1993 A to Z: E is for…

Rewind1993 A to Z

Aug 6

Hello, again! Today on the blog series . . .

1993 A to Z!

. . . we’re talking about the letter “E.” Everything mentioned here is something that twelve-year-old McKinley comes into contact with (in one way or another) in my new novel, Rewind, when she finds herself thrust back in time to the year 1993.

So let’s get started, homeslice!

E is for . . .

*[All images courtesy of Wikipedia unless otherwise noted]*

"Everybody Hurts"

“If you feel like letting go, hold on.
When you think you’ve had too much of this life, hold on.”

— "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.

This melancholy hit from rock band R.E.M. made a splash when it was released as a single in 1993. A simple song, but surprisingly powerful, it pleads with listeners to just hold on.

It’s definitely emotional. The song would even go on to be used as an anti-suicide PSA in the U.K. The video, which features hundreds of people stuck in a traffic jam and subtitles of their angsty thoughts, is also quite memorable. [Content warning: Suggestions of suicide and suicidal thoughts.] For lots of reasons, this song was the perfect choice for the title of Chapter 25 in Rewind. (For the full playlist of 1993 songs used in Rewind, click here!)

Special props to . . .

Eternal

While this British R&B girl group never got a lot of love stateside, they were huge in the U.K. I discovered them while researching for this book, and I was so glad I did! “I’ll Be There,” a song from their 1993 album Always & Forever ended up as the Chapter 3 title in my book. If you need some new 90s R&B vibes in your life, definitely check them out. (Again, you can find the full Rewind playlist here. It is awesome, I promise.)