This was actually written in February, but life got busy and I never did finish it. So, here it is! All that was really missing was links to the songs, so sorry for the wait! Another new song has been added as well, and the post will go up shortly.

---

February is a tough month. My grandmother died in February, a few years ago now. It hasn’t gotten easier.

There are a few things that remind me of her. Her favorite clock, hung in my living room despite being partly melted, is my favorite reminder. It was hung by the chimney of a wood stove, and over the years, the frame warped. She still works, though her timing is off and her chime is hit and miss.

My grandmother loved birds, particularly owls. And this clock would chime with a different owl every hour until dark. Now, it doesn’t always chime the hour. It went silent for a month or two, before starting back up on the 12th of this month. A couple days before the anniversary of my grandmother passing.

On the anniversary of her passing, a song that hadn’t popped onto my playlist (of over 300 songs currently) came on again.

It was one of the songs that makes me think of my grandmother: Gone Away by The Offspring.

This song makes me cry on a good day. The past few days, even thinking about it has made me nearly break down on tears. I feel that a song that influences me so much when it comes on deserves a spot of commemoration on the Soundtrack.

But this update isn’t all sad. I have two happier songs, at least for me, which are going on the list.

Both are from my teen years, and were brought back to my memory while I looked for an old notebook of mine. I didn’t find what I was looking for, but I did find an old notebook my cousin and I shared and wrote stories in together.

This led me to have a true, long conversation with her for the first time in a while. We reminisced about our teen years, and the summers we spent together.

While we talked, I looked up songs I hadn’t even thought of since high school. There were a number of them, and the first I even considered finding was Redemption by Gackt, a song from the video game Final Fantasy VII Dirge of Cerberus for the PS2.

Melody, the cousin, and I were big fans of Vincent Valentine, the main character of the game. We were also fans of Gackt, though she more so than me.

When I pulled up Redemption and heard those first few beats, it hit hard. The song was still amazing! As the first couple lines (in Japanese) came on, it hit again. It felt amazing, listening to this blast from the past and talking with Melody.

For this reason, to commemorate a good, long talk with family, Redemption makes the list.

Similarly, Dragostea Din Tei by O-Zone is commemorative of returning to past interests.

Now, this is a song that needs no introduction. It was one of the first viral sensations I can remember from growing up, and it’s upbeat and catchy as hell!

I prefer the original to the English version, myself, so that is the one I’m putting on the Soundtrack. I used to listen to this song all the time, just enjoying the bounciness and upbeat nature of the sound.

And the music video is fun and memorable too, so that doesn’t hurt.

What do you think of these three new additions? How do you feel about my reasoning for them? Had you heard of Gackt before this post?

What songs would you put in your soundtrack for this year, and why?

Feel free to answer in a comment below! I would love to hear from you all!

Until next time!