Say hello to 2021 with these 10 groovy tunes!

Hey y’all, Danielle here again! It’s been a pretty wild year and we all deserve to celebrate the fact that we made it through—woohoo! Although we might have spent less time with our loved ones in-person than usual, I hope you’ve been able to remain connected through other means such as virtual calls and maybe even written letters. One of my favorite ways to stay connected is sharing songs with others, and this week I’m so excited to share ten songs which will hopefully have everyone rocking out to welcome in 2021. You can find the accompanying YouTube playlist here or the Spotify playlist here. Additionally, I would love for you to share any of your or your children’s favorite songs that get you hyped for the new year. Please feel free to share those songs in the comments at the end of the post!

1. Walk with Me – GoldFord

In a year which has felt more isolating than most, this song is a sweet reminder that you’re never truly alone and that things are gonna be alright in the end.

“Walk with me
I’ll walk with you
Down these troubled roads
We’ve stumbled into
We’re all in this thing together
We’re gonna make it through
If you walk with me
I’ll walk with you”

2. Let’s Get It Started – Black Eyed Peas

What better way to start off the new year than by dancing to this throwback hit by the Black Eyed Peas? With its repetitive chorus, you can easily sing along too!

“Let’s get it started (Ha), let’s get it started (In here)
Let’s get it started (Ha), let’s get it started (In here)
Let’s get it started (Ha), let’s get it started (In here)
Let’s get it started (Ha), let’s get it started (In here)”

3. New Year’s Day – Pentatonix

From my favorite a capella group, Pentatonix, comes this sweet tune with a hint of nostalgia about new beginnings.

“Another year will dim divine
We’ll play it back in slow rewind
And laugh about the cold and bitter nights
We’ll route our way on maps of stars
Hold on tight to fragile hearts
And keep our friends forever by our side

We could be kings of the world
On top of the nation
It’s a celebration of the moments to come
The city’s on fire
We’re holding up lighters
Raising them higher and we’ve only begun”

4. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

No New Year’s Eve playlist is complete without this classic rock song—you know the words, so sing along at the top of your lungs!

5. Don’t Stop the Music – Rihanna

As the title of this song implores, please don’t stop the music and leave your worries and fears behind you on the dance floor!

6. Memories – Maroon 5

As the lead singer of Maroon 5, Adam Levine, tweeted about “Memories”: “This song is for anyone who has ever experienced loss. In other words, this song is for all of us.” During a year when many of us suffered a variety of losses, this song serves as reminder to acknowledge those losses and celebrate all of those whose lives have deeply touched you. (For those musically inclined, here’s a bit of trivia for you. If something about the tune seems familiar, that’s because it was based on “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel!)

“Here’s to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you’re not
‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we’ve been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you”

7. Happy – Pharrell Williams

Although this year might have seemed like a blur of one unhappy moment to the next, I hope this hit song from the children’s film, “Despicable Me 2,” is a harbinger of happier times to come in the new year. At the very least, it’ll have you and your young loved ones moving and grooving and how long can you be unhappy, really, when you’re dancing?!

“Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do”

8. Have It All – Jason Mraz

From the very beginning of this catchy pop tune, Jason Mraz wishes nothing but the best for all of his listeners: success, confidence, kindness, happiness, and love. Just as the title of the song says, he wants you to have it all and who doesn’t hope for that in the new year?

“May you have auspiciousness and causes of success
May you have the confidence to always do your best…

May you know the meaning of the word happiness
May you always lead from the beating in your chest…

And may the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows
And may the road less paved be the road that you follow…

Oh, I want you to have it all
I want you to have it”

9. Auld Lang Syne – Mariah Carey

Sing along with Mariah as she belts out this timeless tune that’ll having you dancing in no time!

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne”

10. We Are the Champions – Queen

To round out our New Year’s themed playlist, I wanted to leave you with this song as a reminder to celebrate the fact that you made it through this challenging year: you truly are a champion!

“We are the champions, my friends
And we’ll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions, we are the champions
No time for losers, ’cause we are the champions of the world!”

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of songs (YouTube playlist here and Spotify playlist here) and would love to hear about any of your or your loved one’s favorite New Year’s themed songs below in the comments. Thanks so much for joining me this week and I wish you all many smiles, lots of laughter, and all the dance parties in the new year!