In my days… oh gosh, I just said that phrase out loud! Any hope of holding onto a small grasp of youth just instantly evaporated. I now have so much empathy for Mother Gothel from Tangled, who like me, is just a misunderstood 40-year-old woman. We’d really like to buy some time back, get our shriveled fig like boobs back into place, flatten out the stomach which now resembles a horizontal pavlova and to salvage a teeny tiny bit of coolness. Not like our iconic 90’s girl Madonna: cone-bra-out-there-cool… just a little subtle: TLC-waterfall-coolness.
When I was in my 20s, music made me feel cool. I would know every word to the all the latest songs, know all the latest bands, went to hip concerts, and thought 5-day festivals just weren’t long enough. There was nothing like being in a room with flashing lights, pounding speakers and a room full of people screaming out the same lyrics as you.
Two years ago, I tried to relive my youthful days and bought a ticket for a 3-day festival with my friends. If there was ever any doubt that I was past my years of rocking it out, this was the moment that cemented it. I tried so hard to enjoy it, but I hated it. I couldn’t bare the thought of having another person’s warm beer sloshed all over me from the unpredictable push and pull of the crowd, no personal space, in fact you not only share oxygen space, but your neighbours (front, back and side) also share their body fluids by rubbing sweaty body parts on me like I’m a bloody gym towel.
My friends all loved the festival, so I pretended “that was so awwwwesome”. I secretly made a pact to myself to never buy any more tickets to a festival. Instead, I would rock it out tastefully at home with a cold glass of chardy, in the aircon and an expensive couch to plonk my 40-year-old bum, instead of standing in the hot sun all day.
This is where my next problem was. My playlist was getting very repetitive and dated. Just because I didn’t want to go bouncing around with 20 year old kids, I also wasn’t ready to tune into ABC Classic FM. So, I made sure I was always on the lookout for new music to add to my playlist. I must admit that most of these songs where shazamed whilst lazing on my couch watching the latest HBO series. Just remember 40yr old women out there, even if you are Shazaming on the couch, you still end up with a pretty awesome playlist.
(A message to those in lockdown or have had festivals cancelled due to Covid and would give ANYTHING to be able to get out: we feel for you! Hopefully this playlist will bring a little joy to your home ♡)
