This week is Part 4 of our Prythian Court series! Today, we're going to be checking out the playlist I made for The Winter Court, neighbor to the Summer & Autumn Courts and ruled over by High Lord Kallias and his mate, Lady Viviane.
The most we currently know about the Winter Court is that it's beautiful, heavily fortified, and rather private. Kallias himself is one of the more introverted of the High Lords, though he's very cunning and not to be underestimated, and Lady Viviane is his more extroverted and outwardly warm counterpart. The general vibe in the books reminds me a lot of Narnia under the White Witch, just without the curse and dictator ruling over the land. We likely will get more information about this court and its citizens throughout the books as they're close allies and friends with our main characters, and I'm personally very ready for it.
Like before, I've done my best to capture the essence of the Winter Court on this playlist, not necessarily adding a bunch of songs that remind me of Kallias, Viviane. or any other Winter-aligned characters. If you haven't read the books, this series may be a little confusing for you, but my remedy for that is to either read them or to just enjoy the playlists for what they are.
Below is a sampling of my Winter Court Playlist, which as always is way too long to be compressed into a single post. You can check out the full list by following me on Apple Music @audioaesthetics. Disclaimer: I do not own any character or property listed below, I'm just a huge fan and love to make playlists for my favorite fandoms.
White Woman's Instagram by Bo Burnham (written by B. Burnham)
Featured on the soundtrack to Burnham's 2021 special INSIDE, this song is very obviously a silly joke addition to the playlist. That being said, white is the color of snow, and most Winter Court residents are described as being pale skinned with white hair. Again, I get to pick the songs, so it's totally fine.
An open window, a novel/A couple holding hands/An avocado, a poem/Written in the sand/Fresh fallen snow on the ground, a golden retriever in a flower crown/Is this heaven, or is it just a/White woman, a white woman's Instagram/White woman, a white woman's Instagram/White woman, a white woman's Instagram/White woman, a white woman's Instagram
Shivers by Ed Sheeran (written by E. Sheeran, J. McDaid, K. Lavelle, S. McCutcheon)
Featured on Sheeran's 2021 album =, this song is an absolute bop, no doubt about it. The body's natural reaction to the cold is often to shiver, so it's fitting to have this song included here. If anything, dancing around to it is sure to warm you up if you're feeling a bit chilly.
I took an arrow to the heart/I never kissed a mouth that tastes like yours/Strawberries and somethin' more/Ooh yeah, I want it all/Lipstick on my guitar/Fill up the engine, we can drive real far/Go dancin' underneath the stars/Ooh yeah, I want it all/Mm, you got me feelin' like I wanna be that guy, I wanna kiss your eyes/I wanna drink that smile, I wanna feel like I’m/Like my soul's on fire, I wanna stay up all day and all night/Yeah, you got me singin' like/Ooh, I love it when you do it like that/And when you're close up, give me the shivers/Oh baby, you wanna dance 'til the sunlight cracks/And when they say the party's over, then we'll bring it right back/And we'll say, ooh, I love it when you do it like that/And when you're close up, give me the shivers/Oh baby, you wanna dance 'til the sunlight cracks/And when they say the party's over, then we'll bring it right back
Cool by Jonas Brothers (written by C. Smith, J. Jonas, K. Jonas, N. Jonas, R. Tedder, Z. Skelton)
Featured on the JoBros' 2019 album Happiness Begins, this title shows of the climate of the Winter Court as well as its residents' perceived public persona. It's easy to intimidate others by acting cool and aloof, but many in the Winter Court also feel cool and carefree. Plus, this song is a certified banger that's a great time to listen to no matter when it comes on.
Woke up feelin' like a new James Dean, I comb my hair like an old-school scene/I’m feelin' high like a late night summer of last year, yeah/Standin' there with the red dress on ya, a Killer Queen like a young Jane Fonda/Is it me, or am I just havin' a good year/Lately, I've been feelin' so cool, top to the bottom, just cool/Every little thing that I do, dammit, I feel so coo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ool/It's like, ooh, maybe I should bottle my moves/Sell 'em for a dollar or two, dammit, I'm feelin' so coo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ool
The Next Right Thing by Kristen Bell (written by R. Lopez, K. Anderson-Lopez)
Featured on the soundtrack to the 2019 film Frozen II, this song is so beautiful to me as a real, raw look at grief and depression in the middle of a popular Disney children's movie. Obviously Frozen is a shoe-in for the Winter Court, but Anna singing about the cold inside herself due to her personal loss takes this to a deeper level. Bell's vocals really show off her personal vulnerability with this subject as well, really pulling you into the moment with her.
