Melanie Grace

Tag: girls trip playlist

  • Yoga Pants Off, Heels On

    Yoga Pants Off, Heels On

    The Story Behind “Girls, Let’s Go!”

    Let me tell you about the last time I went out with my girlfriends.

    I spent twenty minutes trying to remember how mascara works. I put on heels and immediately wondered if I’d made a terrible mistake. I looked in the mirror and thought, “Oh hey, she’s still in there somewhere”—the pre-kid version of me who used to do this regularly, not twice a year if we’re lucky.

    Dan kissed me goodbye, said “go have fun,” and I practically sprinted to the car.

    This song is for every mom who’s ever felt that specific rush of freedom when the door closes behind her and she realizes: I am off duty. He’s got the kids. Let’s GO.

    The Beautiful Delusion of Mom’s Night Out

    Here’s the thing about mom’s night out: we talk a big game.

    “We’re going to dance until they kick us out!” “We’re closing this place DOWN!” “Tonight we’re TWENTY-ONE again!”

    And then it’s 10:45 and someone yawns and we all look at each other like, “…So, we good? We did it? We can go home now?”

    I wanted to write a song that celebrated BOTH parts of that experience. The excitement of getting ready—remembering that you’re still a person with a body that can wear real clothes and not just the same rotation of yoga pants. And the hilarious reality that your stamina is not what it used to be, but you’re giving it everything you’ve got anyway.

    “Okay maybe ’til eleven but we’re giving it all we got” is the most honest lyric I’ve ever written.

    The Friend Pickup Ritual

    There’s something sacred about pulling up to your friend’s house for mom’s night out.

    She runs outside—actually runs, like we’re escaping a prison—looking like an absolute queen because she also spent way too long getting ready. You see each other and you both almost cry because OH MY GOSH WE’RE DOING THIS. WE’RE ACTUALLY OUT OF THE HOUSE. WEARING LIPSTICK. AT THE SAME TIME.

    The car is already bumping because you’ve been listening to the playlist you made for this exact occasion. Windows down. Music up. Two moms on a mission, taking back this town.

    We used to do this every weekend. Now it’s a calendar event planned six weeks in advance with backup childcare arrangements and a shared Google doc. Worth it.

    The Dance Floor Revelation

    The bridge of this song is my favorite part because it’s the most real.

    You’re on the dance floor. You’re yawning by the second song. Your feet hurt because you haven’t worn heels in eight months and you’ve made a terrible mistake. And yet—you don’t even care. Because you’re HERE. You’re FREE. These girls are your people.

    And somewhere across town, your partner is home with the babies. Handling bedtime. Doing the snacks. Answering the forty-seven questions about why the sky is blue and whether dinosaurs had feelings.

    He’s got the kids. And that gift—that “go have fun, I’ve got this”—is one of the most romantic things a partner can give.

    This is a girls’ night anthem, but it’s secretly also a love song to the partners who make girls’ night possible.

    The Honest Outro

    I knew this song needed a spoken outro. Something that captured the end of the night—the comedown from all that energy, the satisfied exhaustion, the “we absolutely crushed it (by being home by 11:30)” feeling.

    “Okay I’m tired. But that was amazing. Same time next year?”

    That line makes me laugh every time because it’s TRUE. We hype ourselves up like we’re going to do this monthly. We absolutely will not. We will do it again in approximately 8-14 months when the stars align and everyone’s schedules match and nobody’s kid has a soccer tournament.

    And it will be GLORIOUS. Again.

    The Unsung Hero

    Can we take a moment to appreciate the dads/partners who make this possible?

    My hubby doesn’t just “babysit” (they’re his kids too, we don’t use that word in this house). He takes OVER. He does bedtime. He handles the chaos. He texts me “have fun, don’t worry about anything” and actually means it.

    When I get home, sometimes the house is messier than when I left. Sometimes there’s inexplicable yogurt on the ceiling. But the kids are alive and asleep and he’s exhausted and proud, and I love him so much for giving me that night.

    “He’s got the kids tonight” isn’t just a fun lyric. It’s a love language. It’s partnership. It’s him saying “you matter outside of being a mom, go remember who you are.”

    Who This Song Is For

    The moms who need a night out: Like, desperately. Like, you’ve been in yoga pants for nine days and you’ve forgotten what your friends look like in person. This is your anthem. Send it to your group chat. Make it happen.

    The getting-ready playlist: Put this on while you’re doing your mascara and remembering that you own clothes with buttons.

    The car ride there: Windows down. Volume up. Sing every word. You’ve earned this.

    The partners who hold it down: Send this to your person with a note that says “thank you for making this possible.” They’ll get it.

    Anyone who used to close down bars and now yawns at 9 PM: Same, girl. SAME. We’re still fun, we just need more notice and a firm end time.

    Tomorrow I’ll be back in yoga pants. Wiping noses. Packing lunches. Answering “mom mom mom mom mom” approximately four thousand times.

    But tonight? Tonight I’m not just “mom.” I’m HER. The one who dances. The one who laughs too loud. The one who has a LIFE outside of snack schedules and bedtime negotiations.

    He’s got the kids. Everything is perfect.

    LET’S DANCE.

    (Okay it’s 10:45. But we’re giving it all we got.) 

