Ten essential “Sad Girl Autumn” songs.
“Hot Girl Summer” has a moody little sister named “Sad Girl Autumn.” Let’s see what she’s had on repeat this Fall!
In November 2021, Taylor Swift gifted the world with a re-recording of her fourth studio album Red, which included an extended ten-minute version of her legendary ballad “All Too Well.” After giving us just a week to heal from the emotional damage, she sent us spiraling when she released yet another version of “All Too Well,” this time subtitled the “Sad Girl Autumn Version.”
Ms. Swift tapped into the “Sad Girl Autumn” internet subculture, which quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Sad Girl Autumn sits in stark contrast to Hot Girl Summer, replacing the upbeat, electropop of the summer vacation months with much more somber, acoustic-guitar-and piano-driven ballads. Let’s explore some necessary additions to your Sad Girl Autumn playlists, including some songs that are already genre staples and others that should be!
10. “Down” - Jason Walker
If you’re like me, you probably discover most of your music through movies and TV shows. That’s how I found Jason Walker’s “Down,” a real tearjerker that can be heard at the end of Season 1, Episode 6 of The Vampire Diaries. The melancholic piano notes in the song’s introduction promise to break your heart before you’ve even heard a single lyric. By the time Walker and guest vocalist Molly Reed are wailing, “I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?” the song has surely delivered on that promise.
9. “Thunder” - Lana Del Rey
Nobody sells strained love quite like Lana Del Rey. In this track from her underappreciated project Blue Banisters, Del Rey addresses a partner who “roll[s] like thunder” over her peace. Feeling exhausted in their relationship, she begs him to hurry to the finish line and initiate their inevitable breakup. The discord can be felt in the music itself, with screeching strings that “roll like thunder” over the song’s gentle piano and guitar.
8. “Astronomy” - Conan Gray
Have you ever turned someone down because you weren’t ready for something more? Have you ever been on the receiving end of that? Well, Conan Gray has written the perfect song for you. In one of the most beautiful and poignant metaphors for feeling out of sync with a lover, Gray laments the “astronomy” that has pulled him and his lover “two worlds apart.” Approach with caution if you’re still recovering from your Autumn quarter situationship!
7. “Landslide” - Fleetwood Mac
For many, Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks is the undisputed queen of the breakup song, and this track is a testament to her skill in that regard. A classic acoustic ballad, “Landslide” has helped generations of people process failing relationships—or any major change, for that matter. The first verses feel mournful and anxious, but the last verse feels more hopeful, with Nicks choosing to move onward without looking back. In this way, “Landslide” feels like a classic piece of autumnal poetry, in the vein of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, making the song a necessary addition to any Autumn-themed playlist!
6. “Cool About It” - Boygenius
The lyrics of “Cool About It” are a bit ambiguous. The “it” in question could be anything from a very taxing situationship to a longer relationship running its course. In either case, trying to act like you’re okay when you shouldn’t be is a relatable feeling, and you might find some sorrow-tinged solace in the three vocalists of Boygenius. Each member expresses their difficulty with keeping themselves together through circumstances that are actively tearing them apart.
5. “Ceilings” - Lizzie McAlpine
I’ve heard “Ceilings” referred to as a “Tik-Tok song,” which I find to be outrageously reductive of Lizzie McAlpine’s breakthrough single! “Ceilings” is such a masterful expression of doubt—doubting whether good signs are actually good, doubting whether a relationship can make it past the formative stages, or even doubting if your doubt is justified. I mean, how do you not cry when you hear that bridge?
4. “Rosyln” - Bon Iver, St. Vincent
My obsession with Twilight has cost me both time and respect, but it has also given me this beautiful duet from Bon Iver and St. Vincent. Written for New Moon’s soundtrack, it’s impossible to hear this song without picturing yourself strolling through the rainy woods of Forks, Washington and feeling dejected after your vampire boyfriend has abruptly ghosted you. The lyrics, the instruments, and the film’s imagery all work together to create a perfectly moody touchstone for your Sad Girl Autumn playlist.
3. “Savior Complex” - Phoebe Bridgers
You already knew Phoebe Bridgers was due multiple appearances on this list. “Savior Complex” is a fan favorite from Punisher, one of the best indie folk albums of the decade. The song opens with both fingerpicked and high-strung guitars that sound eerily distant from the listener, while Bridgers’ vocals feel much more intimate. “Savior Complex” is the perfect song for anyone who’s ever felt the need to love someone undeserving of it.
2. “right where you left me” - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has written dozens of songs that could have made this list. Some Swifties might be mourning the absence of tracks like “cardigan,” “champagne problems,” or “All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version),” and I get it. However, beautiful as they are, none of those songs have the power to make your heart sink quite like “right where you left me.” The story of a girl who sits motionless at the site of her heartbreak, frozen in time as everyone around her moves on with their lives, never fails to give me chills. Swift knows how to paint a depressing picture, and none of her pictures feel as dark and doleful as the one she paints in this penultimate track from evermore.
1. “Fade Into You” - Mazzy Star
Come on, you knew it was coming. “Fade Into You” is probably the first song on any “Sad Girl Autumn” playlist on Spotify, and for good reason. Those opening guitar strums could stop anyone dead in their tracks and transport them to a melancholic dreamscape. The song borrows the famous chord progression from Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and offers a decidedly different experience: one that can only be described as ethereal. It’s a song so perfect that it’s almost become its own genre, with countless other artists reusing those same chords and strumming patterns to create the same feeling of deep, wistful sorrow. All in all, no sad girl autumn playlist would be complete without this timeless ballad!
edited by Samuel Espinal Jr.