Daily Jam - Bachelorette

Although the time in which to do so has become increasingly fleeting as I venture further and further into middle age, one of my very favorite things to do is to put on headphones, drown out the world around me for a little while, and just lose myself in song. I’ll sit back in a chair, drink in hand, and breathe, or I’ll stretch out on my bed, relax, and close my eyes, sound humming in my ears. No background noises, no distractions, no focus on the myriad of other things I have to (or want to) do. Just my breathing and the music, often turned up so loud I wouldn’t even hear a car crashing through the room. It’s lovely. You should try it sometime. It’s basically my version of taking a hot bath in a candlelit room like you see in movies.

And certain artists’ discographies were just meant for this kind of thing…like Björk’s of course.

In all reality, you really could choose any album, any song by the Icelandic chanteuse and float around in your head for a little while, but for me, I always come back to “Bachelorette” from 1997’s Homogenic. It devastates me every time I hear it, the artist’s heart-stricken and aching vocals encircling my soul and squeezing, the lyrical imagery burning into my brain like an old photograph, all accompanied by lush and beautiful orchestration and electronic beats. It’s an anthem of heartbreak for sure, but just so wonderfully produced as to beg for repeated, somber listens.

So I do.

And with the sound contained to my ears, the world blurring as I shut it out, I can feel the music seeping into every pore. I think I’ll stay like this for a while.