Playlist: How to Feel with Acoustic Tears

This acoustic playlist filled with stripped vocals and heartfelt music is sure to reconnect you with your emotions.

Written by Miranda Robertson

Illustrated by Sophie Beasley

Sometimes, we’re not at our lowest or our highest. Boredom or numbness can easily overcome anyone and make them forget how it truly feels to feel, to be alive. Acoustic music doesn’t just refer to the instruments involved, but also how they bring distinctive tones and intentions. Whether a song is originally acoustic, a reworked version, or an intimate live recording, each of these selections brings its own calm, raw, and authentic sound.

The idea of acoustic music really comes from the types of instruments considered acoustic, such as strings (like guitar), woodwinds, and percussion: instruments known to create a very emotional pairing with stripped vocals. This simplicity can be extremely emotive. Through acoustic songs and recordings, we can hear art in its purest form. In modern times, we see the acoustic style used in a spectrum of genres — all the way from rock to pop and R&B — due to its sentimental sound. Acoustic music brings a softer, lighter atmosphere that can emphasize a pure point of view.

But enough of the facts. This acoustic tears playlist serves as a pairing, an accompaniment to the painful, but real and necessary times in life. A compilation to feel grounded when feeling out of touch. Inside this playlist, you will find various genres and years of music such as Cage the Elephant, Dolly Parton, and Lana Del Rey. This blend of acoustic sounds and raw stripped audio is sure to get you breathing with purpose, allowing yourself to feel sad and embrace emotion. Here is how to feel again.