Welcome back to the Stereoside Chats: Music Reviews for Normal Dudes! Normally, I haven’t written about playlists yet, but I’m going to break the pattern and start doing so today! I personally love when others recommend playlists to me because I’m always on the lookout for new music to listen to, especially for specific events – like traveling!
So first off, what makes a good ‘travel’ song? Well, personally I like songs that feel curious and exploratory, but that might be sort of vague. I typically look to alternative or indie music, but really anything can make it on my playlists, here are just a couple of my favorites! And, if you want to follow along, you can listen to my playlists on Spotify @sydneywolf77.
Are You What You Want To Be? – Foster The People
As I said earlier, I tend to stick to alternative pop or indie for my playlists, and this is a perfect example of that combination! This track from Foster the People, in my opinion, flys under the radar. It’s a super fun track that talks of influences from Ghana, Belize, Nigeria, and Paris. It’s a global track, lyrically, but the music just feels fun and it makes you want to go out and explore a new city. It asks its listeners to look inwards, and to say ‘Are You What You Want To Be?”
Dream Glow – BTS & Charli XCX
This might be a bit of a random song to throw on this playlist, but hear me out! This is a catchier pop song with the unlikely combo of K-Pop stars BTS and British alt-pop singer Charli XCX. It’s a great song to listen to while on a plane or train, the pacing is good and the mix of Korean and English works really well here. And, it definitely helps that the song wants you to follow your dreams!
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Soundtrack – Various Artists
Okay so this might be more than one song, but it’s worth a full listen I promise! This movie is one of my favorites of all time (highly recommend if you haven’t seen it yet!). It’s a film starring and directed by Ben Stiller, and it’s all about living life to the fullest, traveling, and putting yourself out there. It’s amazing to say the least. But the soundtrack itself gives the movie just such amazing vibes to the travel scenes. I highly suggest watching this scene from the movie, which utilizes music to make it seem even more intense. The best part starts around 1:15, the music just feels curious, upbeat, and like you’re in a brand new world. There’s no words to accurately describe it. This movie is the ultimate travel playlist, and some of my favorites on here are ‘Step Out’ by Jose Gonzalez, ‘Far Away’ by Junip, and ‘Lake Michigan’ by Rogue Wave, but all of the tracks bring something new and dynamic. It’s a great listen for any music or travel lover. Please, please, put this record on the next time you go backpacking somewhere, it’ll only make things feel more magical.
Conclusion
Thanks so much once again for reading my blog! It means a lot to me and I love making these posts and sharing my music with the world. Let me know in the comments on what I should discuss next!