What is a ‘Woman Without a Man’? Or a Chess Player Wearing Jeans?
Hello, 2025! Goodbye, settled roles and identities?
I am already counting down to December 2025 — not just because it’s a month filled with festivities and reflection, surrounded by bright lights, but because for me, December is all about music.
Not the jingle bells and reindeer songs that dominate the airwaves, but “real” music: the songs that make me feel alive, the tracks that make me cry, and those guilty-pleasure anthems I pretend not to enjoy.
From Christmas to New Year’s Eve, Dutch radio plays music 24/7, featuring a countdown of the 2,000 most iconic tracks of all time. These aren’t just songs — they aren’t just music, but little time machines.
In the 2024 list, approximately 20% of the songs were released in the 70s, and even more from the 80s. My youth was well represented.
The music not only stirred up feelings and memories, creating a sense of nostalgia but also served as a mirror, reflecting the raw, rebellious spirit of the past. Some of the lyrics were awkwardly linked to specific roles from that time, highlighting how much has changed for the better over the years.
One story that stood out to me is that of the Belgian band Vaya Con Dios and their 90s hit…
