Vin’s Faves – “Healing Girl Autumn” Mini Playlist

“Healing Girl Autumn” is a popular hashtag on TikTok where women and female-aligned people share their feelings, the lessons they’ve learned in life and much more. Despite the title, one doesn’t need to identify as a “girl” to participate; it’s about living the essence of it, which is of course healing and growing (personally I don’t even identify 100% as a girl and I’ve been relating to this hashtag but I digress). This mini-playlist will, however, be spotlighting solely female artists or female-led groups singing about their struggles and self-discovery. Have a cup of chai if you’d like and unwind, reflect or journal… Do what you must and don’t worry – I’ll provide the background music.

“Strangers by Nature” – Adele

This song is the introduction to Adele‘s latest album, 30, and a beautiful one at that. I love the juxtaposition of its classic, soulful tune and magical music effects that’s so different from her usual sound. Though not much has been said by her about the song’s meaning, it has been assumed that it must be about her divorce as the album was heavily inspired by this change in her life. To me, this powerful song is about learning from your past relationships and and acknowledging your faults in efforts of becoming a better you.

“Phantom” – Rina Sawayama

As the penultimate song from Rina Sawayama‘s recent album, Hold The Girl, “Phantom” is about becoming in touch with your inner child again after shutting it out for so long. I’m not an expert on spirituality or psychology, but to summarize, your inner child is essentially your childhood wounds and mindset which remains a part of you as you grow and change. Rina belts about acknowledging and accepting this part of herself with a 2000’s-esque pop-rock ballad that evokes such raw emotions. If you relate to this song, crying is basically a guarantee!

Ooh, I was wrong to assume

I would ever outgrow you

I need you now, I need you close

How do you hold a ghost?

“Runaway” – AURORA

“Runaway” is the first song from AURORA‘s debut album, All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend. The ethereal instrumentals and her ethereal vocals truly transports you to another space. To me, “Runaway” is about feeling brave and even excited for venturing out beyond your norm, but wishing to have peace and solace at the one place you call home after all is said and done. I think in the context of this playlist, you can translate this song to the unpredictable nature of healing and wishing for the permanence of being “at home” with yourself. You have your highs and lows, but at the end of the day all you want is to be shielded from life’s pain, safe and sound.

But no, take me home

Take me home where I belong

I got no other place to go

“Only Got One” – Frou Frou

From the debut album of Frou Frou called Details, “Only Got One” is an optimistic song about the beauty of choices you’re offered in this life, even in its indecisions and even though we’ve “only got one [life].” It’s a lighthearted reminder from singer Imogen Heap that life is what you make of it. Life is too short to be stuck pondering with questions, you just have to take a leap and experience living! Sometimes you’ve done enough contemplating.

The chorus is so catchy that it pops up in my head with her breathy voice singing:

But then it’s your life

Mhm, it’s your life

“Amoeba” – Clairo

Clairo sings about losing herself in negative cycles and realizing what really matters to her in “Amoeba”, the second song in her sophomore album Sling. I think this song is really relatable to anyone like me who’s a twenty-something trying to find their footing in life. Sometimes you lose your balance trying to please everyone and become “well-rounded” in your life. Although the lyrics are honest and a bit cynical, the tune of this song is so positive that it makes you wanna bob your head a little. Life is exactly like that, though! No matter what’s going on you just have to move along. It helps if you dance a little, too.

Pulling back, I tried to find

The point of wasting precious time