Cyndi Lauper spent the early 1980s being a funky haired rock star with an unusual voice and a slew of hit songs such as “Time After Time” and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. But she showed a softer, sensitive side when she released the ballad “True Colors” in 1986. In it, she encourages a friend who is feeling down, singing, “You with the sad heart / Don’t be discouraged”. It’s the perfect song to dedicate to anyone you know going through a rough time. It’s a reminder to them to get back up and shine because someone out there knows how special they truly are. She sings, “I see your true colors shining through… / And that’s why I love you / So don’t be afraid / To let them show”. After all, their true colors are “beautiful like a rainbow”.

-J. Jones