Do you ever get chills when listening to your favorite song? Well, I do.
Those chills you feel could be caused by the increase of dopamine – the neurotransmitter known for feelings of pleasure – because your brain recognizes a song! It can come from the first few beats, or the enthralling second verse.
Music has a wondrous ability to evoke a ton of emotions – and even a sad song can give us pleasure .
Here are some of my favorite songs you can add to your playlists for any mood you might be in.
As always, listener discretion is advised. You do you.
Road-Tripping
There are a lot of factors that play into picking songs for a road-trip playlist. But, as a road-tripping expert, I believe there is one that is particularly important: the song’s ability to make you drift (in your mind, not off the road). Here are some of my plane-takeoff and long car ride songs to make you feel “Free Now.”
In My Feels
Everyone needs to feel sometimes. There’s a lot of pressure out there to remain happy-go-lucky all the time, but sometimes we just need to let it out. So, here are some song suggestions for when you just need to feel…
Windows Rolled Down
This is a playlist to bring people together. The most qualifying factor here is the chorus. Whenever I’m in the car with my friends and a song like “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead comes on, we all have to stop what we’re doing and sing.
Mysty & Whimsy
These are songs to transport you and transform you in the best way possible. Songs by The 1975 or Mazzy Star always make me feel such whimsy – which is one of my favorite feelings! I love the way The Cranberries manage to bring me to another world, another sense of self. I hope these songs make you feel that way too!
GET HYPEEEE
We all need a little pick-me-up sometimes, right? Songs like “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel and “Dancing Queen” by ABBA are made for this. I love a song that can lift me up, and bring me joy – or even make my heart sing.
What’s your favorite song/mood pairing? Tell us in the comments!
