Music

Music Fans Share What Time To Play Certain Songs On New Year’s Eve To Start 2021 Right

Getty Image Taylor Swift, Kid Cudi, and Lana Del Rey can be the perfect way to say bye to 2020 and hello to a (hopefully) brighter year…

In 2017, a fun annual music trend began (as Know Your Meme notes). That was when fans started figuring out at what time to start playing certain songs on New Year’s Eve so a highlight from the song will happen the instant the clock strikes midnight and the next year begins. People have shared new discoveries in the trend in the following years, and now there’s a new batch of them for 2020.

One fan noted a discovery about Taylor Swift’s Evermore highlight “Long Story Short,” tweeting, “if you play long story short by Taylor Swift at exactly 11:56:32 pm on New Years Eve, Taylor will sing ‘long story short I survived’ at exactly midnight, and I think that’s a nice way of ending this effing year” Meanwhile, somebody else figured out how to hear Phoebe Bridgers scream at midnight, while another person worked out how to start 2020 with some encouraging words from Kid Cudi.

if you play long story short by Taylor Swift at exactly 11:56:32 pm on New Years Eve, Taylor will sing “long story short I survived” at exactly midnight, and I think that's a nice way of ending this effing year
— robs ☆ (@mirrorballhush) December 30, 2020

If you play Phoebe Bridger's song 'I know the End' at exactly 11:54 and 52s tonight she'll scream just as midnight hits.https://t.co/rMPL09GkYE
— Into The London Beer Flood of 1814 (@intotheredband) December 31, 2020

if you play the void by kid cudi at exactly 23:54:41 the last thing you’ll hear in 2020 is “it’s gon’ be okay”” and first thing you’ll hear in 2021 is kid cudi saying “i promise you”
— ً (@BALUCIAGA) December 30, 2020
Advertisement

Check out more “if you play” tweets below, including some highlights from previous years.

if you play “Love” by Lana at exactly 11:57:09 on December 31st youll hear
“dont worry baby” at midnight <3
2021 will be good
— anna (@bambieyyes) December 30, 2020

if you play body by megan thee stallion at exactly 11:57:48 PM she can body yody you into the new year pic.twitter.com/iRX7YPt0Ax
— gillian (@gillianwaggie) December 31, 2020

if you play Worst Behavior by Drake at exactly 11:59:44 the last thing you’ll hear in 2020 is “worst” cuz this was truly the worst year ever
— . (@certifiedjared) December 30, 2020

if you play gimme more by britney spears at exactly 11:59:59 on december 31st, you will hear “it’s britney bitch!” as the clock strikes midnight. enter 2021 the right way. pic.twitter.com/9Y0G4K79yQ
— Arthur (@MichaelEnvy) December 31, 2020
Advertisement

If you play 'In The Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins on December 31st at 11:56:40 the drum break will play right as the clock strikes midnight. Start off your new year right.
— Phil Collins (@PhilCollinsFeed) December 21, 2017

If you start listening to “Nights” by Frank Ocean on December 31st at 11:56:30, the transition in the song will be perfectly synced with the switch from 2017 to 2018 at midnight. Which is a great way to end and start the year.
— Blonded. (@blondedocean) December 15, 2017

If you play the #SVU opening at exactly 11:59:44 pm on New Year’s Eve, you’ll hear the "DUN DUN”, one of the most iconic sounds of all time, as the clock strikes midnight. Ring in 2018 right.
— 𝐋𝐀𝐖 & 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑: 𝐒𝐕𝐔 (@nbcsvu) December 21, 2017

if you play Mr. Brightside by The Killers at 11:59:47pm on December 31st you can start your new year by coming out of your cage
— (@ilflorence) December 17, 2017

if you play the spongebob theme tune at 11:59:34pm on new year’s eve and follow the captain’s instructions, we will all hit the deck and flop like a fish in unison at midnight and honestly I think the world needs that
— tom (@tom_harlock) December 21, 2017

If you play “I Found a Way” (Drake and Josh theme song) at exactly 11:59:17 on December 31, Drake and Josh will clink their soda glasses just as the clock strikes midnight. Enter 2018 the right way.
— Andrew Barker (@drewtoform) December 18, 2017
Advertisement

