Top Songs — 2015
▶ Spotify PlaylistEvery now and then, work takes me to Hong Kong — and to be honest, I don't love it. My first trip was in 2015, and from the get go, the city just didn't click with me. The brutal time change, the long flight, and the part of town where my office is — overly commercial, lacking charm — none of it won me over.
But if there's one part of the trip I genuinely enjoy, it's prepping the perfect lineup of movies, TV, and music for the flight. A 16-hour haul in a metal tube demands careful curation. I start with TV — shows I'm already into and new ones I've been meaning to try — making sure to download at least a season's worth. Then, the movies: a mix spanning different genres, ready to match whatever mood I'm in, along with a few reliable re-watches. I steer clear of anything too long or too heavy — this is about entertainment, not an emotional marathon.
And then there's the music. I make sure to have a mix of playlists I've been working on, new albums or artists I want to check out, and, of course, my deep library of old favorites. Whatever I'm up for, whether it's exploration or just zoning out, the right soundtrack is critical.
This little ritual not only gives me something to look forward to, but it also eases the pre-trip dread. And for those 16 hours in the air, it almost — almost — makes the journey enjoyable.
1.⭐ Father John Misty — Holy Shit
2.⭐ Grimes — Kill V. Maim
3.⭐ Sufjan Stevens — Fourth of July
4.⭐ Jeff Rosenstock — Nausea
5.⭐ Houndmouth — Sedona
6.⭐ Lord Huron — The Night We Met
7.⭐ Charli xcx — Famous
8.⭐ Grimes — Pin
9.⭐ CHVRCHES — Clearest Blue
10.⭐ LP — Lost on You
11.⭐ Young Fathers — Nest
12.⭐ Car Seat Headrest — Something Soon
13.⭐ Carly Rae Jepsen — Run Away With Me
14.⭐ AWOLNATION — Woman Woman
15.Grimes — Flesh without Blood
16.Best Coast — Feeling Ok
17.Wolf Alice — Bros
18.The Mountain Goats — The Legend of Chavo Guerrero
19.Courtney Barnett — Pedestrian at Best
20.Silversun Pickups — Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance)
21.Elle King — America's Sweetheart
22.Destroyer — Dream Lover
23.Father John Misty — Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)
24.AWOLNATION — Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)
25.CHVRCHES — Leave a Trace
26.Grimes — California
27.My Morning Jacket — Big Decisions
28.Courtney Barnett — Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party
29.Jamie xx;Romy — Loud Places
30.Tame Impala — The Less I Know The Better
31.Hop Along — Waitress
32.The King Khan & BBQ Show — Alone Again
33.FIDLAR — West Coast
34.Twenty One Pilots — Tear in My Heart
35.JR JR — Gone
36.Jamie xx;Young Thug;Popcaan — I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)
37.Waxahatchee — La Loose
38.Blur — Ong Ong
39.Wilco — Random Name Generator
40.Wolf Alice — Lisbon
41.Sufjan Stevens — Should Have Known Better
42.Florence + The Machine — Ship To Wreck
43.Wolfmother — Victorious
44.Death Cab for Cutie — The Ghosts of Beverly Drive
45.Modest Mouse — Lampshades on Fire
46.Hinds — San Diego
47.Twenty One Pilots — Stressed Out
48.Sleater-Kinney — A New Wave
49.Father John Misty — The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.
50.Of Monsters and Men — Crystals
51.Twerps — Back to You
52.Kurt Vile — Pretty Pimpin
53.Bully — I Remember
54.Majical Cloudz — Downtown
55.Florence + The Machine — How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful