xmas but not rly
winter melancholia
without the holiday madness
december every year, so forced the cheer.
don’t get me wrong – I looooove Christmas.
it’s the juxtaposition of the overly joyful assault on the senses, right when I’m up against the most important deadlines of the year. especially when we really have to search for what we collectively have to be joyful for…. jeez. jarring would be the word.
I first made this playlist in 2019 for that very specific stretch of the year when you want something that feels festive, but isn't actually Christmas music.
The spark was the About a Boy soundtrack by Badly Drawn Boy, which I've loved for years. It's festive in an indie kind of way — warm, wintry and a little melancholic without ever becoming Christmas music.
Over time I became a bit of a connoisseur of this extremely specific genre. Joni Mitchell's River is obviously the quintessential example. Then there's Once Upon a December from Anastasia, Lana Del Rey's Season of the Witch, Sigrid's Home to You, AURORA's Half the World Away, Vince Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy…
I call it winter melancholia.
Intimate, reflective, cinematic, warm, and full of heart; what the holidays should really be about xoxo
I update it every year. 2025 got a special update with Elín Hall’s As The World Falls Down.
A perfect fit.
Playlist: Your Reykjavík soundtrack — a city-chic, cozy introduction to Icelandic music, from our world-famous icons to locally beloved favourites.