Halloween in the year 2020 was supposed to be absolutely incredible. It’s on a Saturday, there will be a full moon and it falls on daylight savings time, so an extra hour of sleep will be in order. But then of course, COVID-19 happened. Though Halloween parties and festivities may be cancelled or less exciting this year, there are still some things you can do to feel festive. One of those things is taking some of your favorite songs and putting them in a playlist that gives off the perfect spooky vibes. Here are some suggestions! 

“Pitchfork Kids” by AJR – AJR is a band made up of three brothers, Adam, Jack and Ryan Met. Their song “Pitchfork Kids” is a standout track from their earliest album, “Living Room.” The song’s melody is haunting, and it features background, high-pitched choral notes that are almost ghostly as well as organ chords. But most importantly, it’s a total jam. And the lyrics are just as spooky and ominous, as Jack sings /And when the skies are open, we’ll still be singing this/I know they’re coming for me, we’re not the pitchfork kids/ in the chorus. 

“Emperor’s New Clothes” by Panic! At the Disco – This song, from Panic!’s album “Death of a Bachelor,” is incredibly spooky in both sound and accompanying visuals. The music video features lead singer, Brendan Urie, transforming into a demonic creature while menacing backup vocalists croon lyrics such as /Mortal kings are ruling castles/Welcome to my world of fun/Liars settle into sockets/Flip the switch and watch them run./

“Baby You’re a Haunted House” by Gerard Way – Way, who once belonged to the band “My Chemical Romance,” released this song in 2018 just several days before Halloween. The song, which definitely feels spooky, also feels jovial and somewhat vintage in sound. This is another track with an equally Halloween-esque visual to accompany it, as the music video features a four-piece skeletal band, dressed in suits and jamming out. 

“Disturbia” by Rihanna – This is a classic example of pop music gone spooky. Rihanna, as always, produced an absolutely iconic bop with the release of “Disturbia” in 2008. While the song itself has a very electro or dance pop feel to it, the lyrics are rather creepy, as Rihanna sings /It’s a thief in the night/To come and grab you/It can creep up inside you/And consume you/A disease of the mind/It can control you/It’s too close for comfort/ in the pre-chorus. This is an excellent addition to your playlist if you’re looking to let loose and dance. 

“Body” by Mother Mother – “Body,” a song from Mother Mother’s album “O My,” is definitely an odd tune to hear. However it’s the song’s oddness that makes it unsettling and spooky. The song’s lyrics are begging for someone to seemingly take the singer’s body parts away one by one as they’ve /grown tired of this body/A cumbersome and heavy body./ But as grotesque as that seems, it fits the Halloween mood perfectly. 

“Turn the Lights Off” by Tally Hall – This is a song from Tally Hall’s album, “Good and Evil.” And while the song sounds pretty upbeat, the lyrics are pretty freaky, as the song opens with /Don’t go in there/You’ll become one/Freaky creatures/Monster party/Eyes of yellow/Scales and feathers/Tails in tethers/Turn the lights off./ The whole song’s lyrics continue to follow this same pattern as well. But it’s also an incredibly fun song to dance and listen to. 

“She-Wolf” by Shakira – Shakira is an absolute queen, and she proved this even further in her Super Bowl half-time show appearance this past February. Her iconic song “She-Wolf,” from the 2009 album of the same name, is perfect for Halloween. The song itself doesn’t sound too scary, and is instead more pop-sounding and dance-y, but the lyrics feature werewolf imagery, which makes it perfect for spooky season. 

These are just a few suggestions for your Halloween playlist that divulge from classics like “The Monster Mash” or “The Addams Family” theme song. But those, of course, are viable options as well. Have fun crafting your scary playlist and have a solo or socially distanced dance party to celebrate.