Press Play on the In-Between: A New Year Soundtrack

There’s something about the New Year that always makes music hit a bit harder.

Maybe it’s the quiet bit between Christmas and real life starting again. Or maybe it’s just that music has a way of meeting you exactly where you are — and right now, a lot of us are standing in that strange in-between space, not quite done with last year but not fully ready for the next one either.

I don’t really do strict New Year’s resolutions. I’ve tried — and they usually last about as long as the first week back at college. But I do believe in New Year soundtracks. Songs that gently close one chapter and crack open another, without demanding too much from you.

This time last year, I was listening to music like I needed it to explain everything I was feeling. Lots of late-night headphones, staring at the ceiling, pretending I wasn’t overthinking things. This year feels different. Softer, maybe. Less dramatic. I’m finding myself drawn to songs that feel slow and spacious — the kind that let you breathe for a minute.

Music has a way of doing that. It gives you space to process, to experiment, to grow. For so many young people, music isn’t just something you listen to — it’s something you learn through. It builds confidence, creates connection, and offers a way to express things that are hard to put into words.

There’s something comforting about knowing that no matter how messy or uncertain a year has been, the music stays. Songs don’t judge you for being the same person inJanuary that you were in December. They don’t rush you. They just sit there and let you catch up with yourself — whether you’re writing, practising, performing, or just listening.

The New Year doesn’t always need to be loud or overwhelming. Sometimes it feels more like a pause than a fresh start — a deep breath before things begin again. And music fits into that perfectly. Playing while you’re on the bus, while you’re walking with nowhere particular to be, or while you’re figuring out what you want to create next.

If there’s one thing to carry into this New Year, it’s listening differently. Not just to music, but to yourself. Letting songs be background noise sometimes, and other times letting them completely take over. Letting creativity be about progress, not perfection.

So here’s to another year of music finding us at exactly the right moment. To young people discovering their voice, trying new things, and learning through sound. And to starting the year not by reinventing ourselves — but by pressing play and seeing where it takes us.

Happy New Year 🤍