A Playlist For … Staring Directly Into The Sun

This week’s eclipse was a reminder of our nature. It’s beautiful really — sitting beside one another to share glances at the beating heart of our solar system slowly being blocked from view. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves: the universe or a packed quad full of everyone we’ve ever met, but we also want to look directly at the sun with our bare eyeballs.

Google Trends showed that searches for “my eyes hurt” increased during the eclipse. Warnings about fake eclipse glasses and retina damage go out the window when we’re in the wake of such a big and beautiful event. Why are we forbidden from looking at the very thing that keeps us alive? We’re stubborn and we want to be powerful enough to stare straight into that beaming sun.

These songs themselves feel like sunbeams, bright and fun enough to bring even the most neglected plants back to life. This playlist is for those beautiful days when the sky suddenly darkens, the Earth gets colder and you need a reminder of the light in your life, even if that means looking straight into the sun.

1. You First (Re: Remi Wolf) – Paramore, Remi Wolf

2. The Big Sky – Kate Bush

3. The Water – Indigo De Souza

4. Dylan Thomas – Better Oblivion Community Center

5. You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio – Joni Mitchell

6. The Whole of the Moon – The Waterboys

7.  Forgotten Eyes – Big Thief

8. Here’s Where The Story Ends – The Sundays

9. 420!! – Frog

10. Fit N Full – Samia