Songs for Marking the End of a Difficult Working Week

The first drum hits and the clipped guitar tell you exactly where this is going. Once the voices pile onto the chorus, there’s room for one more. Put this on as you’re clocking out if you’ve spent the whole week counting down to that minute.

Those quick guitar notes keep winding the tension while the singer gets through the days of the week. Then the voices open up as he pictures Friday night. It suits the last half hour before freedom nearly as well as the trip home.

Kemp starts with a simple payday Friday and makes the evening feel like it’s already underway. The beat has a snap that cuts through the little pauses in his vocal, and the backing voices make the refrain sound like an invitation. Try it when the plans are only just coming together.

There’s a wry note in Jones’s singing even when the band is already cutting loose. He knows Monday will come around again. Pick this for the pleasure of hearing someone give himself two days off without pretending he’s solved anything.

Work your way from one weekday to the next with Robert Smith and hear the relief in the way he draws out Friday. The guitars ring from the start, giving the song a lift that anticipates the refrain. It’s a good choice when you want to believe in the evening before it’s actually here.

The voices keep changing hands and the groove rolls straight through. The roller-rink setup gives the weekend a place to go, and Vinia Mojica’s sung hook is there whenever you want to come back in. Try it if the week has left you tired and you’d still like to move.

Scott makes time to herself sound worth defending. She starts with a small gesture of claiming her freedom, and the beat gives that thought enough room to expand into a whole chorus. Put it on when you’ve turned off your notifications and want to remember what the evening is for.

The verses give you a sense of how heavy things have felt before the two singers land on that danceable refrain. The release is explicitly a prayer, with an R&B beat that makes it physical. Pick it when you want a song that can hold gratitude and exhaustion in the same few minutes.

The organ makes the opening feel like there’s still some weight to carry. When the drums and voices grow around Welch, it sounds possible to put some of it down. Save it for the evening when you’re still thinking about something you wish you’d done differently.

The opening piano hits and Lizzo’s clipped delivery make self-appraisal sound like a group activity. Beneath the jokes about hair and nails she’s helping someone shake off a relationship that’s been wearing them down. A good choice if you want a short reset with a chorus you can throw back at the speakers.

The bass sets up a groove that Mavis Staples can slip into and leave running. The answering voices make the song feel like company after a long week. Start here if you’re glad to be off the clock and would rather settle in than go out.

The refrain sounds like a decision to enjoy what’s left of the day, and the long album version gives the bass line time to take over. Hear how much movement it makes without rushing. It’s an easy bridge between finishing the last chore and letting the kitchen turn into a dance floor.

Monáe’s quick delivery has to find its balance against little bursts from the band. When Big Boi comes in, there’s another way to ride the same beat. The idea of staying upright through highs and lows makes sense at the end of a week that threw a bit of both at you.

King’s verses notice the tired faces around her before the piano and voice lift into the refrain. The observation is what makes the encouragement easier to take after a rough stretch. Choose this for an evening when you want a kind word at a volume you can live with.