As the snow melts and evenings get a little brighter every day, New Yorkers are ushering the new season and warmer weather in with open arms. The first day of spring –– last Tuesday, March 20 –– just happened to coincide with the citywide snowstorm, but snow days are long gone, and WSN wants to celebrate. So leave your parka at home and say hello to the sun for the first time in a while with this week’s staff recommendations: best songs to spring into spring with.

“White Icing”

Alejandro Villa Vásquez, Copy Chief

Sky’s out, thighs out. There’s nothing like the first sunny day after a rainy winter. To keep the good energy flowing, I’ve been jamming out to the aptly named musical group, Cute Whore. Formed in 2016 by “Degrassi” costars Lyle Lettau and Olivia Scriven, they’re a gruesome twosome with some seriously twisted sounds. Their best song, “White Icing,” is all about assuming your sultriest self and letting go for a change. The sickening lyrics and shocking beats complete the ensemble, creating a song throbbing with life, happy to be alive; it speaks to that resurrected feeling you get when the weather finally warms up.

“I Don’t Want It At All”

Tyler Crews, Opinion Editor

Kim Petras’ “I Don’t Want It At All” is bratty, needy and conceited, which is why I am in love with it. For the full four minutes and 11 seconds of the song, you can let your inner diva have its moment before going back to the reality of being a sugar daddy-less college student on a budget. Even putting the lyrics aside, the song would still be a bop with its upbeat tempo and poppy vibe. My suitemate and I play this song in the morning while getting ready to leave the residence hall, and it puts us in that perfect spring mood before we have to go out and face the cold. I’m looking forward to bringing this song home with me to play throughout the summer, whether it be in the car or at the beach.

“Chinese New Year”

Natasha Roy, Managing Editor-at-Large

“Chinese New Year” by SALES has perfectly captured my mixed feelings about this chilly spring. Thanks to my lovely suitemate, I started listening to this song right around when spring break started, and the only word I can really use to describe it is soft. I take “Chinese New Year” to be about new beginnings, and it’s carrying me through this weird transitional period. It’s the perfect song to listen to on a gray, rainy day, and it’s also a lovely way to start a quiet morning. Definitely add “Chinese New Year” to your spring Spotify playlist if you’re looking for a happy in-between for this should-be-absolutely-freaking-beautiful weather.

“Slomo”

Connor Gatesman, Music Editor

Slowdive’s enigmatic tune “Slomo” is a great fit for crisp spring weather. A patient and dreamy instrumental intro greets the listener, bombarding them with a haze of pads and reverb which comes together in a beautiful cacophony of melancholy. The distant yet personal vocals meld incredibly well with the rest of the song. The mixing is sublime, and the song has a flowing and finely-tuned energy that builds throughout. ‘Ethereal’ is the quality this song reaches for, and it succeeds in spades. The tortured lyrics are at times both clear and indecipherable, a curious blend which is just as memorable as it is mesmerizing.

The Arctic Monkeys’ Entire Discography

Veronica Liow, Assistant Managing Editor

I know I’m late on the grind, but I’ve been getting into the Arctic Monkeys lately. From their latest album, “AM,” I really like “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” From “Favourite Worst Nightmare,” “Fluorescent Adolescent” is a solid song. The group’s first album, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” has some of my favorite songs: “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor,” “Mardy Bum” and “When The Sun Goes Down.” I know that’s a lot of songs I’m putting on the table, but they’re all good and a solid mix of the old and new Arctic Monkeys.

“Blackberries”

Yasmin Gulec, Features Editor

I usually start listening to new artists during the spring. Just like the flowers bloom on the trees, my Spotify turns into a new collection of music-buds. Emily Blue’s “Blackberries” popped up in my Spotify recommendations one day and the name seemed too cute to pass up. I love the lyrics. It is about –– as I understand –– a person that cannot commit to long-term relationships. The context is not the most bubbly, but the melody is very cute. It is also very fun to walk to. I suggest you do some discovering under the warm sun and listen to this song.

“’Til It’s Over”

Jemima McEvoy, Editor-in-Chief

I’ve been searching for an opportunity to drone on about how much I love this song, and now feels like the perfect time. “‘Til It’s Over” by Anderson .Paak hopefully rings a bell in most peoples’ minds — it was the song featured in the background of the Spike Jonze-directed Apple Homepod promotional video. Starring FKA Twigs, another musician worth listening to, this incredibly colorful and ambitious short film serves as the perfect backdrop for Anderson .Paak’s latest showstopper. The song starts off quietly and quickly, and a delicate shaky rhythm follows the achingly sweet lyrics dripping with the everyday highs of relationships: “We stayed up all night watching a comedy show, that aged whisky and hydro. Good lord, what a nice conversation. I’m too floored to get anywhere safely.” I cry internally listening to him softly sing these affectionate words. Then, at the chorus, the song suddenly flips to incorporate magical chimes and synths, emanating an electronic sound that hasn’t really been explored before with his music. It’s ethereal and synthesizes just the right amount of new and old to the point that listening to it while walking through the streets of New York feels like an out-of-body experience.

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