Happy Lunar New Year! This month, I caved on my “no true theme” rule for these posts and gathered some songs based on the Year of the Dragon. Loosely.
I always know when LNY happens, but my family never talked much about the traditions and lore behind it when I was younger. This year, I cut off several inches of my hair and decluttered my apartment all before the actual day, which I’m told is about right.
I remember always thinking it felt unfair for people to be born under the dragon zodiac, whereas the rest of the animals felt a bit… lackluster by comparison. I get it; each one has its unique strengths and weaknesses. But if you’re a Dragon? Damn. Full stop.
(I just got off the phone with my dad who, unprompted, said, “I’m a Snake, which isn’t great.” I asked what he meant by that and his reply was, “Because it just feels inferior to something like a dragon!”)
All that aside, I could use another clean slate after sputtering at the start of 2024 (like when you hit A too early in Mario Kart) and a sense of newness and renewedness. Here are 5 songs of very different genres that captured a dragon-like feeling to me, whether it’s the fire, the energy, the otherworldliness, or just plain swagger.
01. 🎵 Don’t Bring Me Down by ØZWALD
This cover doesn’t stray too far from the 1979 original by Electric Light Orchestra, but the tempo feels ever so slightly faster and the vocalizations seem lighter, more cheeky to me. What I love about the lyrics is the idea that being brought down feels inevitable, but it doesn’t stop the singer from essentially saying, “Hard pass. Just don’t do it.”
02. 🎵 Heavy Mood by Tilly And The Wall
This song is a mad dash from start to finish; the tempo is crazy fast, making this one of my favorite songs to run to because it’s just plain exciting. (I think it was used in a famous commercial when it was released, but I forgot which). The lyrics feel equal parts genuine and satirical with how headstrong they are. But I feel like it’s the energy here that really draws me in. I don’t function at this energy level for very long, but part of me wishes I could.
03. 🎵 Mind Your Manners by Chiddy Bang feat. Icona Pop
At some point at my university, it felt like everyone was listening to Chiddy Bang, a hip-hop duo (now solo artist) that originated in the city where I went to school. A decade-ish later, I still find myself pressing play on this song when I need to hear a completely unapologetic self-anthem. Maybe it’s the kid voices repeating “There is no one like me,” as if this is something only a child could get away with saying, or the biting politeness of, “I know they hatin’ on us but / Mind your manners.” I’ve lived a life where I’ve garnered next to no haters, but I’m still addicted to how strong this message is and how infrequently I let myself feel it just as strongly.
04. 🎵 ON by BTS
One of the first songs I ever heard by BTS and the attraction was fatal, and instant. It’s an epic 4-minute track with a dystopian vibe and feels like something that would underscore an action movie training montage. I looked up the translation of the lyrics and was drawn to the few times “shadow” was mentioned—that even when you climb high, there’s always a darkness that you have to rise out of to get there.
05. 🎵 Power is Power by SZA feat. The Weeknd & Travis Scott
This song comes from an album inspired by the Game of Thrones series (of which I have seen 0 episodes), but I am and always will be a fan of amazing music born from media I’m whatever about (See also: Twilight Saga soundtracks). I first heard it in a cardio kickboxing class as the final cooldown song to an hour-long workout. I remember thinking how much I enjoyed stretching and feeling strong in my own body when this song came on. And was there ever a line as incisive as “Heavy is the crown / Only for the weak?” If that’s not dragon-like, I don’t know what is.