What’s On My Playlist this Semester?

By Tara Davis
Music Journalist

Music has a way of transporting us to certain times in our lives. Think about last summer and ponder the question of what songs define that era of your life? When you hear a song months later that, at one point, held significant meaning in your life, it brings you back to that exact moment. For this reason, at the beginning of every semester, a new playlist with fresh songs ends up on my Spotify page. Here’s what I’ve been listening to the most since the semester started!

“Flowers” – Miley Cyrus

Of course, we have to start with a classic. Miley is one of those artists I will never get tired of. Since this song came out, I have been heavily deep diving into all her discography, from Hannah Montana age to her latest album, Plastic Hearts. We grew up together and I relate to almost every lyric she publishes. I can guarantee that when her new album drops in March, it will end up on my Spotify Wrapped. A new semester is all about new beginnings, which I think Miley really emanates in this new self-empowering single.

“Bill Murray” – GOOD.

I recently saw the band “Good.” live for the first time at a single-release show for Soho Holiday. I always try to listen to artists that I don’t know if I’m seeing them live and this song, “Bill Murray”, caught my attention with its opening lyric while I was listening to their published work. Hearing, “I’m just another self-important piece of s***” is a pretty good attention grabber at the beginning of the song. The song is a bit longer, but there is nothing I would change about it. I’m usually not one for slow songs, but the instruments in this one were like a soft bed of flowers to my ears. It speeds up towards the end, too. It’s just too good.

“Liar” – Daisy the Great

I actually found this song while listening to our radio on my way home from campus before school even started. The artist’s voice scratches an itch in my brain that I don’t get from a lot of other songs. It kind of reminds me of a Paramore song, but not as hard punk rock. It has a beachy vibe along with an indie sound. It’s another one that slows down at points, then speeds back up to a dancy tempo.

“Purple Hat” – Sofi Tukker

This song is just an all-out vibe. I feel like a baddie walking through campus when this song comes through my Air Pods. It is a perfect going out song, the tempo is upbeat, the lyrics are catchy and the vibe is just too good. I imagine this song playing over a “getting ready to go out” montage in any indie upcoming movie. It’s a pretty short song, but I think that just adds to how fast it goes by. One of those songs you just want on repeat when the moment is right.

“America’s Sweetheart” – Elle King

I found this song while watching Netflix’s “Ginny and Georgia”. Elle King is not an artist I frequent, but this song grabbed my attention, leading me to immediately use the Shazam on Snapchat to discover and immediately add the song to my playlist. This is another upbeat, female empowering song. It’s all about giving up on expectations, just being your authentic self and finding the right people that will stay for who you are, which is 100% the vibe for this semester.

There are a ton more songs, but for the sake of not making this article an entire book, I’ll leave you with those five. I’m always on the lookout for new songs, so let us know what y’all are listening to for this upcoming semester. Happy listening and happy new year!

Featured Image from the band Good.