    Melanie

    The Melanie Grace

    P.S. — Same time next year? 😂

  • Your Girlfriends ARE Your Valentines

    Your Girlfriends ARE Your Valentines

    • SPOTIFY • APPLE MUSIC • AMAZON MUSIC • DEEZER • PANDORA • YOUTUBE

    The Story Behind “Cheaper By The Bottle”

    Let me set the scene.

    It’s a Friday night. You’re at your favorite wine bar—the one with the good cheese board and the bartender who doesn’t judge when you order a second bottle. Your best friends are around the table. Someone just said something so funny that wine almost came out of your nose. You’re ugly-laughing. Mascara is at risk.

    That’s this song.

    “Cheaper By The Bottle” is my love letter to female friendship—and yes, I said love letter. Because on an album about every kind of love, I wasn’t about to leave out the women who’ve held me together when I was falling apart.

    The Night That Started It All

    A few years ago, I was going through a particularly rough season. (The specifics don’t matter—pick your favorite flavor of Hard Life Stuff and imagine that.) I was tired. Overwhelmed. Running on fumes and dry shampoo.

    My friend texted: “Wine. Tonight. No excuses. I’ll pick you up at 7.”

    I tried to bail. I was too tired. I had nothing to wear. I needed to [insert excuse here]. She wasn’t having it.

    “Melanie. You’ve worn yoga pants for six days straight. You’re getting out of the house. Put on mascara and get in the car.”

    (She wasn’t wrong about the yoga pants.)

    That night, we sat at a little wine bar with three other friends. We talked about everything and nothing. We laughed until our stomachs hurt. Somebody made a joke about how the wine was “cheaper by the bottle” and we should obviously get another one for economic reasons.

    I drove home that night feeling lighter than I had in months. Not because anything in my life had changed—but because I’d been seen. Held. Reminded that I wasn’t carrying everything alone.

    I started writing the song the next morning. (With a slight headache. Worth it.)

    The Case for Galentine’s Day

    Can we talk about how Valentine’s Day has been gatekept by romantic love for way too long?

    Don’t get me wrong—I love my husband. I wrote multiple songs about him on this very album. But romantic love isn’t the only love that deserves a holiday. The friend who talks you off the ledge at 11 PM? Valentine. The group chat that hypes you up before a big meeting? Valentines. The woman who shows up with wine and refuses to let you spiral alone? Valentine.

    Galentine’s Day gets treated like a consolation prize sometimes—like it’s for people who don’t have “real” valentines. Absolutely not. Galentine’s Day is for people who recognize that friendship is its own kind of romance. The slow burn. The long game. The relationship that doesn’t get a rom-com but absolutely deserves one.

    This song is the soundtrack to that recognition.

    The Vibe Check

    Musically, I wanted this song to feel like the best parts of a girls’ night. Energetic but not exhausting. Fun but with heart underneath. The kind of song you’d belt in the car with your friends, windows down, not caring who hears you.

    It’s got a party anthem energy, but it’s not shallow. The lyrics celebrate the real stuff—the friends who’ve seen you at your worst and loved you anyway. The ones who bring reinforcements when life gets hard. The ones who make you laugh so hard you forget what you were stressed about.

    I also wanted it to be funny, because let’s be honest: girls’ nights are hilarious. The stories that get told. The confessions that come out after the second glass. The dramatic reenactments of workplace drama. If this song doesn’t make you smile, I haven’t done my job.

    Who This Song Is For

    The ride-or-dies: You know who you are. You’ve got that group chat that never sleeps. You’ve got the friend you can call at 2 AM and she’ll answer. This is your anthem.

    The Galentine’s planners: If you’re hosting a Galentine’s Day party, a Friendsgiving, a bachelorette, or any excuse to gather your girls—add this to the playlist. I’m giving you official permission to blast it.

    The introverts who need a push: I see you. I AM you. Sometimes we need our friends to drag us out of the house. This song is permission to say yes to the invite, even when the couch is calling.

    The single ladies on Valentine’s Day: You don’t need a romantic partner to have a valentine. Grab your girls, grab a bottle, and celebrate the loves you already have. Romantic love can wait. (Or not. Either way, you’re covered.)

    The friend groups everywhere: Send this song to your group chat. Right now. I’ll wait. Subject line: “This is us.”

    The Perfect Pairing

    Since we’re talking about wine bars, let me give you my completely non-expert wine pairing for this song:

    For the first listen: A crisp rosé. Light, fun, easy to enjoy.

    For the group listen: Whatever’s cheapest by the bottle. (It’s called thematic consistency, people.)

    For the emotional replay: A nice red, because you’re going to get in your feelings about your friendships and you need something with depth.

    (I am not a sommelier. Please do not come for me. Drink whatever you want. The song works with La Croix too.)

    A Toast to the Women Who Hold Us Up

    At its heart, “Cheaper By The Bottle” is a thank-you note. To every friend who’s ever shown up when it mattered. To every woman who’s ever made me laugh until I cried. To every group chat, every wine night, every “I’m on my way” text that saved me.

    Female friendship doesn’t get enough love songs. Consider this my contribution.

    So here’s to you—yes, you, reading this—and the women in your corner. May your glasses always be full, your laughter always be loud, and your friends always be a text away.

    Cheers, babe. This one’s for us.

    Melanie

    The Melanie Grace