Pump up your playlist to fight tough times
With the craziness going on right now, I’ve been listening to a lot more music. Admittedly, there are a few songs that are getting a little old for me, and I’d bet that might be true for everyone else as well.
So, here are some of my favorites, organized into three musical categories — Feel Good, Powerful, and Just for Fun.
Feel Good songs
There are some songs that, when they pop up on your playlist, make you smile. Often those are nostalgic songs. Maybe you listened to them a lot when you were younger, or they remind you of someone important to you.
When I was younger, I listened to a lot of ’80s music, the a cappella group Voice Male and Weird Al, so when I hear those songs I think of my childhood. Other songs are just feel good songs, the ones that make you dance in your seat or laugh out loud. Some of mine include:
• ”Save the Last Dance for Me” — Michael Buble. Buble is classic, and he has an awesome voice.
• “Haven’t Met You Yet” — Michael Buble. Same note! I love Buble’s music.
• ”If I Had $1,000,000″ — Barenaked Ladies. A fun song about love and a little bit of eccentricity.
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• “Sing, Sing a Song” — Voice Male.
• ”Sun is Gonna Shine Again” — “Bright Star.” In the musical “Bright Star,” this song comes after a sad, kind of dark moment. When I listen to it, it reminds me that it’s OK to be down, but that things will look up eventually.
Powerful songs
A necessity in any playlist is songs that you can belt out when you listen to them, and feel like you could take on the world. That might mean a powerful chorus, strong lyrics or even an electric guitar solo. Usually, my favorites from this category end with me out of breath because I was screaming out the lyrics and enjoying myself.
• ”Something Just Like This” — The Chainsmokers & Coldplay. I like this song because it starts off talking about inadequacy and comparison, but ends with realizing that the best we can do is enough.
• ”Superheroes” — The Script. This song talks about overcoming hard things and becoming stronger, like superheroes becoming, well, super.
• ”Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” — Green Day. This song makes me think about what the past has made us. It talks about remembering those things you’ve done, and knowing it made you what you’re destined to be.
• ”Hall of Fame” — The Script, featuring will.i.am. I love this song because it tells you that you can do anything. Last year, I had to run the mile every Thursday for a P.E. class. I hated it, but every time I listened to this song, and heard it say, “You can go the distance, you can run the mile,” I realized it wasn’t actually that bad.
• ”Seize the Day” — “Newsies.” This is from a musical I love. It talks about working for what you believe in.
Just for Fun songs
Finally, there are some songs that you just listen to for the entertainment factor. Maybe they make you laugh, or they make you think, or they even just have a part that hits the spot. This playlist is full of random songs. I don’t know where some of them came from, but I do enjoy them nonetheless!
• ”Three Little Pigs” — Green Jelly. If you have ever wondered, for whatever reason, what a rock ‘n’ roll version of the Three Little Pigs would sound like, this is it!
• ”Get This Right” — a “Frozen 2” outtake. I first listened to this one a couple weeks ago, but I’ve listened to it so many times already! Jonathon Groff (the voice of Kristoff) is always a win for me, but I especially love the part at the end when Anna and Kristoff sing together. Harmonies for the win!
• ”Better When I’m Dancin’ “ — Meghan Trainor. I always think of Snoopy dancing when I listen to this song. It reminds you that it’s OK to just dance and have fun, even if it’s just for one song.
• ”The Saga Begins” — Weird Al. When I talked about nostalgia earlier, this was one of those songs. It’s a parody of “American Pie,” and I guess that song might be a classic to most, but Weird Al’s version is classic to me.
• ”Life is a Highway” — Rascal Flatts. This song always reminds me of the “Cars” movie.
Savanna Clark is a sophomore at Venture High School. Email her at hognarnia123@gmail.com.