Ocean Blue: The Summer Playlist

The warmer weather has pushed me to reminisce on the summer time energy I knew months ago. In my attempts to prepare myself to obtain that energy again in the next few months, I introduce you to my summer playlist: Ocean Blue.

In all honesty, I compiled this playlist based off the songs featured in the Netflix show, Outer Banks. The show came out during the big shut down of 2020 and I, like the rest of the world, chose to binge the show during the evenings of summer. The vibes from this show were amazing, not to mention the immaculate sound track that just oozed summer love.

With this whole playlist, my goal was to capture the summer air in songs. I wanted to listen to it with my eyes closed and feel the summer breeze in my hair. And I feel like I have accomplished just that, even though it is still a work in progress.

The first song that is worth mentioning, obviously, is the hit song from the show Outer Banks. “Left Hand Free” by alt-J is a staple in any summer playlist. The group is known for their unique sounding songs. They make sure their music doesn’t fit into one single category. This song in particular radiates surf town energy with a hint of twang. You’d expect to hear this playing in a crab shack or surf & turf bar on the shore.

“Awake at Night” by half alive is another summer anthem for me. It’s rhythmic beats make the song sound as if it’s the waves lapping the sand. This song has such an enchanting sound, its relaxing while energizing at the same time. It’s the perfect song to listen to at midnight as you drive down the road with your windows down and the sunroof open.

An obvious summer bop is none other than “Golden” by the one and only Harry Styles. This song is so beautiful. It’s mystical beats leave the listener haunted by his enchanting vocals. I am always immediately charmed when I listen to this song. It has the power to move my body without me knowing, but not in an energetic and sporadic way. It has more of a carefree beat, but is still a little too upbeat to stay in one place as it plays. This song is it’s own entity, so I can’t place where you might see it or how I’d envision it. It’s in a league of it’s own.

Another song that I absolutely adore is “American Money” by BØRNS. This song is so captivating. It just draws you in with its small, dark beats but errupts into a world of color within a few seconds. I don’t know how they did it, but this song is just pure bursts of color to me. Like a Fourth of July celebration, this song knows how to depict color without saying the names explicitly. Personally I find that I associate this song with someone walking through a gas station looking at the drink coolers at 3 in the morning. Full of colors, but calm.

Breaking off from the calm, Alternative beats, I find that Mac Miller’s “PA Nights” is a great summer song. I am partial to this song seeing as I am from Pennsylvania myself, but this song is pure bliss. There has always been something about Mac’s songs that just pulls people in, but this one is a true summer anthem. The beats are cheerful and help pick up the listener and carry them through the song. I would expect this to be over a montage of someone exploring the Pittsburgh city life throughout the span of the day.

Overall I think I have done exactly what I set out to do. I can feel the summer coming to me as I listen to the soundtrack I have curated. I can smell the sunscreen and feel the breeze. While this is still growing, this playlist is everything I could want for a summer track list. There are a few more of my favorites down below that I highly recommend you listen to.

Keep On Listening!