words Ry-Ann Lim

Although we are out of lockdown and the light at the end of the tunnel is slowly revealing itself in Singapore, many around the world are still facing lockdowns and would have to stay at home for awhile more. This playlist lasting a little over 3 hours, “Ryn: Songs to Stay Home to” has been curated by me and sequenced to flow easily from one song to the next, so you can listen to it either shuffled or in order.

Common themes crop up across these tracks. There are a lot of songs about feeling stuck and several about loneliness. There are songs filled with boredom, despair for what is lost in experiences, but then just as many songs filled with optimism, comfortable solitude, and appreciation for things we only notice when we slow down (listen to “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves).

Working on the playlist reminded me of the times I spent alone in lockdown, quarantine (and will be going through again as I travel cross border), and led me to revisit some old favorites. This playlist project was one of the things I’ve felt most sustained during this period, sometimes helping me make light of the situation.

My current favourite song in this playlist is “Better Distractions” (“Sit around until I find something better to spend my time, but nothing's appealing”), which was mentioned in Barack Obama’s favourite music of 2020. As many times as I’ve heard it, I still enjoy the lazy-dazy drag of the electric guitar interlaced with the gingerly played piano keys towards the end.

One of the older favourites on this playlist is Otis Reading’s “Cigarettes and Coffee”, which was written in the 60s. (“Oh, it's a quarter till three/ We're sittin' here talkin over cigarettes and coffee”), makes me remember that the happiest of moments is not out there, it is quiet, boring, pure moments not dressed with any glamour.

One song that may seem out of place in this playlist is an Indonesian pop hit “Serenata Jiwa Lara” by Diskoria. I chose this song because it has rather sad lyrics (“Tak ada bintang-bintang menari/ Sendiri lagi” translates to “There are no stars dancing, I am alone again”) but in the happiest of tunes. I think this song warrants an appearance because what better way to face some tough times than with good humour?

Yup, there’s a mix bag of stuff available here.

Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this playlist as much as I do. And if nothing else, I hope you find one or two tracks you love. Enjoy, stay safe, and practise social distancing. 

p/s: #tb to that time during lockdown when I thought it was a good time to pick up a new skill… in a baju kurung.. in my house.. Not my brightest idea, I should stick to creating playlists.