“Alaska” by Little Hurt

If you've ever had one of those days (or months) where you want to drop everything, throw your phone in a lake, and start over in an entirely new city, then know you're not alone! Little Hurt's upbeat song "Alaska" expresses the exact same sentiment of feeling restless and wanting a fresh beginning that most of us have felt at least once in our lives. With cold weather, we tend to spend more time inside our homes or workplaces and less time outside or going somewhere different. And even though quarantine doesn't seem all that recent, most people are still recovering from the confinement they felt at the height of 2020 and the desire to see something other than the same four walls and zoom screen every day. So despite the name of this song referencing a usually frozen, snow-covered state, it's hard to ignore the warm, energetic feeling Little Hurt can inspire in this song.

After COVID-19, I believe nearly everyone was ready for a significant change, either in work, location, or just routine. "Alaska" speaks to this sentiment at the beginning of the song with the lyrics, "Saying dude, don't take it personal/It's gonna be another weird month, I guess according to my horoscope." These words, in particular, paired with the surprisingly peppy background music, evoke the 'just grit your teeth and bear it' mindset we can start to take on during dull or hard moments in life. 

As the song continues, it's clear the singer is beginning to feel more and more fed up with their current situation and needs a change in each new verse. It doesn't boil over until the chorus, where the singer exclaims they're going to dye their hair, grab their guitar, and move to Alaska without any prior planning or warning, despite the ironic statement, "And I hate the snow." According to the song, this urge to go somewhere else, like Alaska, is so sudden that even their friends won't know about it; and that is perfectly fine with the singer.

While moving all the way to Alaska can seem like a random and impulsive decision, the main idea behind the song is relatable. It's essential to take time for yourself, whether that's digitally getting away and turning off your phone or going somewhere else physically. A simple change of scenery can work wonders for the mind, especially in moments where you feel like you have to get out of the house or risk turning into Jack Torrance from The Shining (extreme, I know, but you get my point). We all need breaks from life; it's why we take vacation days. And sometimes, those breaks can look like moving to Alaska.