Bops are now Bangers and they are BACK, and I’m ready to put all of ya’ll on some new songs that I absolutely cannot stop streaming. To first preface this article, most of these songs are what you would describe as ‘indie’. I normally listen to every genre of music, (except country, because…I mean I don’t even have to explain myself), but recently I’ve been very into indie/not mainstream songs! I will forever LOVE Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and more songwriters that are pretty mainstream, but my love for Rex Orange County and Mac DeMarco is absolutely flourishing more and more each day. Let’s jump in!

1. My Kind of Woman- Mac DeMarco
2. In My Head- Bedroom
3. Chamber of Reflection- Mac DeMarco 
4. YKWIM- Yot Club
5. Head Cold- Spacey Jane
6. Booster Seat- Spacey Jane

1. My Kind of Woman- Mac DeMarco 

I literally cannot function when this song comes on in my car. Absolutely lose my mind, crying, throwing up, screaming every lyric, while crashing into the guard rail. This song, came from the angels. No joke. This song, is so beautiful, angelic, and crushes my soul each time I listen to it. First off, Mac DeMarco is extremely hyped up on TikTok (at least on my For You Page), and I really just ignored the love and the rave for awhile! Until I peeped THIS SONG, and I’ve been hooked. Mac DeMarco, deserves all of the rave and the love in the world. He is so talented and has the most beautiful lyrics, with the most soft, but velvety voice in the WORLD. Mac writes about being in a relationship with a girl who he desperately loves, and sees her as a reflection of himself, and loves her with everything he has and every piece of his heart. Mac begs the girl in the song to “show him her world,” and desperately wants to be with her, because he believes that she is “his type of woman,” and how she is made for him. This song, is probably my most favorite love song I’ve ever listened to. Mac describes the girl in the song so lovingly, and sings how that nothing matters as long as the girl is next to him in life, but it doesn’t make sense that she sticks right by him, wherever he goes. I CAN’T. I feel like we can all relate with Mac in having a person in our life, that we are so in love with. Weather it be a friend or a significant other, we all ask ourselves why the specific person sticks with us through the ups and downs. We all have that one person, that we speak so lovingly about, and just want to be with them forever. <333 1000/10 song. Praise Mac. Forever. Do it. Now. Right now.

2. In My Head- Bedroom

As you keep reading, you may notice how I describe some of the songs listed, coming from angels or the heavens. In My Head, was literally brought down to earth by 8 angels. 8. Specifically. This song, is so GORGEOUS. In My Head, is super super calming. It’s very vibey, and the guitar and lyrics are very slow and feel like waves that slowly wash up on like, the most beautiful beach in the world. The song, is incredibly reflective, and I feel like the meaning genuinely depends on the person listening to the song. The song for me (Soph), gives me waves of nostalgia, and feels like someone is reading my thoughts. The song sings of negativity and doubt, swirling around a person’s mind, and won’t leave. The thoughts consume everything, and control everything. Although the lyrics are somewhat incredibly depressing, by giving negative thoughts and doubt almost human qualities, the song is so beautiful and captures what negativity and feeling upset in your own ruminative thinking, placing them into words and put into palpable emotions.

3. Chamber of Reflection- Mac DeMarco

Yeah, would definitely marry Mac DeMarco in a second if it were possible. This song, is kind of slow, but very much fits the vibe and should be included in the playlist that you play late at night, driving around with your friends with all of the windows down. I kind of interpret this song as Mac singing about being alone again after awhile, and reflecting on what he’s done in his life, and working on moving on from events. This is super random, but this song reminds me of Emma Chamberlain’s you tube content right now actually! It’s super calming, but she spends a lot of time running around alone and reflecting on events from life and people in her life. Highly recommend watching her videos and listening to her podcasts actually! The majority of Chamber of Reflection revolves around being alone again, after being surrounded by people. Very beautiful and reflective song. 10/10.

4. YKWIM- Yot Club

In L O V E with this song! Literally in love. YKWIM is the most calming song I’ve listened to! When you listen to YKWIM, you feel as though you are driving home late during the night and it’s drizzling, and you can smell the grass and the rain from the crack in your window, or when you are laying in bed and you have your fan on, lavender is shooting from a diffuser, and you can smell the spring air from outside. Not even joking. When people say that a song fits a vibe, YKWIM fits perfectly into that category. The lyrics almost seem softer than the background guitar and music, but the lyrics are actually so beautiful and sad when you actually take the time to listen to them! YKWIM is about being almost frozen in time, in a thought, in a past relationship. The song takes listeners through a relationship that went sour over time, while one person feels as though they care too much, and how overwhelming and draining this can be when the other person falls out of love. I feel like everyone has been through this, and this song can personally take me back to thoughts and people who don’t care, but caring is the only way to hold onto that person/relationship, even when its disjointing and draining. An absolute BANGER, and is amazing to fall asleep to.

5. Head Cold- Spacey Jane 

I’ve recently discovered a new group named Spacey Jane when I heard one of their songs on Tik Tok! I’ve listened to a few of their songs, and I would absolutely DIE for Spacey Jane or if I were to ever go to their concert. Spacey Jane is what you would call ‘indie’, but they are also kind of mainstream! The group is originally based in Australia, and their new album Sunlight, has blown up everywhere. Singer Caleb Harper has been quoted saying that Head Cold, maps out major delirious thoughts that run through his head in a fever-state, and “it’s about tangled thoughts, tangled headphones, and tangled sheets.” The song has a pretty calm vibe, and Caleb Harper’s voice is super unique, but absolutely gorgeous and filled with emotion when he is singing the lyrics.

6. Booster Seat- Spacey Jane 

As I’ve established, I’m absolutely in love with Spacey Jane. You know when kids around school say “this song hit different” and you kind of just kind of think….. ‘hmmm. I bet that song doesn’t hit at all bro.’? I’m literally SCREAMING to you right now, that this song HITS DIFFERENT. This song, makes my heart ache so BAD. Booster Seat makes everything in my mind and my heart HURT. Booster Seat is super calming at first, and has a very sad vibe. Sad and reflective, which makes up most of my favorite songs. The lyrics, are heaven sent. Spacey Jane adds in lyrics that will literally crush your soul, such as;

” I’m moving through the night, my soul’s just a container”, “my unmarked grave, my salty sea”, “in my pants too short, in my shame up to my knees in a wave of guilt I roll in and in a hurricane I breathe.”

Like WHAT BRO? You literally put angelic lyrics in a sad and reflective song and ask me not to absolutely loose my mind and crash my car out of crying so hard? Not even fair. Booster Seat by Spacey Jane is supposed to a metaphor for having no control in life, and feeling like anxiety and depression take away the feelings of control you have in your own mind. Frontman Caleb Harper told triple j’s Richard Kingsmill in an interview in 2020, that he drew on feelings of his childhood and those vulnerabilities he has, and how they are still so relevant in his life today. I highly, highly recommend Booster Seat, when you are driving home, absolutely crushed from the fact that it gets dark out at 6:30 pm, it’s too cold in the morning, you literally have no idea what’s going on in your AP bio class, and you don’t trick or treat with your family anymore because you are 17, AND you are hitting the tail end of high school with your best friends. (Wouldn’t know from experience :))

I hope you enjoyed reading about all of my new ‘indie’ songs that are always on rotation in my car! Although these songs are somewhat sad and reflective, I think that I along with a lot of other people in the world start gravitating towards sadder music during the upcoming Holidays and colder months. I actually really like the change of pace, after listening to super happy and upbeat bops from summer. 🙂