Late Nights in an Alternate Dimension

Here's where the songs you need for late night drives are located. Indie rock, alt pop, and chill rap are all in this playlist. (There's a link on my last post.) Most of these songs are quieter, but if you read my last post, you know they're much more than that. These are the songs you need to blast on a drive with your friends at two in the morning- you'll feel alive and connected to every soul still awake at that hour. It's an intimate experience.

Warning: Some of these songs may feature explicit lyrics. Marked with an (E) next to title and artist.

"SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK" - Joji (E)

The beat to this song is mellow, slow, and seems to wrap you in a blanket of sadness and wanting. Joji's voice is haunting and calls out to someone - warning them to stay away or he'll fall in love. The pain that you can tell he's gone through is accented with rising, cutting instrumentals later in the song.

"I Wanna Be Yours" - Arctic Monkeys

The beat to this song has interesting, unique background instrumentals that melt into Alex Turner's (the lead singer's) voice. Somehow, there's a tambourine that doesn't seem hokey or country-ish (I've never heard a country song I liked). Turner's voice and lyrics speak to being desperately in love with someone. He seems almost exhausted, repeating himself but not caring that he sees desperate.

"Dance To This" - Troye Sivan ft. Ariana Grande

With a seemingly 80's-influenced intro featuring synth and a smooth, carefree beat, "Dance To This" is about a relationship between two people who have a deep connection but no sexual relationship. It's about enjoying companionship and enjoying the pure, intimate moment without a physical/sexual element.

"Daydreams" - The Velveteins

With a crescendoing intro releasing into a cool, nostalgic beat, "Daydreams" by The Velveteins has soaring vocals that trap you and fly you to the sun. It's impossible to be unhappy while listening to this song. The combination of drums and electric guitar, fleshed out by lead vocals in the middle part of the song, tops off this nostalgic one-hit wonder.

"Clouds" - Borns

Starting off almost painfully slow, "Clouds" has spare backgrounds throughout the song. A single beat is maintained, with smooth synth and spare electric guitar scattered throughout a couple bars. The reason I'll listen to any Borns song is because the vocals are the most soothing, ethereal thing you'll ever hear. "Clouds" is like this especially so because it's such a quiet song with perfectly harmonized instrumental and vocal layering.

"Girls Need Love" - Summer Walker (E)

This is a female empowerment song about how women can struggle with strong feelings of sexual attraction. In society, women are looked down on for being promiscuous or being comfortable in their sexuality whereas men are praised for it - women are called sl*ts or wh*res whereas men are considered players or f*ckboys. "Girls Need Love" has a smooth beat and Walker's vocals are polished and soothing.

"Friends" - Chase Atlantic

This song features soaring vocals, an unobtrusive guitar part, and powerful backgrounds. Chase Atlantic is one of my favorite bands because every single song makes you feel as though you're on the smoothest, most dangerous roller coaster ride you've ever been on. I'll admit that almost any Chase Atlantic song, this one most especially, (as well as "Swim" and "Right Here") would make me consider things I usually wouldn't.

"Still Don't Know My Name" - Labrinth (featured on the Euphoria soundtrack)

A dark and deep beat and eerie back instrumentals introduce this song. The beginning vocals are slightly rough, which only adds to the undercurrent of anger and frustration. A beat drop leads to incredible vocals and an entirely new set of backgrounds and instrumental. It hurts to listen to, but only because the artist does such a good job of communicating his pain.

"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears for Fears

A classic 80's rock song. Need I say more? If you haven't heard this song at some point in your life, I guess you didn't have a childhood. This song brings back summer nostalgia. The vocals and backgrounds melt together seamlessly to form a haunting harmony.

"Candy Paint" - Post Malone (E)

High instrumentals and no beat give plenty of room for Post Malone's tired and slightly sad voice. It's late in the song - after the first and second verses - that the simple beat is introduced. This song leaves space to think but gives you a sentimental feeling.

"Golden" - Harry Styles

Introduced with a simple, haunting melody, Styles' vocals burst into the song with acoustic guitar and a complex but fitting beat. Off of Styles' new album, Fine Line, Golden is different from his previous songs. The vocals don't seem like he's trying too hard or forcing his voice out of his range. Overall, a comforting song with chords that strike the right heartstrings.

"Good For You" - Selena Gomez

Another song about female empowerment! Although the lyrics, taken out of context, seem to be Gomez trying to look good for her man, if you listen to her interviews, she describes this song as looking good for yourself. A$ap Rocky is also featured on the track, his rap section somehow fitting with Gomez's bedroom pop background instrumentals.