If you play "Hey Ya" by Outkast at exactly 11:56:39 on new years eve, the final hey ya chorus after the shake it breakdown will play at exactly midnight. You know what to do
— Tiki (Moved Accounts) (@TikiPnch) December 17, 2017

if you play "bring me to life" by evanescence at exactly 11:59:08 on new years eve, the first "wake me up" will play at exactly midnight. start off your new year right
— quinnell (@tmcripple) December 16, 2017

if you play “…ready for it” at exactly 11:58:50pm on december 31st, taylor swift will declare her iconic "…are you ready for it?" line right as the clock strikes midnight. enter 2018 the right way.
— austin (@gIimpseofrelief) December 17, 2017

If you play “through the late night” by Travis Scott at 11:56:48 PM on December 31st,Travis Scott will tell you to stroke his cactus exactly when the clock hits 12.Great way to start the new year
— HUNCHOJACK (@hunchoxjack) December 17, 2017

If you play “Gimme More” by Britney Spears at exactly 11:59:59 on December 31st, you’ll hear “It’s Britney Bitch!” as the clock strikes midnight. Enter 2018 the right way
— nick (@unslander) December 21, 2017

If you start listening to “Ride” by Lana Del Rey at exactly 11:58:31 on New Years Eve, you can sing along to "I am alone at midnight" at exactly midnight. Start your New Year honestly.
— a lifetime bitch (@scotty_13_) December 19, 2017

If you play 'My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion on December 31st at 11:56:31 she will sing "there's nothing I fear" right as the clock strikes midnight. Start off your new year as a fearless person.
— YAEL (@YaelTsairi) December 21, 2017
Advertisement

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares2

Artist Spotlight

Lana Crow turns challenges into a celebration with “Laugh With You”

“Laugh With You,” the latest single from Lana Crow, is a sincere rallying cry to embrace life in all its messy, beautiful mess. In the song, indie pop and alt-pop combine to deliver an emotional blow that feels both personal and universal.

“Laugh With You” feels like an instant connection, and Crow is telling you stories of hard times with a cozy, knowing smile. This song is as much about struggle as it is about how strong you are. It serves as a reminder that these struggles are simply what give us the strength to keep going, even when life is tough.

Crow encourages people to welcome them, create happiness in the cracks, and laugh even as the world gets heavy. The result is a song that delicately nudges you to love and embrace yourself. It is an anthem for anyone experiencing tough times who refuses to give up hope. Lana Crow continues to demonstrate her songwriting skills, both musically pleasing and emotionally rich, with “Laugh With You.”

It’s a reminder that it’s how we respond to tough times, rather than how they affect us, that’s key. With this song, not only does Crow provide us with music, but she also lets us know that sometimes a laugh is what we need to remember that there is always something to smile about and that, even when it feels like life has waged war against you, laughter can still be found.

Connect with Lana Crow on Instagram | Facebook |

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

Artist Spotlight

Lisa Boostani creates a mesmerizing tidal realm in “Ocean”

Lisa Boostani’s “Ocean” takes you deep into a sensory world where body, spirit, and myth come together, beyond the surface of genre. Boostani makes a soundscape that is both ethereal and deeply human by combining the broad essence of psychedelic pop with the strong appeal of alternative rock.

Her voice rises as if it is coming from deep within her, shaped by emotion rather than action. She intentionally channels the intangible, turning weakness into strength rather than a source of pain, and “Ocean” tells people to get involved in this inner world, not just watch it. This release is an integral part of her first EP, “One,” which will come out in March 2026 and is based on love, sensuality, and unity.

If “Ocean” is any indication, the EP will show sensuality not as something pretty, but as a kind of spiritual intelligence, a way to know yourself by connecting with others. The song’s textures and structure have an aquatic quality, moving between clarity and delirium, rhythm and freedom. Its emotional focus is on immersion instead of resolution.

The striking quality of “Ocean” is the blend of the mystical worlds. Boostani understands that strength often shows up as gentleness and that deep feelings are better expressed through frequencies than words. She wants people to see consciousness as immediacy, sensation as truth, and openness as an undeniable strength.

Connect with Lisa Boostani on Instagram | Facebook |