By II - The Killers feat. Lucius

30. Stranger - Vampire Weekend

31. Mood Ring - Lorde

32. Slow Dancing - Aly & AJ

33. Me & You Together Song - The 1975

34. Big Shot - flor

35. Anything But Me - MUNA

Listen HERE:

Or HERE if you use Apple Music!

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+ Bonus! Here, have some perfect spring albums, in case your al fresco festivities need additional soundtracking:

Keith Urban – Defying Gravity
HAIM – Days Are Gone and/or Something To Tell You
Hall & Oates - Abandoned Luncheonette
Labi Siffre – Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Aly & AJ – A Touch Of The Beat…
Katy Kirby - Cool Dry Place
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
Widowspeak – Plum
Vampire Weekend - Father Of The Bride

See you out there!
🔆💚🌿💡🌳🌱☀️🔌🍃

Natalie