Must-Have Songs for a Perfect Sad Girl Winter Playlist
By: Matty Mooney
Do you cry on your birthday? Do you wear thrifted sweaters in August waiting for the first autumn leaf to drop? Has your addiction to Pinterest started to take over your life? If so, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Or Taylor Swift Tickets. It is Winter: every major tote-bag toting Sad Girl’s favorite time of the year!
This season, we have come out of hibernation for a chai latte and some sad sad songs. As a Sad Girlᵀᴹ myself, I have compiled a list of the best songs to add to your own holiday playlist to get your cry on. So dawn your favorite wired headphones and Converse, and follow along!
My criteria will be rated by four things:
Sad Score (0-10)
Cry-ability (0-10)
How the song makes me feel overall
Whether it’s better to scream in the car, or with headphones in (trust me that is very important). Now, onto the Review!
Cover art for Bridger's EP. Courtesy of Apple Music
So Much Wine EP- Phoebe Bridgers
If you have met me before, you know I would kill for Phoebe Bridgers. Bridger’s “Motion Sickness” is THE Sad Girlᵀᴹ national anthem, so it makes perfect sense that she would be listed first. Bridger’s new EP, titled the same as the song, gives the listener a warm cover of The Handsome Family’s ballad “So Much Wine”. As the first track featured, it boasts Bridger’s signature guitar hums and backing vocals- turning the cover into a song of her own. The other songs on the EP are re-released holiday covers, but are as beautifully crafted in bridger like nature. The single is the most relevant song she has given her audience since the takeoff of second studio album Punisher, and Sad Girls all over are clamoring for more. Alas, they will have to settle with this cozy holiday song to hold them over. All of Bridger’s music makes me want to curl up into a ball and never get out, so I was surprised to feel uplifted, and… happy?? It’s safe to say that I will be playing it on repeat throughout the holiday season!
Sad Score: 6/10
Cry-ability: 5/10
Car or Headphones? Headphones- it’s quiet and sippable. Good for study seshes.
Smith's cover art for the album New Moon. Courtesy of Soundcloud.
Angel In The Snow- Elliot Smith
You know him, every Sad Girl loves him, and we all miss him (RIP): it’s Elliot Smith. His sound is a mid-90s folk twist with the right hint of acoustic guitar, and it is dreadfully sad. I was first introduced to Smith’s music through “Say Yes”, and when I tell you I SOBBED. So of course, I expected nothing less from a holiday song from him, and boy did this song delivers. Coming from an equally sad album release Blue Moon, Smith in this song was a genius. The first time I heard the opening lyrics I teared up immediately. I don’t know how he does it. He just does and he does it so well. Elliot smith is like Ed Sheeran’s A team but 10 times better and not Ed Sheeren. That makes sense to me and it will make sense to you, dear reader, when you listen to this masterpiece.
Sad Score: 9/10
Cry-ability: 10/10
Car or Headphones? Car! Cry to this song while cruising the highway.
Cover Art for Steven's "Songs for Christmas" EP. Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Joy to the World- Sufjan Stevens
When I was 15, I watched Call Me By Your Name for the first time and was hooked on its soundtrack instantly. I can thank the ever-sad King Sufjan Stevens for that. Known for his odd melodies, piano-heavy tracks, and stark voice, Stevens’s music made me cry twice as hard when those credits rolled. Of course, he made an extremely sad rendition of one of the most popular Christmas songs. But Matty- you ask- how can a song with JOY in the title be SAD?? Well, it can be! And it is. Stevens turns this song into a stripped, laid-back rendition, and it’s perfect. The cover is a very versatile of a song, and can be used both to cry and to be festive, the perfect balance for Sad Girls everywhere.
Sad Score: 8/10
Cry-ability: 7/10
Car or Headphones? Headphones while baking Christmas Cookies!
The cover art of the Christmas song by Peach Pit. Courtesy of Genius Music.
Did I make you Cry on Christmas Day? (Well you deserved it)- Peach Pit
Peach Pit, known for its indie pop melodies and funky baselines, isn’t necessarily a sad genre. Producing popular hits like self-titled “Peach Pit” and “Tommy’s Party” there is an underlying level of sadness to the groovy songs. However, hear me out, this song is just THAT GOOD! It’s everything you want from a pretentious indie Christmas song, even if the vocals are peppy, the message is sad! The girl the lead singer is anguishing over, on one of the most special days of the year, is definitely tear-worthy. Honestly, the title hurts too. This song is just a certified bop. You can play it for your whole family and they won’t look at you weird because you listen to sad music 24/7! See Mom! I can be happy!
Sad Score: 5/10
Cry-ability: 6/10
Car or Headphones? Car! Dance along with some friends!
Sadly, there are too many sad Christmas bangers to include in this list. But fear not my dear reader! I have put these songs and more from my personal music collection to create the BEST Sad Girl Winter playlist ever to enjoy the rest of your holidays and through the New Year! Laugh, Cry, Dance, Cry some more, do what a Sad Girl must do. Thank you for reading! Find my incredible playlist here on Spotify.