WVUD’s Official Spring Playlist!
Intro & Compilation Edits by Macayla Cook
After a frigid winter, spring is finally here, and we here at WVUD couldn’t be more excited about warm weather, blooming flowers, and the end of seasonal depression. In keeping with radio tradition, here are the Ops Board’s picks for the perfect songs to ring in spring this year!
James Kelly, General Manager
“Solar Power” – Lorde
As soon as the warmer weather hits–and my sinuses decide they hate me–it’s all sunshine and open sunroofs. I was a bit late to the game with Lorde’s latest album from 2021, but since I’ve first listened to it, it’s become a pavlovian response when the thermometer ticks over 70 degrees. It’s warm, beachy, and if you try hard enough, you can feel cold sand under your feet. What? It’s not summer just yet, so that crap’s gonna be freezing.
“August 10” – Khruangbin
Driving with the sunroof open and this on the radio after it reaches warm temps is also pavlovian, much like the response to warm weather that girls obsessed with their tanning regimen have. I’ve said it before, Khruangbin is great for any occasion, season, or get-together. In this instance, use it to remind yourself that it’s only going to get warmer out. Might as well get a head start on feeling excited about it, yeah?
“Carolina in My Mind” – James Taylor
The best part about this song is that “Carolina” could be anywhere or anyone. Where’s the place you take yourself in your head to clear your thoughts? To remind yourself not to take yourself too seriously, or that life doesn’t have to always be hard? James Taylor has a way of putting a melody behind some of the most resonating lyrics ever put on the sleeves of records. When it’s finally warm enough to tolerate being outside, my mind goes to my “Carolina,” where I’m with everyone I love in the places that I love. Have a listen, so you can go and find yours.
Gretchen Hartenstein, Program Director
“SUPERBLOOM” – Misterwives
When I think of spring-coded songs, “SUPERBLOOM” is what immediately comes to mind. Not only does the title lend itself to spring, but it hits you with an energetic beat that you can’t help but move to. To me, it feels like coming alive again, reminding me that I’ve made it through winter and warm, sunny days are ahead. Plus, what’s not to love about some heavy-duty horns?
“Anyone For You (Tiger Lily)” – George Ezra
“Tiger Lily” is simply bright and happy and exactly what we need as we head into springtime. Its peppy piano riff feels like the warm sunshine that we’ve been craving on these cold, cloudy days. Nothing is better than the first time you get to roll the windows down in the car again and this song is what I want playing from my speakers when that day comes.
“Wild Roses” – Of Monsters and Men
While not as bright in nature as the previous songs, “Wild Roses” takes me back to a point during my time here at UD when the earth was waking up and so was I. It was the moment when I finally felt like I was home. I’d found my people and my place, or perhaps they had found me. I embraced that rebirth with open arms and I have a feeling that spring is always going to be a reminder of that time in life.
Melissa Wood, Promotions Director
“Devils in the Canyon” -The Strike
Picture this: you and your friends are in a slick black convertible (top down, of course) coasting through an endless maze of plateaus and rolling hills. Above you, a sea of constellations floods the cloudless night sky. As you cruise down the empty highway ahead of you, the cool night breeze blows through your hair, and you cannot help but feel at peace, like all’s right with the world. This is the image that comes to mind whenever I listen to this song. To me, the upbeat nature and sense of freedom this song evokes within me is why I associate it with spring. It’s like you’re letting go of all your burdens and embracing the change that life brings.
“Carried Away” -Passion Pit
This song is yet another upbeat vocal heavy tune that I feel does a perfect job encompassing the warmth and joy that follow the onset of spring. Whenever I hear this song, all I can think about is strolling in a peaceful meadow filled to the brim with bright yellow and red daisies, the sun shining gently on my face. If you’re looking for a bright and happy song to lift you to the sun in your spirits, I definitely recommend this song.
