Sunnyside Up | A Sunny Morning Playlist.

Sunnyside Up Playlist - By Michael Alexander

You wake up and sun rays are spilling into your room. Outside your window is an illuminated world coated in high contrast. There's a simple comfort of the world drenched in blaring sunlight. Mornings like these are formative for our resilience, hope, and faith to move forward in times like these.

A few years ago I embarked on making a morning playlist that would capture many different mornings set underneath a sunny sky. Indulgent mornings, quick mornings, somber mornings, loud mornings, exciting mornings, dull mornings, etc! Something that would connect your spirit to the sun no matter what you were feeling that day.

Sunnyside Up was born. A playlist to maximize serotonin and help you spring to life in your first couple of hours. Through many genres and musical styles I'm certain this playlist will kickstart your day.

/// Pockets of Sunshine

There's a pool of fresh finds in Sunnyside Up that are some of my most cherished one-off additions to my library. One of my favorite finds is "Lallefall" by French artist Ayka. The guitar tones in this piece are silky. A dreamy plane is built by electric strings and bass that shimmer a reflecting pool . Ayka's lulling hushed voice skims right on top making this tune a perfect coffee sipper song.

Jacob Sigman, New York based pop-funk artist, is certain to trigger your heart pumping with "Groovy California Darling". Fans of Vulfpeck, Lake Shore Drive, or Vampire Weekend will want to dive into this jittery funk tune. His vocal layering and harmonic mixing are crisp. This bright clarity is perfect to electrify grabbing breakfast.

Local pop chanteuse, Shannon Netenmeyer, paints pastoral fantasies with "Evergreen Fields." Little guitar flourishes and a bed of sighing harmonies carry you delicately through this whimsical pop jam. Her hypnotic pining evokes a decadent indulgent morning as synths dance around showing the bubbly energy you can harness in due time.

Another rising songwriter from New York City is Hailes. A promising R&B/Pop act her sultry voice assists with a more relaxed morning stroll. Her feel good anthem "High Life" is perfect reminder to loosen up, relax your shoulders, because it's never that serious. Have some fun!

/// Starting the Ignition

A perfect weathered morning doesn't necessarily mean you'll have the perfect start to your day. Life gets in the way. Society and systems get in the way. We get in our way. It's important that the songs I've comprised have a rooted connection to soul.

Soul comes in many different forms! Maybe it's classic soul like Mary J. Blige lighting up belting affirmations in "Just Fine." You could be awakened by the fiery metal riffs in Plini's "Electric Sunrise." Your faith could be renewed by the rumbling bongos in "Windy" by Wes Montgomery. There's a sensory I get from these songs that perk me up even when I'm fatigued, physically or spiritually.

"And Many More / More (Live In NYC)" from indie pop band Lawrence has been my go to morning pick me up since being released in 2020. Clyde Lawrence's luscious keyboard performance at the beginning is healing, moving like water through their improvisation. When the song erupts into a soulful sprint I'm charged up from Gracie Lawrence's earth-shattering wails, a funky bass that re-organizes my neurons, and a symphony of syncopation that forces my body to move and shake along. It's the very first song I put in Sunnyside Up and sparked the creation of this playlist.

This last year I discovered Quincy Jones' magnum opus Back on the Block. I was surprised that "I'll Be Good To You" (vocals by the staggering legends Ray Charles and Chaka Khan) was not the most famous track on the LP. This song has SO much joy. A maximalist anthem with choirs, guitar solos, and poignant dropouts that will make your heart melt. The new jack swing beat gets the blood rushing. Charles' and Khan's vocals together is an endearing moment that'll set your soul on fire!

/// Here's To Hoping

Most of all there needs to be hope. If not in the lyrics in the sound. Starting is the hardest part of trying. That's why mornings can be the toughest. For a literal sense I included the iconic "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree. This song has always had a soft spot in my heart since my childhood. Her lyrics are a timeless piece of poetry.

Chocolate In Your Pocket's groovy feel good single "Sometime" evokes a light-hearted optimism. Reflecting on a relationship not quite ready to be pursued, the swelling percussion will you have believing fate is just over the blazing horizon. It's a wonderful easy listen for the bus/train ride.

Asta, an indie pop act from Australia, joins in with "Doin What You Want." This jazzy pop delight is wonderful for an on-the-go morning. The pace is furnished with a big slap beat and electro-bass as she encourages you to persevere through all your tribulations.

/// Something I've Been Cooking

It's been roughly 5 years since starting to build Sunnyside Up. When I was asked to join PerfectFM I knew this would be one of my first endeavors. Good mornings are imperative to our survival and when they aren't good it's even more important to have support to give you that extra energy to push on. This playlist has been vital to my well-being. I'm excited to share it with you!

Even if the sun isn't shining today I hope Sunnyside Up gives you a good dose of brightness. I hope you find something that will soothe you, something that will enliven your morning, and, even if for a moment, make life "over easy" for you!

+ Here is a link to listen to the playlist on Spotify. You can also listen to this playlist plus every song we've written about on our Spotify account playlists here.