I've seen dark before, but not like this/This is cold, this is empty, this is numb/The life I knew is over, the lights are out/Hello, darkness, I’m ready to succumb/I follow you around, I always have/But you've gone to a place I cannot find/This grief has a gravity, it pulls me down/But a tiny voice whispers in my mind/“You are lost, hope is gone, but you must go on/And do the next right thing"
Silverspoon by Louden Swain (written by B. Moran, S. Norton, R. Benedict, M. Borja)
Featured on Louden Swain's 2009 album A Brand New Hurt, this song is a good example of the fun, unique alternative sound the band brings to their music. Silver is a very wintery color, from the glistening sheen off snow and ice to the decorations many use for the various seasonal holidays. It's a cool, not as mainstream addition to this list for you to check out. I'll take the ego if we go, I’ll need a Winnebago/Like I need another hole in my head/I went loco, took ocho doses of my NoDoz/Feeling like I'm never in bed/Just don't hate me 'cause lately, I’ve been a little shaky/Hiding out in this Happy Meal/Oh, I like you, you like me, let's try and see a movie/Then we'll know if it's for real/All the children rise, salute/He's the king, he's the winner of the prize/Better pay your dues/All the children rise, salute/He's the king, he's the winner of the prize/Better pay your dues
Cold by Post Malone (written by A. Feeney, A. Post, T. Roberts)
Featured on Posty's 2016 album Stoney, this song's title is a dead giveaway as to its association with Winter. I know I live in Texas and don't get to experience true cold during the winter for more than maybe one week a year, but cold weather is definitely a staple for this season. Now the ice Posty's talking about here is actually referring to diamonds, sure, but it still works.
Yeah, my wrist so cold and my ice so froze and it's over, yeah/Yeah, my life so cold and my wrist so froze, yeah, it's over, yeah/Yeah, my wrist so cold, and my ice so froze, yeah, I die for you/Yeah, my ice so cold, and my wrist on froze, yeah, I die for you/Yeah, Stoney he satisfied, but it don't bring you closure/Diamonds my state of mind, I'm drowning in the ocean/Just stay right where you are and don't come any closer/I’m just gon' handle mine and just maintain composure/People, they say, learn from mistakes, yeah/We keep your space, yeah, but all this pain, yeah/You say you go away, yeah, still hit my lane, though/You hurt so bad when you in the wait, yeah/I needed you, needed you, so what the fuck do I do/I needed you, needed you, so what the fuck do I do/Oh my God, oh my God, I don't bullshit no no more/Oh my God, oh my God, think about you all the time/Oh my God, oh my God, and I don't care bout my money/It'll never be my goal, nothing coming on my own
ICY GRL by Saweetie (written by D. Harper, E. Meriwether, K. Chambers, M. Williams)
Featured on Saweetie's 2017 EP High Maintenance, this song follows the vein of Cold in that we're back to referring to diamonds as ice. I do love getting to see really beautiful frost, ice, or snow because it truly does have a diamond-like shine to it that's just so satisfying. This song is another banger to be sure, especially as a hype track.
Can't stop, won't stop, get guap/Ten white toes in them Tory flip flops/Manicures and pedicures, I'm always tip top/When they say I'm not hot, all these lies need to stop/‘Cause I'm icy, wifey, haters wanna fight me/Never been the one get RIP up on a white tee/Keep my hands clean, got some hitta's moving shiesty/Ask me if I'm rollin' with some Gucci, bitch, I might be/It's very unlikely my wrist ain't looking icy/Charging by the minute 'cause my time is very pricey/Yeah, I be where the bosses be/Judging from my vibe, you can feel it in my energy
Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) by Taylor Swift (written by T. Swift)
Featured on Swift's 2021 album Red (Taylor's Version), this song was obviously always going to make this playlist. That feeling of being cold, alone, and melancholy can effect so many of us in the winter months - seasonal depression is no joke. This great Vault track does quite the job masking those feelings behind a fun, pop beat, but the lyrics tell a whole other story.
He says he doesn't believe anything much he hears these days/He says, "Why fall in love just so you can watch it go away”/He spends most of his nights wishing it was how it used to be/He spends most of his flights getting pulled down by gravity/I call just checking up on him/He's up, 3 a.m., pacing/He says, "It's not just a phase I'm in”/My voice comes out begging/All this time I didn't know you were breaking down/I’d fall to pieces on the floor if you weren't around/Too young to know it gets better, I’ll be summer sun for you forever/Forever winter if you go, uh-uh, oh
Landslide by The Chicks (written by S. Nicks)
Featured on The Chicks' 2002 album Home, I will argue for the rest of my life that this is one of the greatest song covers of all time. While the lyrics have been simultaneously hitting us in our feels and confusing the bejeezus out of us since 1975, this song is absolutely iconic no matter if the vocals are being providded by Stevie Nicks or Natalie Maines. That snow covered hill sounds like something sure to be found in the Winter Court, right?
I took my love and I took it down/I climbed a mountain and I turned around/And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills/Well, the landslide brought me down/Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love/Can the child within my heart rise above/Can I sail through the changing ocean tides/Can I handle the seasons of my life/Well, I've been afraid of changing/'Cause I built my life around you/But time makes you bolder, children get older/I’m getting older, too, well
Cold Damn Vampires by Zach Bryan (written by Z. Bryan)
Featured on Bryan's 2022 album American Heartbreak, this title showcases the cold of Winter weather and, in my opinion, the demons the Winter Court is haunted by (read ACOTAR for more info). This is a really great song on its own, but I'm super happy to also include it on this list. It's easy to let our past negatively effect us and freeze our hearts, but we can choose to work at it and thaw ourselves out to begin to try and heal.
Them damn cold vampires been keeping me awake/Tryna build an empire of things that they can take/Don't let 'em steal your hope, child, turn it something green/Damn you and damn all your ties to this machine/Ties to this machine/You moved to the city, girl, to make something of yourself/But them vampires are groping you every night on East and 12th/So every night you carry a knife and some spray/To keep them bloodsuckers at least a four-inch blade away/A four-inch blade away
Whether you align with Winter (in ACOTAR or as your color palette season) or not, I hope you had fun checking out today's playlist. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!
Comments