“drive all night” – joan
Like my first recommendation, this song reminds me of the feeling elicited when driving late at night. Here, however, I am not with my friends, but with a love interest, and I am not in a canyon, but on the edge of a small town, about to leave it forever to start a new beginning. To me, this song offers a warm feeling with its saturated and reverbed vocals, as well as a bright atmosphere with its upbeat tempo that screams “spring is here!”
Rebecca Lewis, Production Director
“striptease” – carwash
carwash is no stranger to making beautiful indie pop music. This song, “striptease,” is an example of a perfect song to play while driving, whether you are driving on windy backroads, hills, or long, flat highways. It sets a calming tone, perfect for those late spring nights. If you are interested in just vibing along with some sweet indie lo-fi tunes, give this song a listen. It will not disappoint.
“Piedmont” – Destroy Boys
As an avid Destroy Boys fan, I had to include this song. Spring is the time for blossoming new life and love, and sometimes, life may not always live up to the grand expectations we set for it. For when things seem to be going every way other than the way you want, “Piedmont” is a perfect song, delivered first in a calmer tone than most other Destroy Boys music, before ramping up later on. Springtime is a time of uncertainty, as we are still figuring out how the rest of the year is going to look, and this song highlights those feelings of uncertainty.
“Let the Sun In” – Wallows
This song perfectly encapsulates spring to me. The song beautifully combines the bands normal indie music style with tasteful trumpet music, creating a fantastic “dancing in a meadow in a sundress” vibe. It could be argued this song is more summer than spring, but as we are “letting the sun in,” it feels like a perfect segue from the darkness of winter to the blossoming beauty of spring.
Sophia Shull, Music Director
“Sure As Spring” – La Luz
Everything about this song screams springtime. From the title to the album art and instrumentals, La Luz delivers this melody in the form of a warm breeze and the smell of pollen in the air. Go outside, close your eyes, listen to this song, and breathe in the fresh air. The keyboard solo also ties the whole song together!
“BUTTERFLY” – MARINA
What better way to start spring than a new MARINA song? Marina Diamandis is no stranger to glitz and glam. If you’re looking for some girl pop, this is the song for you! Be sure to enjoy the freshly bloomed flowers swarmed by beautiful butterflies (and plant native milkweed to attract endangered monarch butterfly species, while you’re at it)!
“Mind Crawler” – Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
The perfect song to drive to on a cool spring night. The WVUD Music Department is very familiar with Unc’s groovy tunes, and “Mind Crawler” is no exception! Enjoy the vibrance of spring while listening to this psychedelic beat.
Sanaa Mason, Sports Director
“Kiss of Life” – Sade
Honestly, if this song could be injected into my bloodstream, I think antidepressants would be needed less, but it could also be that this song, accompanied by the increasing amount of Vitamin D outside, is just its own cure. It’s soft, it’s calm, it sounds like a really, really good strawberry, and frankly, it could not be more perfect.
“Who Let the Dogs Out” – Baha Men
Of course, as soon as the warm weather appears, the men show out with their dogs…I mean feet. The unclipped toenails accompanied by 6-year-old flip flops truly lets me know that spring is upon us. “Who Let the Dogs Out” is a question I ask myself every year as soon as the weather is over 60 degrees. It is truly a spectacle.
“Rose Colored Lenses” – Miley Cyrus
In class the other day, I heard that someone blocked Miley Cyrus on Instagram after her crazy phase, and I am so glad that never happened to me because this song is pure magic. Rose colored lenses are often seen as a bad thing, but, let’s be honest, as soon as the sun begins to come out, a lot of our worries seem miles away. This song is the perfect transition song to blast while driving down the street, tanning on The Green, or my personal favorite, screaming out the window of your car as you pick up your mother from work.
Macayla Cook, News Director
“Put Your Records On” – Corinne Bailey Rae
My mom always cleaned to this song when I was little, and it still reminds me of the first day after a long winter when you can finally open the windows and enjoy the breeze. In my mind, spring is a time to finally get outside, let the sun hit your face, and ultimately remember that life is worth living (shout out seasonal affective disorder!).
