I Smell Snow
One of my favourite television shows ever is Gilmore Girls. Just like music, the show has the ability to romanticise the mundane. Within everyday life there’s a lot we find not that spectacular like reading, small towns, getting coffee, or getting a bunch of snow. Snow is more than just an everyday thing, it’s a seasonal thing that comes with its own safety concerns, walking strategies, clunky boots, frostbite and it’s slippery. Snow is definitely a nuisance to society. However, it’s just a reality of being from Canada, and therefore we should try to embrace its good attributes like the Gilmore Girls character, Lorelai does.
Gilmore Girls never had a Christmas episode, there were episodes with Christmas lights and winter and snow storms but never actual Christmas. And when you think about it, in our lives it’s the same, we mostly live outside the actual day of Christmas, before and after. The show's character Lorelai has a quirky love for snow, thinking it looks pretty and brings her luck. She can tell when the first snow fall is about to occur, saying “I smell snow” (Que a soft romantic fall of snow). Though it is of course not actually possible to “smell snow”, the quirkiness of the idea of smelling snow is what creates a lightheartedness around the fluffy substance that can often bring a lot of negative connotations with it like getting your car stuck, frostbite, or shovelling. Lorelai's romanticization and sense of “magic” surrounding snow is much contrasted to how we usually think of snow, or even winter. Lots of people naturally fall into different levels of seasonal depression as we are forced indoors and the sunsets at 3 pm. It also doesn’t help that we’re often encouraged to listen to sad music for the cold season, and the only acceptable cheerful songs are Christmas related. So what are we supposed to do after all the gifts have been given, we’re sick of eating gingerbread, our holiday break is over, but there’s still a ton of snow we’re walking through to school?
As we were getting into the winter months and Christmas, I felt I needed a new playlist. I already have a Christmas playlist, but it felt too early to listen to Christmas music (especially when it was supposed to last me most of December), yet I wanted the chill, cozy, happy vibe that comes with the season. My solution to this was making a kind of Christmas playlist but without the Christmas songs. It was inspired by the technique that Gilmore Girls used with the character Lorelia’s optimism for snow.
You could play the playlist that isn’t a Christmas playlist but has the same merry and cheerful energy, whilst embracing all the aspects the winter season has to offer. There are a vast range of qualifications I used for this playlist and you could use as inspiration if you wanted to make your own!
Wintertime/Months
Firstly, any mention of snow or winter. If the song takes place in any winter month (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb) it passes. An example of this is “California Dreaming” by The Mama’s and Papa’s. I feel this song is often associated with Summer because you think “California” is always sunny and warm but the chorus of the song explains they’re dreaming of California “on such a winter's day”. This song, counter to popular belief, is made to be listened to in the winter.
Sonic Textures
Second, any use of bells or layering that sound like twinkling lights. Bells are the music of a slay trudging through snow! No matter the exact content of the song, it’s going to give off winter. Ex. “Kiss me Slowly” by Parachute.
Unofficially Christmas
Third, either it can be a Christmas song that doesn’t mention Christmas like “I’ve got my Love to Keep me Warm” or a non-Christmas song that just happens to mention Christmas, like “When we are Together” by The 1975.
Niche to Winter
The fourth rule, songs that celebrate things that are not intended to be “Christmassy” or even wintery or New Year’s but it could be, since this is a Christmas playlist without Christmas music. A few examples, “North” by Clairo (Christmas we think of the North Pole), “Drive my Car” The Beatles (who wants to drive in the snow), Write a List of Things to Look Forward to” Courtney Barnett (we write wish lists or even lists of new year’s resolutions), “Figure 8” by Peach Pit (skating is a winter activity). I could literally justify any song on this playlist.
Don’t be too quick to Judge!
The fifth and final rule is to not judge by the musical vibe. You may think that just because a song sounds like a “summer” song because it’s upbeat but an upbeat song can easily become associated to Winter if you come across it in winter or you realise they mention they “went to winter wonderland and it was shit but we were happy” like in The Me and you Together Song by The 1975.
As you are reading this, it is long past Christmas, New years, and the wintery holiday festivities, but (whether you smell it or not) we do have a few more months of Winter ahead of us. As Christmas music is no longer socially acceptable, you’ve got this playlist to keep you warm:
