Music
Autumn as a season for nostalgia and sorrow has become the zeitgeist of this generation. In fact, resident sad girls Adele and Taylor Swift top the list when it comes to capturing the essence of this phenomenon. Right at the start of the month, both artists released emotionally-charged records just one week apart from each other. This left music fans and autumn lovers alike with the same conclusion: “Sadgirl November” is officially here.
Maybe you’ve listened to Adele and Taylor’s album two times too many this month, but you’re still suffering from the accursed main character syndrome. Are you running out of music to soundtrack your November to? Worry not, because Vantage has curated five female artists for you to listen to, each with music that hits as hard and sounds as sentimental as the tracks on 30 and Red (Taylor’s Version).
Mitski
This Japanese-American songwriter seems to have been through it all and more. Mitski has made her name tearing listeners’ hearts with her brand of despondent indie pop and rock over the past decade. On the long-time fan favorite track “Your Best American Girl,” she narrates her experience of loving someone from a background different from hers—and the pain of knowing that they can’t be together. Returning to the fold after her two year hiatus from social media, Mitski just released her latest single “The Only Heartbreaker.” The new track is a fiery 80s synth-pop ballad on which she accepts that she’s become the bad guy in her relationship, and frustratedly watches as it all crumbles around her.
Phoebe Bridgers
You know that one part in every coming-of-age movie where the main character is staring out their bedroom window after everything’s just crashed and burned? That’s the vivid image that comes to mind when listening to Phoebe Bridgers. The four-time Grammy nominee sings with a soft and honest voice that almost sounds like she’s on the verge of tears. In her standout single “Motion Sickness,” Bridgers’ makes a painfully witty recount of emotional abuse with a singalong chorus that characterizes the angsty feel in most of her songs. For those quieter moments of self-reflection, “Savior Complex,” taken from her latest album Punisher, is a melancholic lullaby that you can slow dance (or cry yourself to sleep) to.
Clairo
From being the “Pretty Girl” bedroom popstar to an American indie folk darling, Clairo has grown exponentially as both an artist and an icon since her sudden rise to stardom with her debut album Immunity. A personal favorite of ours is “Closer To You,” where Clairo croons in autotune about being emotionally shut out by someone she loves, yet still trying to “change” this person to no avail. Her recent album Sling embraced 70s-inspired folk and soft rock, supplemented with a painfully intimate songwriting style. “Partridge” specifically narrates Clairo’s experience with a partner she gives so much to, only to admit that their one-sided relationship will inevitably end.
Lana Del Rey
Known for singing about hopeless romance with haunting cinematic quality, Lana Del Rey leaves a lump in your throat the same way a tragic love story would. The vintage glamour in her music paints a vivid picture in the listeners’ minds of what it means to be heartbroken. “Video Games,” despite being her decade-old debut single, stands to be an irreplicable anthem on the woes of a mismatched relationship. Offering a more subdued melody, the queen of “Hollywood sadcore” reminisces about a love lived and lost in ”The Greatest”—a piano-led torch song that definitely lives up to its name.
beabadoobee
The first song Bea Kristi Laus ever wrote on the guitar got remixed and blew up on TikTok in early 2020, but beabadoobee has so much more to offer than just a cup of coffee. Last year, the young Filipina-British rocker came out with her critically acclaimed debut album Fake It Flowers, which dispensed attitude-filled, 90s-inspired alt rock tunes. The LP’s leading single “Sorry” is a haunting rock ballad chock full of overdriven power chords and a haunting orchestral section. Last June, Bea released “Cologne,” an upbeat but downcast track about wishing to be wanted by someone just for being attractive.
It’s okay to mope every now and then—to get under the blankets, ignore your texts, and play some music to match your mood. This November, feel free to get into your feels by listening to Vantage’s sadgirl playlist here.
