If you were more excited about the various sporting events going on this month than Valentine’s Day, the Acorn’s February music recommendations have you covered. Here’s what to listen to if you haven’t been able to turn off NBC since the Winter Olympics began a few weeks ago and a couple playlists to get cued up if you’re still reliving the Superbowl halftime show. Some recommendations are inspired by the athletes themselves, while others are just reminiscent of the events.
If you can’t stop watching the Olympics…
“Together for a Shared Future,” the official international theme song for the games, features a variety of languages and aims to create a sense of coming together for the event. If that isn’t quite the bop that gets you in the sporting spirit, a Feb. 6 article from NBC detailed some favorite songs of U.S. athletes competing in Beijing.
The periodically updated playlist from the article contains some real jams that are impossible not to enjoy, including a contribution from 22-year-old figure skater Nathan Chen: “Cold Feet” by Loud Luxury. This 2020 track has a catchy electronic beat and breathy but raspy vocals somewhat reminiscent of Aurora and Ellie Goulding. If you’re up for a heartbreak song with an upbeat, airy sound, definitely give Chen’s playlist contribution a shot! For listeners who prefer another sound, the playlist is diverse enough for almost everyone to find something they are into, like rock classics such as “Fighting My Way Back” by Thin Lizzy, suggested by snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis, and Tim McGraw’s 2016 country hit “Humble and Kind,” offered up by curling team member John Shuster.
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China opened on Friday, Feb. 4 and will come to a close this Sunday, Feb. 20 after just over two weeks of tough competition between highly-skilled athletes.
If the Super Bowl halftime show is still living rent-free in your head…
If you’d like to keep reliving the 12 minutes of music from this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, check out this “Superbowl 2022” playlist from Lupita Chacon on Spotify. The compilation includes 36 songs by big-name rap and hip-hop icons such as Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. Some of the songs, like “Still D.R.E” by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, were performed as part of the show, while other additions by the artists serve as effective sources to keep the vibe going strong. “Just Fine” by Mary J. Blige has a spot on the playlist, alongside songs like “m.A.A.d city” by Kendrick Lamar. As of now, the playlist has over 42,000 likes.
On the occasion that you’re more of an Apple Music listener, check out the NFL’s official Super Bowl LVI playlist which contains many of the same songs and more. Different from the Spotify version, this official iteration features 51 songs and contains an additional hour’s worth of music, including Yola’s “Starlight” and “Stand For Myself.”
For the Super Bowl fan who cares more about the game than the halftime performance, possible listening options include hits like “Erase Me” by Kid Cudi, who happens to be Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s favorite artist according to a billboard.com article, which also states that Burrow’s pre-game hype song is Cudi’s “New York City Rage Fest.” Even though the Bengals lost the game, Burrows’s music taste isn’t so bad!
