My guide for the perfect autumn day

On Sept. 9 as I was walking all the way from Kent field to Askew, I noticed a slight chill in the air. I don’t know if it was the wind or the impending rain, but it felt almost like fall, and I felt the sudden desire to put on an oversized sweater, cozy boots, and maybe even a hat. Obviously, this less-than-85-degree weather meant it was fall. Since I’ve declared it to be autumn, I must supply you all with everything that will make your fall just like my Pinterest board. 

Now, this column is for music, movies, and everything in between, so trust me I’ll cover it all. For starters, we’re going to dive into the perfect playlist. Considering I’m currently listening to “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version),” my first suggestions for good albums have to be Taylor Swift’ Red (Taylor’s Version), Folklore, and Evermore. I could write lengthy articles on why these albums are perfect for sweater season, but that’s not the point of this column. A few other good albums to add to your fall listens: When We Were Friends by the Backseat Lovers, Harry Styles by Harry Styles, Wasteland, Baby! by Hozier, Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish, Stranger in the Alps by Phoebe Bridgers, Rumors by Fleetwood Mac, Abbey Road by the Beatles, and I’ll Cry If I Want To by Leslie Gore. Now, on to the quality songs that are a must on any fall playlist. To properly achieve any candle-lit aesthetic, I find that live recordings of songs are essential; my favorites at the moment are “Buzzcut Season” by Lorde and “She’s So Cold” by the Rolling Stones. Another necessity to consider is covers. My favorite cover of all time is the “Moon River” cover by Frank Ocean, which maintains the ambiance of the original but adds a slight twist that makes it perfect for times when the leaves are orange. I also love “Say My Name” by Hozier and “Tim McGraw” by Maggie Rogers. While I find that most fall playlists maintain an acoustic, indie, and melodic tone, I have some go-to songs that have a little more crankablity to them. One of my friends recommended “Missed Calls” by Mac Miller to me over the summer and it’s been a must on all of my new playlists. Yes, it is rap, but it has such an amazing sound to it that is perfect for pumpkin spice latte season. I wouldn’t consider myself a J. Cole die-hard or anything but “my.life (with 21 Savage & Morray)” is amazing for this time of year. A few other unconventionals: “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Guns N’ Roses, “United In Grief” by Kendrick Lamar, and “Ghost Town” by Kanye West and PARTYNEXTDOOR. I could go on with an amazing list of songs and initially planned to, but I realized there’s a much more efficient way to do this. At the end of this article is a link to my fall playlist for this year. Enjoy! Lastly, since I started with Taylor Swift, I must end with the fact that Midnight, her tenth studio album, comes out Oct. 21 and will be my official soundtrack for the end of fall. 

You know what also comes out Oct. 21, My Policeman, a movie featuring the one and only Harry Styles. While I’ll definitely be watching it, the movie I’m really looking forward to is Don’t Worry Darling. Directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Florence Pugh, reviews predict this to add to the list of throwaway movies that 2022 has brought us. While I could write another lengthy article on the drama surrounding this movie, gossip isn’t included in the column. Instead, I want to throw out a phenomenal thought: Don’t Worry Darling is going to be an amazing movie. I think Florence Pugh might just be the greatest actress of our generation, so while Little Women (2019) might fit into the autumn aesthetic more, I encourage you all to go see Don’t Worry Darling in theaters. 

While new movies are always great, Halloween classics are without a doubt the best part of the season, so I’m just going to spit out my top Halloween watches. First off in the horror section, Halloween (1978) and Scream (1996). While I don’t consider these movies to be truly horror films, they’re classic Halloween slasher films. Now, for everybody babysitting, please watch Hotel Transylvania (2012). Watch it even if you aren’t with small children because that movie has Andy Samberg, Adam Sandler, and Selena Gomez in it. Onto the general recommendations: The Addams Family (1991), Practical Magic (1998), Harry Potter (any of them), Ghostbusters (any of them), and, of course, The Conjuring (2013). 

Last on the list for your fall content is–drum roll please–TV shows. I am currently rewatching Gilmore Girls (2000) on Netflix for the tenth time and plan to watch the first three seasons before the end of autumn. While that is my desired fall vibe, I’ll give you some other wonderful recommendations. First of all, one show that everybody should watch is Bewitched (1964), which is about a witch who marries an ordinary man and lives in the suburbs. If you’re looking for a mix of fantasy, teen romance, and drama, I highly recommend Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) (shout out to Ms. D-E for recommending this show to me freshman year). For a little murder mystery comedy, Only Murders in the Building (2021) is the best. My last suggestion for this fall may surprise you, or not, but I have to tell everybody to watch Stranger Things (2016). Go back in time to 2016 and watch that first season. Do it for your sanity and mine. You can’t say no to the amazing crossover of Millie Bobby Brown and monsters, especially this close to Oct. 31. 

Wow, that felt like quite an overwhelming amount of content. I hope you can dig around and find the perfect items to consume this autumn. I look forward to driving over the speed limit with the windows rolled down in an oversized sweater while listening to Phoebe Bridgers, and I hope you all will do the same. Now, I must return to monitoring the low temperatures of the week (praying they’ll drop into the 50s). 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/79NMw7t5vewzVPzm29CZWd?si=ad4400b6f247427f

Edited by Helen Slawson