This week Callie’s helping you get pumped for the day with a Florals for Spring playlist. She says, “Even if it’s still below 50 degrees in your part of the world, this playlist’s blithe, chirpy energy is meant to remind you of warmth and colorful daydreams. (It’s worth noting that when I Googled synonyms for ‘dream,’ the Internet offered me the phrase ‘building castles in the air or in Spain,’ which weirdly sums up the vibe of this playlist perfectly.)”

  1. “After The Storm (feat. Tyler, The Creator & Bootsy Collins)” – Kali Uchis. This song is an unconventional combination of feel-good vibes, nihilism, and funk. Kali Uchis spins a tale of simultaneous loneliness and self-empowerment, dappled with sunshiny production and crisp drum beats. The core message — that you have to weather darkness before you reach the light — is particularly relatable at the tail end of this hellish winter. When Kali’s seductive voice is tempered by Bootsy’s nostalgia and Tyler’s rumble, it illustrates a scene that feels both strange and peaceful. “After The Storm” effuses a sort of floral, luscious energy that makes you feel like you’re at a garden party in a rainstorm.
  2. “Egyptian Luvr (feat. Aminé and Dana Williams)” – Rejjie Snow. Rejjie Snow is an incredibly versatile rapper, and with “Egyptian Luvr,” he cements his collaborative chops. Dana Williams’ syrupy vocals and Aminé’s eccentric songwriting were the perfect additions to this rhythmic, vaguely jazzy track. It’s a simple arrangement with a very classic verse structure, but weaving the artists’ distinct styles together and connecting them with an underlying groove creates a paradisiac atmosphere.
  3. “Naïve” – The Kooks. I would call “Naïve” a perfect pop-rock hybrid, because it jams like a classic British band should — guitar solo and all — but also revels in repetitive simplicity. The lyrics aren’t terribly ingenious, but they do create an undeniable curiosity. The allure of the song’s subject, the “smiling sweetheart,” permeates every inch of its sound and gives it a distinct vitality. The entwined guitar riffs are lively and dynamic, providing the perfect amount of intrigue to an otherwise cyclical song.
  4. “Slide” – Calvin Harris, Frank Ocean, Migos. In what is easily the best standalone song released in 2017, three of music’s biggest names combine to helm Calvin Harris’ Picasso-esque Rose Period. The DJ was on a mission to create the ultimate summer soundtrack and he did not disappoint — but no follow-up managed to top its lead single. “Slide” is a seamless marriage of multiple different musical styles, resulting in a song that recalls the ambiance of a carnival in a picturesque coastal town. Or, as Calvin himself put it, it was “sonically designed to make you feel fucking incredible.”
  5. “Pineapple Skies” – Miguel. Miguel’s vocal range and remarkable ear for harmony are effortlessly displayed in this ode to optimism. It’s no wonder why he credits Motown legend Marvin Gaye as a co-writer on this track — it’s clearly reminiscent of Gaye’s infectious 1982 hit “Sexual Healing.” Both evoke the kind of emotion that makes you feel like you’re “dancin’ on the sun,” as Miguel sings. It’s a celebration of “pineapple purple skies” and positivity in despite of challenges.
  6. “Sunday Candy” – Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment. There will never be another hip-hop song about a grandma that is better than this one. Chance the Rapper’s characteristically animated voice, bolstered by vibrant instrumentation, decorates this tribute to his “handmade, pan-fried, sundried” grandma who “beat the devil by a landslide” — and makes the song so endearing that you wanna sing her praises, too. Jamila Woods’ sugary chorus is the icing on top of this deliciously feel-good track.
  7. “Sunflower” – Rex Orange County. This song embodies the bright, blooming, springtime-y feeling of complete infatuation. Rex Orange County compares his girlfriend to a sunflower — which is arguably the simplest yet sweetest metaphor ever —and serenades her beauty and delicacy. As soon as the beat kicks in, you’ll want to bounce around in a field of four-leaf clovers while sipping a lemonade cocktail.
  8. “Wifeable (With Sax) feat. Xavier Omär” – Masego. To me, there’s something warm and tantalizing about the prominent use of a saxophone. Here, Masego takes a simple beat, a cute concept, some modest lyrics, and sprinkles it with that very instrument. Throw in a smooth melody, synths, and some handclaps — all of a sudden, the song becomes a sparkling jazz-infused reverie. The loose structure and easy-going ad-libs only vitalize the song’s bright, casual vibe.
  9. “Bellyache” – Billie Eilish. This song is not easily defined. Billie Eilish somehow manages to combine a whimsical, breezy, guitar-strumming beat with the poetic embrace of emotional — and literal — carnage. It’s employs the sort of horrific beautification that only a silver-haired 16-year-old girl could pull off. It’s also one of those rare songs that gets better and better, continually building on each refrain, effortlessly transitioning from folk to electro-pop and back without even a hint of momentary dullness. “bellyache” is sung from the perspective of a homicidal maniac but it is a reflection of real girlhood, which — like the transition from winter to spring — is all at once soft, violent, and confusing.
  10. “Aloha” – Møme, Merryn Jeann. It’s easy to visualize the color pallet for this song: jewel green, splashes of lime, bright yellow, and pops of red. It’s the kind of music that you can see as well as you can hear. It’s shimmery eye shadow and neon signs and those plants with the cool leaves that you see all over Instagram. It has a distinctly summery feel — but what is spring if not the ultimate tease before summer saves us all?