HELLO VOCAAAAAL!! *echo*
It’s finally Spooky Season and we are not holding back in 2021. If you’re a Vocal editor, you better blast this playlist out loud in the office. You guys deserve a lil dance break. If you’re a reader, clear the room, move your furniture aside and start stretching. And if you’re a writer, well… you should probably get back to writing, I know you’re procrastinating! Okay fine, you can read this first...
Welcome to Halloween 2021 (we start festivities on the first of October and you can't convince me otherwise). Grab a drink and a snack and make yourself comfortable, we're going to be dancing all night long. Yes we are partying in this article, don't look at me like that. Sadder parties have happened okay, you gotta do what you gotta do in these weird times.
Introvert-shaming is not allowed at this party. This is a safe space for introverts and extroverts alike to jam to a spooky playlist and live their best undead lives! Whether you're partying alone on Hallow's Eve or raving with all your besties, this is an equal oppurtunity playlist to get you GOING. (also, you're not alone, you've got me and this awesome playlist to keep you company! 👻)
Fair warning; if you're not a genre-surfer like myself, this playlist might be a little out of your comfort zone. But I promise, you won't be disappointed if you give it a shot.
You will not find This Is Halloween on this playlist, because frankly, how does one even dance to that song?! This is a Halloween party playlist, so spooky\dancey vibes only.
You've got two options for jamming along: either listen to the playlist in its entirety on Spotify, or go through and watch the embedded music videos as you read. I obviously advise the latter for maximum spooktastic vibes. Now that we've got that out of the way; LET'S GET SPOOKY.
Like any good playlist (in my humble opinion), there's a tone shift every 3 songs or so. This playlist is designed to be played in order, but you can shuffle it if you're in the mood for some chaos. Here's an index of what you can expect:
Section 1: Classically Spooky (tracks 1-6)
Section 2: Let's get Dancey (tracks 7-10)
Section 3: Time to MOSH (tracks 11-15)
Section 4: SHAKE IT (tracks 16-19)
Section 5: Legit spooooooky (tracks 20-23)
Section 6: BOO! Scary intimidating (tracks 24-28)
Section 7: Trancey Dancey (tracks 27-30)
Section 8: Close out the night with some classics (tracks 32-35)
I won't be breaking down each section track by track because I don't want to keep you here forever. It's all open to aristic interpretation, so open your ears and minds and enjoy!
1. Classically Spooky 👻
Monster by Irene & Seulgi
We can't start without this absolute banger of a track. It's an iconic song that just screams spooky season within the first few seconds. I'm obsessed with it and can't seem to get tired of the track even after overplaying it for a full year now. Goes without saying that you should turn the captions on for this one if you don't speak Korean, the lyrics are fantastically terrifying.
Boy Meets Evil By J-Hope of BTS
Throwing it back to this 2016 track. It sets the tone for the dark album (Wings) in such a bone-chilling way. J-Hope is in fact the rapper, singer and dancer starring in this video. We love a tripple-threat. More of this album to come later on in this playlist because the spooky vibes are simply ✨immaculate✨.
Disturbia by Rihanna
This wouldn't be a Halloween party playlist without the classic '09 jam.
The Mob Song comes next and I will admit, it's a bit of a wildcard. But it's just such a great rendition of the Beauty and the Beast classic. I'm also very fond of the line: "we dont like what we dont understand, in fact it scares us!" because it is a perfect summation of what xenophobia in the music industry (and beyond) is. It's just so funny and satirical and needed to be a part of this playlist.
2. Let's get Dancey🕺
We move into more classic dance music with 4 Minutes by Madonna and Justin Timberlake. Although the lyrics to this song don't really give a definite storyline, I think it's about the end of the world? Whatever it is, it's got a real badass feel to it and provides a great transition to Back Door by Stray Kids.
The beat drop in this song will send shivers down your spine.
*Knock knock* *creeky door* AND RAGE.
I thoroughly enjoy the smooth transition from the base in the last few seconds of Back Door into the kitschy piano in Potential Breakup song By Aly and AJ.
Still a bop 14 years later. Side note, I feel old as hell. Okay moving on!
Another great transition here from Aly's angellic voice to Selena Gomez's in Wolves MOTi Remix. I personally love the original, but it's a little too slow for a party playlist. This remix allows us to enjoy the ethereal vocal while still getting to dance our faces off at the beat drop.
3. Time to MOSH 🤘
After getting soft in the last section, it's time to switch gears and RAGE. Bleed it Out by Linkin Park (RIP Chester) just delivers this energy so well. It is THE Halloween song, angry, intense, gruesome and just perfect. If you haven't tried screaming the bridge at the top of your lungs alongside Chester at least once, I highly recommend you give it a shot next time you're mad at the world.
