Some of these songs merely remind me of those times, others bear messages that I believe could be helpful to all new and returning students. Everyone’s music taste is unique, but I hope everyone can find something on here that speaks to them. Enjoy!
1. “I Wanna Get Better” — The Bleachers: I’m starting this list with a song that I heard a lot at the beginning of my freshman year. It’s energetic and fun to listen to although its specific message very much escapes me to this day.
The way I see it, this song is about wanting to change. Everyone comes into college at a different place in life — maybe you’re coming out of a rough patch, maybe you’re heading into one — but I think one thing that unifies everyone’s experiences is change.
No matter what else happens, your life is going to change in college (and after college and pretty much every day for the rest of your life). If you’re not happy with where you’re at now or in a couple months or even in a couple years, there’s always time for you to ‘get better.’ Which, regardless of the original message of the song, is what I chose to take from its lyrics.
2. “When The Day Met The Night” — Panic! At the Disco: This song has a lot less relevance to what I was going through at the start of freshman year and a lot more to do with the fact that it always reminds me of the end of summer. Maybe that’s why I chose it as my audition song when I thought I would join an acapella group. Suffice it to say that I could not do this song justice in an audition. And yet, I still enjoy it to this day. It reminds me of a time when I tried something new and daunting, failed and moved on. Plus, it’s super sweet and has a gorgeous melody.
3. “Breaking Up My Bones” — Vinyl: Okay, so this one actually reminds me of all the different people I met during my first year at Hopkins. Not because of the lyrics but because I first heard this song in the common room of my dorm. People sometimes liked to play their music aloud.
I would listen, and I recall hearing this song multiple times. (Thank you to whoever that was, by the way.) Every time I hear it now, I think back to everyone I met freshman year. I’m still friends with some of them (some are the best friends I’ve maybe ever had), but others I only see once in awhile, or I haven’t seen since. But I learned important lessons from pretty much all of them, and for that I am grateful. Hopefully you’ve had of you will have similar experiences with the people you’ve met as well.
4. “Fire N Gold” — Bea Miller: Now I move on to sophomore year. It was a lot less daunting than freshman year. Still stressful and still confusing but more solid. Very hopeful. This song is quite empowering, with a soaring refrain and encouraging lyrics.
At the same time, it harbors a sense of uncertainty and unrest. It’s about embracing what you have and using it to get where you want to go, even if you’re afraid. I think most of us are still uncertain and afraid as sophomores. We all need a little push to keep us going.
5. “Stay” — 12 Stones: Tonally very different from every other song I’ve mentioned before, “Stay” is more rock ballad than pop anthem. At least that’s how I would describe it. What I really take from this song is a sense of loneliness. Which I was — lonely, I mean — when I first moved into my new suite in Homewood and my friends hadn’t yet arrived.
Because as prepared as I felt for sophomore year, I still felt this sense of newness that had not yet faded from my college experience. Of course, that’s not the only time I’ve been lonely in my life. But I remember listening to this song and thinking about how perfectly it corresponded with my emotions in the moment.
6. “Hurry, Hurry” — Air Traffic Controller: A song about rushing things, about being stressed, about missing out on life for the aforementioned reasons. Huh. Sound familiar? I think a lot of us can probably relate to that. I certainly did when I heard it for the first time last year.
Sometimes I listen to it to remind myself to slow down. Or to remind myself that it’s okay to feel like I’m falling behind. We all need time to live life, but many of us spend it looking forward or looking back. Instead, practice focusing on what is happening right now, even if the answer is “nothing much.”
7. “Gravel to Tempo” — Hayley Kiyoko: Now I usher in this semester, my junior year, with Hayley Kiyoko’s new single. This song has a sort of airy feel. It’s light, but it speaks to the idea that it’s okay to be independent.
You don’t always need to fit in with a ‘group,’ or maybe your ‘group’ isn’t the one you thought you’d belong to. It’s about expressing yourself with confidence and being proud of who you are and your identity, whatever that may be.
8. “Proud” — Heather Small: Speaking of pride, this song is all about doing things that make you proud of yourself. Whether that’s working out, studying, accepting yourself or getting out of bed in the morning, it’s important to try to do at least one thing each day that makes you proud.
This is especially for those of you out there who are having a rough time for whatever reason at the start of this semester. Whatever you choose to do, it doesn’t have to be something big. But if you can find any small way to lift your own spirits or to own who you are, do it.