“These Days” – Wallows
Wallows has a sound to me that is just so quintessentially warm weather. Whenever Newark finally gets its first 70-degree sunny day, you can find me listening to Wallows in the grass, a book and a cup of matcha in my hands. Also, this song comes from an EP that is quite literally called Spring. It’s the perfect spring song.
“15 Minutes” – Sabrina Carpenter
I have been bumping Sabrina Carpenter in every season of my life since “Can’t Blame A Girl for Trying” came out in spring of 2014. Judging as the deluxe version of Short n’ Sweet just came out boasting this absolute feat of pop production, I find it only fitting that we celebrate spring with Sabrina. Consider “lot of pretty boys, lot of funny business” to be my official mission statement for the coming months.
Chris Malinowski, Training Director
“Spring” – Two Door Cinema Club
Usually, I’d be one to recommend a song off of TDCC’s debut album, Tourist History, but when an opportunity to use a song with “Spring” in the title arises, you just have to grab hold of said opportunity and firmly grasp it. “Spring” is a simple song with a melodic guitar riff that captures the essence of the season but with underlying tones of a long-lost love. Also, I’d highly recommend the album that this song is from, Beacon, as I would also consider that a spring album too.
“Shutdown” – Joywave
Is it really a certified Chris song section if I don’t reference Joywave at least once? “Shutdown” is a track off of Joywave’s second album, Content, and I wholeheartedly believe that it’s a song that captures the rejuvenation of one’s feelings and emotions, especially if they were plagued by seasonal depression during the winter season. As an added bonus, there is a section at the end of the song where it feels as though you’re sitting at the park with birds chirping and the wind blowing outside and to me, that means that it’s finally spring.
“On Your Own” – Vacations
To me, “On Your Own” has been a staple within my alternative playlists since it was released back in 2019. I’m not fully sure why but there’s something about this song that captures a spring-like essence. From the catchy guitar riff to riveting chorus, there’s a lot to love with this song and it takes me back to spring of my junior year of high school, when I originally started gauging alternative and indie songs off of YouTube.
Neil Irungu, Treasurer
“eight (feat. SUGA)” – IU
A remnant from my BTS obsession (that I hope comes back), “eight” is an old friend that calls you up out of nowhere to hang out because you haven’t seen them in a while and you rush to answer. IU’s airy vocals make for a bubblegum-light experience which, when accompanied with SUGA’s production and rapping feature, is a fun contrast. It’s a pretty easy listen, and I think it captures that breezy, simple happiness that I get whenever it starts warming up outside. The sun comes out, and I bask in the sun like a lizard and remember life is worth it because I get to experience good music and a gentle breeze.
“Cross The Street” – Junior Varsity
This song popped up when I was trapped in Instagram Reels because the band was promoting it, and it jolted me out of my cage and right into my Apple Music because I had to have it on loop. It remains the only Junior Varsity song I’ve listened to, primarily because I know I’ll fall into a whole rabbit hole about them and I have no money to spend on merch right now. The bass line is addictive; the hazy vocals in the verses and the crowd-chanting-together effect in the chorus bring me the kind of joy Marie Kondo talks about. This is a song that convinces me I can dance even though I inherited my father’s moves (standing there and bobbing like a buoy).
“Lost” – Frank Ocean
The minute you put this song on, I’m jamming. The bouncy synth, the low background vocals in the chorus, the bass, the drums. Everything in this song is a sip of happiness for me, and I’m completely unapologetic about it. I also associate it with warm drives with my friends to the Newark Reserve, since WVUD alumna Eden Asmelash introduced me to Frank. Even my mom–my incredibly picky mother–loves this song. It transcends generations. Bless your ears today and listen to this song when it’s warm outside with a refreshing drink of your choice.
