Hi.
As an avid Spotify user, I have been creating lots of playlists during quarantine. Of course, sometimes I would go to the Internet for inspiration. For the most part, all I could find was very out of date songs that came out a decade ago. I’m a teenager and I was looking for something more current, so I asked friends, put on Spotify radio, and listened to artists I already knew. So if you’ve been feeling blue or in the dumps during quarantine then this article is for you.
Note: The oldest song on here is from 2018.
1.“6 Feet Apart” by Alec Benjamin- 2020
In my opinion, this is the ultimate quarantine sing. Alec Benjamin specifically wrote this song for the pandemic. This song has really been different on those extra lonely days. My favorite lyric is “I miss you most at six feet apart/when you are right outside my window/ but can't ride inside my car”. These lyrics rang most true when I saw my best friend of a decade of the first time in 49 days (which is the longest we’ve ever been apart). We originally we going to stay 6 feet apart. When I saw her face in person I realized just how much I missed her. I started crying, we hugged, and I realized how much it hurts to see someone you love after a long period of time.
2. “Changes” by Lauv- 2020
This song although written in 2020 actually came out before quarantine. This song discusses how hard change is, but also the fear of staying the same. My favorite lyrics are the opening “I’m getting rid of all my clothes I don’t wear/I think I’m gonna cut my hair/’Cause these days, I don’t feel like me”. I actually have gotten rid of almost all my clothes, and many of my friends have cut their hair. I think a lot of teenagers are feeling a loss of identity and not feeling like themselves, especially being all the time.
3. “comethru” by Jeremy Zucker- 2019
This song came out in 2019 and talks about exhaustion. I think in quarantine many people are feeling pressure to be productive, but they are just exhausted. The lyrics that I have been vibing with during quarantine are “I’m trying to realize/it’s alright to not be fine on your own”. I have been feeling a lot of pressure to perform in quarantine. I’m expecting myself to come out of quarantine with like a million new skills, and I get frustrated with myself when I’m exhausted and don’t have any motivation.
4. “Young and Alive” by Bazzi- 2020
This song is about being young. I know a long of teenagers like my friends and I have felt kind of robbed of part of our high school experience because of quarantine. My favorite lyric from this song is “To have fun with my friends like I’m young and alive”. A lot of kids right now are missing out on experiences. I’ve had friends lose concerts, prom, graduation, trips, sports seasons, theatre productions, and dances. I think the biggest thing quarantine took from me was a school ski trip to Colorado with my best friends. They moved the trip to next year, but two of my best friends are switching schools so they won’t be able to come with me. So if you are really missing being carefree, then this song is for you.
5. “i don’t want to watch the world end with someone else” by Clinton Kane- 2020
Clinton Kane wrote this song for quarantine. He wrote this song because he allowed someone to leave his life, but now he misses them and wishes they were there to help him through this hard time. The lyrics that I have been resonating with are “This calmin’ feeling faded into anxious breathin’/In the places we were happy once/Stuck inside but never home” It’s funny how your house was s a place where I could usually escape from your problems at school or with friends, but now my house feels like a prison.
6. “Lose A Friend” by Beowulf and INTRN (2 separate artists this was a collab)- 2019
This song is about losing friends. The lyric that stands out to me is “And I don’t want to lose a friend/But if I keep my distance I know this will end”. These lyrics have really been hitting different because during quarantine I have seen some friendships start to crumble, while others are becoming stronger than ever.
7. “all the kids are depressed” by Jeremy Zucker- 2018
This song is about the mental health of teenagers. Many kids are having a really hard time right now. The whole chorus freaking slaps “‘Cause all the kids are depressed/Nothing ever makes sense/I’m not feeling alright/Staying up ’til sunrise/And hoping shit is okay/Pretending we know things/I don’t know what happened/My natural reaction is that we’re scared/So I guess we’re scared”. I and lots of other kids out there ruined their sleep schedule. I used to go to bed around midnight, now I can’t sleep before 4 am.
8. “Mind Is A Prison” by Alec Benjamin- 2019
This song is about the dangers of overthinking. Although it feels like our homes are a prison during, the real prison is our mind. The lyrics that jump out to me are “Sometimes, I think too much, yeah, I get so caught up/I’m always stuck in my head/I wish I could escape”. I am naturally an overthinker and overanalyzer. It has gotten so much worse during quarantine, and I’m certain that I am not the only one. If you have felt trapped lately then give this song a listen.
9. “Young Nights” by Mad- 2020
This song is about being scared of the future and wondering if we are wasting our youth. Mad wrote this song after he got rejected from Yale, and he started reflecting on if he wasted his high school years on just studying and not experiencing life to the fullest. As I mentioned quarantine feels like it’s stealing a piece of our childhood and depriving us of memories that we need. As much as I wish I could say this is just a quarantine thing, it’s not. It’s a fear of a lot of teenagers. The lyrics that are perfect for quarantine are “Cause’ I’m so tired and I’m a mess/And I keep running from myself/These are the nights that keep us young/We’re staying up late to pass the time”. A recurring theme of this article is the constant exhaustion quarantine has given so many people. If that’s a problem for you, then you should probably listen to this song.
10. “right here” by keshi- 2019
Many teenagers have been texting their exes and other toxic people out of boredom. The lyrics that really get me are “ No, I do not want the past/But if you are ever in need/And God has you down on your knees/And you do not know who to be/Then go on and come home to me”. If you are reading this article and you let a toxic person back in your life, then I beg you to listen to this song. A lot of people are revisiting past hurt in quarantine due to overthinking. Just be careful to not let yourself get hurt because you feel extra alone right now.
