Sagittarius Season Mixtape 2020
Here we are: the final playlist of 2020. Yes, I know Capricorn season technically starts at the end of December, but it will carry us right into 2021.
So let’s go out with a bang appropriate for eclipse season and our mutable fire sign friends. Philosophical and candid, endlessly optimistic, the sign of the archer is forever seeking freedom and truth. (Come to think of it, maybe I should have included some Moulin Rouge! on this playlist. Their whole thing is Freedom! Beauty! Truth! And Love!)
Sagittarians have all the intensity of a Scorpio, but with a heavy dose of spontaneity that makes it all feel a little bit…lighter. They are endlessly curious, deeply passionate and highly independent. Think adventure, think philosophy, think rebellion, think never being quite satisfied with whatever life has presented them with at the time.
Also, turns out there are a lot of Sagittarius musicians. At one point this playlist was 45 tracks long, 14 of which were by Britney Spears alone. While that excess feels appropriate for this Jupiter-ruled sign (the planet of expansion), it also didn’t feel fair to the other signs. And I’ve got a lot of Libra placements, so you know we simply can’t have that. Narrowing this one down was tricky, so I included “liner notes” and fun facts about some of the songs that did make the cut below.
Liner notes:
* indicates a Sagittarius musician
“Barbie Tingz” by Nicki Minaj*: Um, the song literally opens with the line “I'm in my prime, Optimus / Sagittarius, so you know I'm an optimist.” I don’t care how obvious it is, of course it’s kicking off this playlist.
“My Prerogative” by Britney Spears*: Ms. Spears is living her truth and she does not care what you think! A very Sagittarian mindset.
“Happy” by The Rolling Stones*: Mick Jagger might be a very typical Leo, but Keith Richards is a Sagittarius and this is probably his strongest contribution to the Rolling Stones catalog.
And now we come to what might be my favorite thematic stretch of the playlist, from “Americans” to “Young Forever.”
“Americans” by Janelle Monáe*: This is a scathing takedown of American issues, including but not limited to racism, sexism, homophobia and more, wrapped in an upbeat bop. BUT, in true Sag style, it’s also a call to action and I choose to read it as having an optimistic undertone. Also, sometimes this song makes me cry?
“Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince: Not a Sagittarius, but a very famous Gemini, which is Sagittarius’ sister sign. Prince was also a huge influence on Janelle Monáe, and after being faced with all the problems presented in “Americans,” we are ready to go crazy and PUNCH A HIGHER FLOOR.
“Proud Mary” by Tina Turner*: Oh look, that higher floor took us to this all-time banger by the inimitable Tina Turner. One of my favorite fun facts about Tina Turner is her close friendship with David Bowie (or more, if you believe the decades-old gossip, which I do), and there is a great photo of her and Bowie with Keith Richards being very cool together in 1983.
“Young Forever” by JAY-Z*: Now that we’re done going crazy and rolling down the river, let’s take a moment to contemplate our place in the world with Mr. Carter.
“Gypsy” by Lady Gaga: An incredibly underrated track off ARTPOP—if not her most underrated track, period. Captures the Sagittarius sense of wanderlust and may or may not be my favorite Lady Gaga song of all time.
“You Can Call Me Al” by Vance Joy*: A pretty good cover of a Paul Simon classic.
“Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix)” by Miley Cyrus feat. Stevie Nicks: Oh look, a sister sign collab between Sagittarius Miley Cyrus and Gemini Stevie Nicks! Sorry my love of my fellow air signs is clearly influencing this playlist.
“Human” by The Killers: “Are we human or are we dancer?” just seems like a great encapsulation of Sag’s philosophical side married with their spontaneous, up-for-a-good-time side. A question Aquarians and Sagittarians can ponder together.
“Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol*: Another obvious one. Sagittarians are rebellious so, “rebel yell.”
“tonite” by LCD Soundsystem: James Murphy, Aquarius, is a master of the “dance track about darker themes” genre, and “tonite” is one in particular Sagittarians will appreciate. They’re the ones he’s shouting out when he says “You know who you are, this is a love song.”
“Move On” by David Bowie: Ah yes, the requisite Bowie and LCD Soundsystem inclusion on every playlist. But come on, “Sometimes I feel the need to move on, so I pack a bag and move on” is such a Sagittarius line.
“Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio” by Ludwig van Beethoven*: Beethoven was a Sagittarius.
“Road to Nowhere - Live” by David Byrne: From David Byrne’s amazing Broadway concert/performance American Utopia, this version of “Road to Nowhere” is a hell of a lot more optimistic than the original. Highly recommend watching the film version on HBO, too, so you can experience the Janelle Monáe cover that … also made me cry. What is it with Janelle Monáe and making me cry?
“Lonely Together” by Avicii and Rita Ora*: This song is literally only on here because Rita is a Sagittarius and I listen to the podcast Who? Weekly. A joke for an audience so niche, it might just be me.
“Non, je ne regrette rien” by Édith Piaf*: Just an excellent way to close out a playlist, don’t you think?
