Top 5 songs for the end of the world
I remember at the beginning of 2020 there were memes going around that spoke about the idea of an “apocalypse bingo” card gradually being filled out, and it’s easy to see why. From a continent on fire, among other natural disasters, to the current pandemic that we still haven’t shaken, I’ve felt more than once that humanity was doomed. While this bleak thought may have stressed me out at first, after a few months of nonstop worldwide catastrophes I decided to just sit back and enjoy these moments as if they were the last days of humanity.
Much like how in Futurama Fry, Bender, and Professor Farnsworth all cracked open a beer to watch the end of the universe, here are my top 5 songs that can help you to get through the end of the world.
Hozier is a go-to favorite of mine, and this song off his newest album has apocalypse written all over it. This title track feels like something that would be playing in the distance as humanity turns on itself in search for their final pieces of a fallen society. In this fictional wasteland, Hozier lets us know that, even at the end of the world, love can bring us closure from our earthly ties.
Daniela became well known online for her beautiful covers of popular songs. With a voice that could soothe the devil himself, this song in particular brings on the hope that lies in the tragedy of this world. With the opening lyrics she sets the tone (“If this is apocalypse/Then first there was a genesis”) but then brings it home with advice to let go of what we once held onto and “move on to the next”.
3. Hallucinogenics — Matt Maeson
There’s something about drugs that brings about feelings of catastrophe, but you wouldn’t know it by this song. Matt Maeson brings us smoothly into the vibe of facing chaos voluntarily, and taking from that experience what we will. Knowing that we’re all “Pushing past the limit” at the moment, it could be good to have some fellow sinners who are experienced in facing the unpredictable.
What can I say about this song that it doesn’t say itself? Bea talking about not knowing how long she’ll stay here for while offering the perfect cup of coffee to a nameless partner somehow encapsulates the experience of loving someone while in quarantine. There isn’t much that we can do for each other apart from providing the small creature comforts that make life bearable, and hold onto the “promise that one day I’ll feel fine”.
If I could make a list that just included all of Noname’s songs then it still wouldn’t do justice to the power of her poetry. I chose this song in particular as the ending to my calamity playlist because she talks eloquently about all the ills that our society faces other than COVID. There is the race based killings of Black folks by the police, trans rights, and the need to stand up and advocate for marginalized communities all wrapped into a short one-minute song. When pressed for time but still needing to face the cataclysmic situation that humans have created, then this is both a catalyst for an existential crisis and a call to action rolled into one.
I know there are other songs out there that bring about thoughts of the end of the world, and I would love to see what you all can come up with in the comments. However, one thing to keep in mind when facing the end of the world is that, much like with our three heroes from the beginning watching the heat death of the universe, there is always hope that one day the world will start anew.