Numb by Linkin Park is a nice little cool-down that provides the perfect transition to Make Me Wanna Die By The Pretty Reckless. This song is just spooky in every way, the guitar, the slow build, the raspy vocal, and of course the lyrics. It just belongs on a Halloween playlist.
The pop-rock chaos in From The Ritz to The Rubble works so well here as we transition into...
4. SHAKE IT 🤩
Shake it by Metro Station makes you do exactly what the title tells you to do. If you can listen to this song without tapping your foot or at the very least nodding your head along... you're definitely a sociopath. Hate to break to ya! 🤷♀️
Side note, why were we so obsessed with dance battles in the early 2000's? *eternal cringe*
I am so here for the badass superhero vibes in LA DI DA by Everglow. I love the 80's feel to this song that somehow stays current and contemporary. It's absolutely electric. And I dare you not to attempt the vogueing in the chorus at least once, so addictive!
Next up we have my most played song of 2020: HIP by MAMAMOO. Listen with caution! This song will pull you in and keep you coming back for more. I love the different characters each member plays in the music video, especially Hwasa as president. WE STAN. Play this song at a party, at a girl's night or while you're dancing alone in your underwear. I gaurantee it will give you a scary amount of confidence. Get it? Scary? Halloween? I'll see myself out.
5. Legit spooooooky 🧟♀️
I couldn't make a Halloween playlist without including Can't You See Me by TXT. I love the concept of this music video so much, using red foods to simulate blood as a transition from the cutesy and innocent shots, to the the dark and twisted ones. It's hauntingly hilarious.
Speaking of blood, we can't forget to include the iconic Blood Sweat & Tears by BTS. Another hit from the 2016 Wings album makes the list. It's all about this dark willingness to give up your heart and soul for your deepest desires. Thematically, it draws parallels between wanting a lover so badly that you'd sacrifice it all for them, and selling your soul to the devil. So fitting, absolutely brilliant and oh so spooky!
TXT is back with 9 and Three Quarters, and how could I not include a song that directly references Harry Potter in the title? It had to happen. As we flow into the next song, a shrill violin comes in and gets you ready for a darker direction. Lie by Jimin of BTS is dramatic and very vampire-esque. I can see Dracula listening to this while he prepares for a night on the prowl.
6. BOO! Scary intimidating 😎
Yes, the Wings Album is heavily featured on this playlist, but what can I say? It's just got all the right vibes (highly recommend a listen if you've got the time!). BTS Cypher 4 starts with a killer beat and you immediately know this song is going to make you feel like a mafia boss. That chorus will make you feel like the hottest shit alive, 100% gauranteed.
Interlude: Shadow may be one of my favourite Suga songs of all time. Melodically, it's dark and twisted; and lyrically it's pure genius. Spooky with a side of psychoanalysis, the perfect combination. Highly recommend you check out the Genius translation for a great breakdown of this epic track.
The next song we've got is also by Suga (or his alter ego, Agust-D), Daechwita. This is the intimidating section okay, we're getting scared in a different way but it's still spooky ooky. But you know what's really scary? How smooth the bridge of this song is. That flow should be illegal!
We end the section with First (ironically) and some bad b-WITCH energy, wink wink. 🧙♀️ I feel like this is the perfect "play at my funeral to make everyone jealous even when I'm dead" song.
7. Trance-y Dance-y 🌌
Piece of your heart's sound is what I would imagine floating in zero gravity feels like. It's space-y and intergalactic, celestial and serene. But then it goes HARD as the beat drops.
Midnight city by M83 is another beautiful song with that kind of vibe. So magically ethereal. And bone-chilling but in a different way. You can get lost in this song for hours.
8. Close out the night with some classics 🎃
You knew this was coming...
The legendary intro in Toxic is just the crux of a Halloween party playlist. And we wouldn't be doing the holiday justice if we didn't include Satan's extended version of Montero, we stan Lil Nas X in this house.
I love the police sirens starting off New Rules. A song all about being a troublemaker and doing whatever the hell you want regardless of what the haters have to say.
Following the same message is Determinate. In the movie Lemonade Mouth, the band played this song at a Halloween-themed dance. COME ON. Could it be any more perfect? I regularily listen to this song unironically and it still gives me chills.
And that's it folks! I hope you have the spookiest of spooky seasons and I hope this playlist gives you everything you need in one place. Eat all the candy and stay safe out there ghouls. 🎃🧟♀️👻
About the Creator
Hala
28. She\Her. Taking down the patriarchy, white supremacy and other tired BS, one weird metaphor at a time.
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