Songs for New Year's Eve, No Matter Your Mood

An animated gif with the illustrations from Charlie Brown, two boys lie on the ground with squiggly lines indicating pain above their heads and the text says "Happy New Year Charlie Brown"
Giphy

What are you doing New Year's Eve? I live alone, so I'll be... alone! In my apartment! What a glorious bummer but also perfectly fine turn of events.

I suspect we're all experiencing a pretty wild ride of moods as we exit 2020 and enter a new year (where not much has changed but maybe it will get better), so I've curated a collection of songs you can choose from to ring in the new year based on your emotional world.

If You're Kinda Bummed But Okay With It: The New Year by Death Cab for Cutie


The opening lines, "So this is the new year and I don't feel any different" made this my go-to New Year's Day song for years. I loved embracing the morose vibe of waking up a day that was supposed to mark a change and feeling the same. It seems pretty on point for this year, too.

"So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions"


If You're Seeking Blessings: Forever Young by Rod Stewart


This song is basically a New Year's blessing, no matter the version you choose. I chose the Rod Stewart cover, but this song has received so dang many covers that you could just put on a playlist of this song and go on a musical journey for an hour.

"May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,"


If You're Ready to Move On and Embrace Yourself: thank u, next by Ariana Grande


For obvious reasons.

"I've got so much love
Got so much patience
I've learned from the pain
I turned out amazing"



If You Need an Aggressive Dance Out: Raise Your Glass by Pink


It seems like this year humanity was the underdog (although we were also the villain, so... awkward). Sometimes the best thing you can do is throw back an entire glass of champagne in one go and have an aggressive dance party.

"So raise your glass if you are wrong,
In all the right ways,
All my underdogs"



If You Need a Complicated Dance Out: Dancing By Myself by Robyn


This is the perfect song if you're being safe on your own for the New Year and not really happy about it but also trying to embrace where you are now. It's the "I'm going to rip myself away from an Instagram feed full of people who are somehow not alone before it kills me" dance party.

"I'm just gonna dance all night
I'm all messed up, I'm so outta line
Stilettos on broken bottles
I'm spinning around in circles"


If You Need a Dance Out That's Pure of Heart: Dancing In the Moonlight by Toploader


This is for those of you feeling that Schitt's Creek Season 2 finale vibe. Whether you're "together, apart" with your loved ones or have a household to dance with, you know that around the world (or at least across your time zone), people are dancing in the moonlight. (The original is by King Harvest, which is even more pure of heart, if I do say so myself.)

"Dancing in the moonlight
Everybodys feeling warm and bright
Its such a fine and natural sight
Everybodys dancing in the moonlight"


If You Want to Lie on the Couch and Feel Things: Good Grief by Dessa


For me, this song says, "everything is terrible and I don't know how to make it better but also it seems like there is hope to make it better, we've just got to get there," which may be the perfect fit as you lie on the couch and feel your feelings.

"I want that good grief
The one that heals me
That leaves me clarified by fire
When I'm burned clean
Tempered by light and heat
Ah, by the dead of morning
I'll be better for it
And then fortified I'll rise
Bust the hydrant, let it spray champagne
Wings are broken but I feel no pain
It's real today, I know this feeling, let it rain"


If You're Coming Out Ready to Fight: Stronger by Britney Spears


This is the perfect, "heck yes, I survived and guess what? Now I wear black leather and heavy eyeliner which indicates bad assery" song.

"Stronger than yesterday
Now it's nothing but my way
My loneliness ain't killing me no more
I, I'm stronger"


If You Are In a Very Chill Place: Three Little Birds by Bob Marley


Ready to ride the waves of life with your hands ready and your heart open?

"Don't worry, about a thing
'Cause every little thing, gonna be all right"


If You're Genuinely Feeling Great or Want to Embrace Denial: Happy by Pharrell Williams


Maybe you feel actual joy right now or maybe it feels good to feel good, even if you don't really feel good, you know? Either way, clap your hands with Pharrell.

"Here come bad news, talking this and that (Yeah!)
Well, give me all you got, don't hold it back (Yeah!)
Well, I should probably warn you I'll be just fine (Yeah!)
No offense to you
Don't waste your time"



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