My Playlist to Self-Discovery
In 2022 I wrote a piece accompanied by a playlist of songs and lyrics that help me ‘spill brain’ and communicate when things are getting a little too much. Since then I have written another piece about how I have finally been able to achieve my goal of taking up a dance class. This has proven an inspiring time of self-discovery for me. Without knowing, one of my dance teachers consistently chooses music that has turned the dancefloor into a space for me to take pause and connect with the world around me. This emotional response to music has inspired me to reflect on the last 2 years of my life and consider how music and dance have formed a part of my overall health journey. In this article, I have created another playlist of arguably the best and most beautiful music to dance to.
I shared this playlist with my dance teacher and it has kept on growing. The more I listen to each piece, the more I see how they communicate my story: the good, the bad, and the scary of growing up and discovering who I really am. I hope that when words are hard to find, they might offer the same comfort, connection, and inspiration to you.
Most of these pieces were featured on the show So You Think You Can Dance, Season 13 (Next Generation) (2016). Even if you can’t see the actual dancing, the music is still worth listening to. I have found that the youthful nature of these dance pieces has made way for a positive focus on things like light, looking forward, and – most importantly – hope. These pieces offer a very refreshing and necessary perspective in the chaotic and uncertain world of today. I have intentionally ordered them into 3 sections, to create a story of finding yourself, doubting yourself, and then feeling the pride you deserve to when you ultimately win by finding yourself again.
Part 1: Finding yourself and working out who you think you might be
1) ‘The Beginning’ by Factor Eight
An obvious choice to start a story just for the title, this is a beautiful piece that totals around 8 minutes in length including a short pause before coming back to reality at the end. It has no lyrics which makes it perfect for getting lost in, a welcome escape from any negative energy from the modern world. As you listen, notice how the music constantly builds and shrinks, and how similar it might feel to discovering something for the first time with your senses as you explore it and work out how you, and it, fit.
2) ‘Brand New’ by Ben Rector
Coming back to the typical song format, this is a faster, happier sounding piece about finding someone who helps you feel young again, and like you are free to be yourself without fear. This sets off the positive trend most of the lyrical pieces take in this playlist.
3) ‘Goldenheart’ by Dawn Richard
Sung against the backdrop of an old well-known piano piece, this is a calming, soft song about going back and finding joy in simpler times, again harking back to being young and not yet fully having experienced the fear and insecurity that comes with growing up.
4) ‘I Do What I Love’ by Ellie Goulding
A complete switch from the general mix of lighthearted pieces in this playlist, this is a highly motivational song about ultimately deciding who you want to be and sticking to it regardless of what others might say. This is definitely a go-to for me to dance to whenever I need a little boost: as the lyrics say simply, ‘I do what I love and I love what I do’, and isn’t that pretty much all you need to get through each day?
5) ‘Unstoppable’ by E.S. Posthumous
This is the second instrumental piece here, and another break from the generally light nature of these choices. Ever since I first heard it last year, I listen and imagine the story of someone who keeps trying for success, falling down or getting rejected, and so decides to try with as much independence as possible: they are, after all, unstoppable in their mission to be great.
Part 2: The brief moment of doubt – why am I changing so much and what does it mean for my place in the world? Is this really who I want to be or is it just another fantasy of youth?
6) ‘She Used To Be Mine’ by Sara Bareilles
Arguably the most beautiful song to be featured in a musical, I first came across this as the music for a dance themed around the relationship between a mother and daughter. It sits perfectly as the centre piece in this playlist because the title and lyrics can be interpreted in different ways. Yet whichever of these you feel relates best to your own story, I still feel that this is a great piece for communicating a sense of loss and change as you grow up and ask yourself ‘who is this, and is it who I am really meant to be?’
Part 3: Ultimate self-acceptance and the feeling of winning that comes with it
7) ‘Tell Your Heart To Beat Again’ by Danny Gokey
This is a light, emotional song that has very relatable lyrics for me, about finding hope, light at the end of the tunnel, and perhaps even a stronger version of the person you used to be when times didn’t seem too hard.
8) ‘Feel Again’ by One Republic
Perhaps one of the happiest of these pieces, with a great beat for dancing and positive energy, this is another song about finding someone who helps you feel safe and brings you closer to who you want to be.
9) ‘This Gift’ by Glen Hansard
Another softer, more emotional piece that carries the message that if we already have, or are given a gift of sorts, for example a special ability or something about our personality, we should not be scared to embrace it and understand that it will always be a part of who we are.
10) ‘Near Light’ by Olafur Arnalds
The final instrumental piece here, this is incredibly soft, emotional, calming and delicate, then gradually builds up to the middle before shrinking back to calmness towards the end. As you listen, imagine a warm, comforting feeling, as though you are wrapped in something secure that will always allow you to move freely but will never let you go, like a soft hold or faint, glowing light.
11) ‘Stand In The Light’ by Jordan Smith
The final piece signals the ultimate win, when you realise that the best thing you can do in life is to show and be proud of who you really are. Listen as it builds to a full, heartfelt final chorus and imagine yourself achieving something you have always dreamed of, not because you have competed to be the best, but simply because you love it and it is part of who you want to be.
I hope you get as much from these pieces as I do every time I play them. What gives you hope when you are struggling to find it? Whatever it might be, never forget that there is always hope and you are not alone, even if it might sometimes seem like you are.
