Your Mishap Mixtape
Don't let us stop you from queuing up "I Will Survive" when the going gets tough—but you might also consider adding these songs to your playlist, each of which will help you head-bop your way through almost any big adjustment.
Track 1: "Carry On" - Fun
Good for: Grieving a loss, letting someone go, skipping town
A bittersweet ballad extolling the virtues of leaving your pain behind—or as singer Nate Ruess piercingly wails, "May your past be the sound / Of your feet upon the ground."
Track 2: "Hold On" - Alabama Shakes
Good for: Getting fired, dumped or otherwise kicked around
Bighearted and triumphant, this song is as motivational as they come. What's more rousing than a gravelly wise woman bellowing, "Come on, girl, you got to get back up?"
Track 3: "Do You Realize??" - The Flaming Lips
Good for: Existential malaise, crises of faith
When singer Wayne Coyne croons in this soaring, strings-laden number "the sun doesn't go down / It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round," you can't help but believe—and appreciate—every last word.
Track 4: "Float On" - Modest Mouse
Good for: Troubles so absurd that all you can do is laugh
Life is unpredictable—but also hilarious. "I backed my car into a cop car the other day," this jaunty song begins. And later: "We both got fired on exactly the same day." But oh, that warm refrain: "And we'll all float on..."
Track 5: "Follow the Sun" - Xavier Rudd
Good for: Loneliness, loss, pessimists looking to reform
This Australian singer-songwriter's spare, bouncing ode to keeping your sorrow in perspective ("Many moons have risen and fallen long, long before you came") is both lovely and reassuring.
Track 6: "My Silver Lining" - First Aid Kit
Good for: Curative road trips, steeling yourself for the next phase
Honey-voiced sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg encourage us to live without compromise ("Be it for reason, be it for love / I won't take the easy road")—advice as disarming as it is inspiring.
