In the Bleak Midwinter: Alecia and Laura’s Song Picks to Beat the Winter Doldrums

Written by Alecia M. Meila, MM, MT-BC

Here in the northeastern part of the United States, the days have gone cold and gray. By now, the days are starting to get longer, but compared to the long sunsets of summer, the sun still disappears under the horizon before 6:00pm. While this weather is great for curling up with a sweater, a blanket, a warm beverage, and a good book (or other media of your choosing), sometimes the cold and the dark gets to you and you look for something that takes a little bit of the bleak out of midwinter.

Music is an effective way to mediate a person’s mood, and has been used across situations and across time periods, from using music with driving beats to get hyped for a workout, to sad breakup songs, to soothing music used to decrease PTSD symptoms of soldiers returning from World War Two, or (if you are inclined to believe), to the shepherd David soothing King Saul with his harp.

The reason music is so effective in augmenting or even changing our emotional state lies in the very elements that make up music: the melodies and harmonies, the form and structure, the dynamics, and the tempo or speed. Below, Laura and I have shared a few of our go-to songs for beating the winter doldrums, with some explanations as to the music elements that may cause this effect.

Winter Hymnal, by Fleet Foxes (2008)
(Alecia’s pick)

Some of our readers may be familiar with the Pentatonix cover of this song (which is great!), but the original has a special place in my heart. When I first heard it, I remember thinking that it just “felt” like a energetic movement. The song has a slightly-faster-than-walking tempo, which primes the brain for movement of the same speed – it’s not a song that sits stagnantly! The melody is light and flowing, and the way the lyrics are mapped onto the melody enhances this movement. For example, the beginning “I was following the- I was following the- I was following…” sets up a musical equivalent of a wheel turning, again promoting forward movement.

Additionally, there is a strong pulse on beats one and three once the full accompaniment starts, creating a strong structure that sounds like feet stomping, again creating a music-induced visual of movement. This is even more prevalent in the Pentatonix version, where the beat has a distinct “lub-dub” pattern, imitating a heart beat.

For me, ever part of this song encourages movement, which is a nice contrast for my occasional winter-long desire to hibernate with a blanket and cup of hot chocolate.

Goodbye, Good Riddance, by Taylor Acorn (2025)
(Laura’s pick)

Goodbye, Good Riddance, released in 2025 on Taylor Acorn’s new album “Poster Child”, features an upbeat tempo and empowering lyrics. The song begins with fingerpicking on the guitar and lyrics that reflect emotional processing, but a strong and energetic beat that suggests a potential turn around. As the song builds into the chorus, the guitar switches to bold chords and the drums increase their intensity. The lyrics then switch to the empowering message of moving on. This song resembles a music therapy technique known as the isoprinciple. It meets people who have gone through hurt where they are, validates the feelings, and then shifts to a better outlook on the situation. Through this technique along with the major key, powerful vocals, and steady tempo, the brain registers that this song was created to lift spirits.

Impossible, by Two Steps from Hell (2018)
(Alecia’s pick)

When I’m not therapizing, and when the weather is warm, I am often out sailing. My sailing friends and I have a joke about all sailors secretly being pirates. The driving beat and instrumental choice not only gives the song an epic feel, as if lifted from an exciting movie, it also makes me think of warmer days and enjoying my warm-weather-based hobby with friends. Both of these – the music feeling like it was lifted from a movie, and the music reminding me of good summer memories – speak to music association, or when music triggers specific memories. In this case, for me, the music reminds me of warmer days, fun hobbies, and good friends, and evokes the thrill I feel when cresting the swells of the water with the wind fair and the spray cool against the warm sun.

Do It, by Stray Kids (2025)
(Laura’s pick)

Do It, released in 2025 on the Stay Kids’ EP of the same name, is a fun Kpop song that is commonly used as a Tiktok audio. The audio features the chorus of the song and the associated dance presented as a challenge. Many fans, Kpop idols and even the Broadway cast of Hamilton took part in the trend. Kpop songs are often structured to be high energy and upbeat when being paired with a choreographed dance. Exercise, like dancing, may be difficult to begin, especially on cold days. Music, with strong beats and correlating movements, acts as a great motivator to get up and move. Together music and exercise both tell the brain to release dopamine, making individuals feel happier. So if you fell down on a winter's day, try finding a catchy Kpop song, look up a dance tutorial, and DO IT!

Where Are You Christmas, by Faith Hill (2000)
(Alecia’s pick)

The holidays can be a bittersweet time for many, and sometimes finding a piece of music that captures complex feelings that might not be able to be expressed is a very special experience. Faith Hill’s beautiful voice captures that poignancy, and the lyrics of this song reinforce the idea that even when things may not be how they used to be, or are not how you want them to be, there is still goodness and peace to be found within the situation.

The power ballad form of the song and the expectation of an emotional song, are familiar to anyone familiar with Western music. This familiarity prepares to receive the emotional content of the lyrics and Hill’s performance. The lyrics also guide the listener through the feelings in a beautiful and subtle way: acknowledging the bittersweet feelings at the beginning, before moving toward something more hopeful and positive. This transition in the music can be a vehicle for our feelings also transitioning to something more positive, when the need arises. While this song might not resonate for everyone, it is a good example of music’s ability to mediate (or change, or modify) a person’s feelings.

I Got a Feeling, by Black-Eyed Peas (2009)
(Laura’s pick)

I Got a Feeling, released in 2009 by the Black Eyed Peas, is a song that encapsulates the Zillenials. Zillenials are a mico-generation consisting of those born from 1995-2000, many of which comment on not feeling strongly connected to the stereotypes of Millennials or Gen Z. Zillenials would have been 9-14 years old when the song first aired. So why would this song represent them? Well, music has a strong connection to memories. Science shows that when people age they tend to remember songs from their teenage years best. These songs elicit memories from that time period or when the song was heard throughout their lives. In this instance, I Got a Feeling was very popular and played at pretty much every dance ever attended by this subsection of generations. Being able to remember experiences by listening to a song can make even the coldest of days bring a sense of warmth and fondness.

We hope you enjoyed our song picks, and learned a little bit about why certain songs might affect you in certain ways! Music is such a powerful tool, and we are so happy to share with you some of the ways that we not only think about music in our own lives, but also how we think about music when evaluating it for therapeutic effectiveness for you or your loved one.

Happy New Year!