Items14The creator’s order
  1. 1Working for the WeekendWorking for the WeekendThe 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.0
  2. 2Friday on My MindFriday on My MindThose 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.0
  3. 3Just Got PaidJust Got PaidKemp 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.0
  4. 4Finally FridayFinally FridayThere’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.0
  5. 5Friday I’m in LoveFriday I’m in LoveWork 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.0
  6. 6A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays” (feat. Q-Tip & Vinia Mojica)A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays” (feat. Q-Tip & Vinia Mojica)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.0
  7. 7GoldenGoldenScott 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.0
  8. 8Shackles (Praise You)Shackles (Praise You)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.0
  9. 9Shake It OutShake It OutThe 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.0
  10. 10Good as HellGood as HellThe 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…0