11. “tear myself apart” by Tate McRae- 2019
Another song about overthinking. The lyrics that get me every single time are “Petals fall and you don’t call/For days, and days, and days/You say, you say, it’s not my fault/You say nothing at all”. We have some “friends” that haven’t contacted us or checked in at all during quarantine. We wait for them to text us first, and sometimes we just never get a text. If you have friends that you haven’t checked in on, maybe you should text them. Maybe they are tearing themselves apart.
12. “If The World Was Ending” by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels (2 separate artists this was a collab)- 2019
This is a gorgeous song that was written before the outbreak. It is about going back to an ex because the world is ending so you won’t live to see the consequences. The artists who wrote actually wrote this when they met each other in person for the first time. They didn’t know each other, but when they sing they sound as if they have been in love for a lifetime. Interestingly enough they started dating around the start of 2020. The lyrics that I am in love with are “Would you love me for the hell of it?/All our fears would be irrelevant/If the world was ending/You’d come over, right?”. Although it may feel as though the world is ending, it’s not.
13. “Fix It to Break It” by Clinton Kane- 2020
This song is about realizing your relationship has expired. The moment when you question whether “fixing” the relationship is worth it. The lyrics that resonate best with me are “And I’ve been hurting myself to keep you from leaving/I’ve been wondering whether we’ll last the season/Wish we could’ve made this work/But now I know that I need more”. Many people in relationships are really struggling right now. A lot of teens in relationships are realizing that maybe their relationship isn’t as strong as they thought it was. A lot of teens are having doubts about friends and significant others. If that’s you, then this song will remind that other people feel that way too.
14. “Out My Mind” A.J. Mitchell- 2019
This song is about when you can’t get someone out of your head. You think about the memories, the heartache, and the love. The lyrics that stuck with me are “Starin’ at my phone light/Starin’ at the pictures that we took, it figures/Crazy how the time flies/You know/I’ve been thinkin’ all night”. Again the theme of exes and overthinking. Always a dangerous combo. If you are a person who has been missing an ex, then try this song out.
15. “Just Friends” by Audrey Mika- 2020
This song is from the perspective of a girl who is friends with a guy, but she’s confused about if maybe it’s something more. The lyrics that for real slap are “Just friends don’t do what we do/What we do can’t do without you/Just friends don’t say what we say/What we do can’t do without you”. In quarantine, a lot of teens, both guys and girls, are flirting with their friends because they are bored. This is leaving a lot of them confused about if the person likes them or if they’re just leading me on out of boredom. If that is you right now, then you will definitely relate to Audrey Mika’s pain.
15. “IDK You Yet” by Alexander 23- 2020
Alexander 23 wrote this song during quarantine. He wrote this because he feels lonely and he wishes his soulmate was here to help him through these lonely times. The lyrics that get stuck in my head every single time are “How can you miss someone you’ve never met?/’Cause I need you now but I don’t know you yet/But can you find me soon because I’m in my head?”. If you feel alone just know that you aren’t the only one who feels this way.
16. “atlas” by keshi- 2020
This song is about being tired and wanting to give up. The lyrics that are really standing out in quarantine are “Guess I’m a little bit scared/Of the things I don’t understand/Finding semblance of comfort/That nothing will go like I planned”. Obviously the pandemic is scary and nothing is going as planned. If anything plans are getting canceled.
17. “all my friends are fake” by Tate McRae- 2019
One benefit of quarantine is seeing who your friends are. Real friends are reaching out and checking in on you. My favorite part of the song is “Everyone’s got someone built custom/To give their darkness to
I wish I had someone, could trust ‘em/But loyalty/Don’t come for free”. A lot of teenagers maintain “fake” relationships for clout and social media, but now in quarantine people are realizing just how shallow some friendships are. If you are a person who is upset about the lack of contact you have had with your friends, then try this song.
18. “Quarantined from My Love” by ohsobrkn and Emily Blair (2 separate artists this was a collab)- 2020
This is yet another song written about quarantine. This song is from the perspective of a couple that are in quarantine away from each other, turning this them into a long-distance relationship almost overnight. My favorite line of the song is “i’m really scared to lose you/i’m getting tired of bluetooth/but if it’s all we got/then let’s facetime/and watch some youtube”. A lot of high schoolers in relationships are experiencing this division of space in their relationship. It’s hard enough to maintain a normal relationship in high school, much less a long-distance one.
19. “colorblind” by Mokita- 2019
This song was written by a guy who is trying to explain depression to someone who has never had depression. He has struggled with severe depression since he was 14. The lyrics that hit hard are “You’ll be fine, I say it again/I should let someone know/That something doesn’t feel right/It’s like I’m colorblind”. The world feels pretty colorless now, but especially for those suffering from mental health. If you are struggling with that right now please tell someone.
20. “Yellow Hearts” Ant Sanders and Audrey Mika (2 separate artists this was a collab)- 2020
This song is about two people not sure whether they are just friends or talking. My personal favorite lyrics are “I’ve been lying/Yellow hearts aren’t just friends/Now I don’t need to pretend”. Like I stated in an earlier paragraph many teens are confused about where they stand with many guy friends/crushes.
I hope these songs help you through quarantine. Comment down below if you think I’m missing a good song. Below is my personal quarantine playlist with these songs and more. :)
