Ah, middle school. It was a time of Scholastic Book Fairs, the macarena and embarrassingly colorful outfits bought at your local Limited Too. But this phase of your life was also defined by the music that flowed through your veins (and the speakers of your iPod Nano). Whether you’d like to admit it or not, here are some songs that played at your middle school dances that definitely sneak into your Spotify playlists every now and then.
“Yeah!” by Usher feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris
We start off this list with a classic that no one can deny they know every single word to. Whether you were tucked in the corner of the gym with your group of equally awkward friends, or tearing up the dance floor within sight of your crush from science class, “Yeah!” brought out everyone’s inner lip-syncing diva.
“Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani
Everyone loves a song that teaches them how to spell (admit it, you sing b-a-n-a-n-a-s when you write it down). You also have to admit you enjoyed saying the s-word in front of your parents and having a pretty reasonable excuse as to why you HAD to sing it. “Hollaback Girl” brought your shower concerts to another level, even though you probably got shampoo in your eye while you were too busy trying to remember the lyrics that weren’t part of the chorus.
“Like a G6” by Far East Movement
This song was pretty tricky when it came to relating to its lyrics. No one knew what “sizzurp” was. None of your friends had ever been around sober girls who were acting like they were drunk. You probably didn’t even know what drunk was. And you most certainly, absolutely, positively, did not know what a G6 was. But hey, the song sounded like it was sung by some punk teen robots, and that was cool in the mid-2000s. When you wanted to feel like you were cool, you put on your brightest Osiris skater shoes and listened to “Like a G6”.
“Toxic” by Britney Spears
If any song made you feel like the baddest babe in the cul-de-sac, it was this one. It’s also one of the only Britney songs you know all the words to, so it’s a definite winner when you’re at Karaoke Night. The “Dangerous Woman” of the early 2000s, “Toxic” gave you the confidence to dream about catching the eye of the bad boy. When you saw that your crush poked you on Facebook but also posted on the wall of that one girl from math class, this was the anthem you would lip-sync to.
“Fergalicious” by Fergie feat. will.i.am
Although we can’t rely on “Fergalicious” to teach us spelling like #2 can (T to the A to the STEY is not how “tasty” is spelled, will.i.am!), it’s still the ultimate bop. If you were ever feeling down after a long day of cross multiplication and missed connections from across the cafeteria, Fergie and will.i.am were always there to pump you up! And let’s not forget that rap; if you had that whole thing memorized, you were the MVP of your friend group.
“Low” by Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
What did shawty have? Apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur, of course! When you had this song blasting through your iHome, it was as if the whole club was looking at YOU. You didn’t know any words in the verses, but when it came to that chorus, you busted out your best dance moves (i.e. acting out the words, much to the dismay of the chaperones at the dance) and sang along with your best friends.
“Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne
Jealousy and pride are to middle schoolers what oxygen and food are to the human race. If your crush was sitting a little TOO close to that one girl at lunch, you knew your potential relationship was in danger. The best way to get out that frustration and envy was to lock yourself in your room (even though you weren’t allowed to lock your door), put on your headphones, and listen to “Girlfriend” on repeat. Sure, maybe it wasn’t the direct approach to your solving your problem, but it sure helped you get out your anger in a fun way.
“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield
We close out this list with the ultimate confidence booster. When you were feeling down, it was good to take a break from all the homework and friend drama and find positivity in the form of your iPod’s tracklist. “Unwritten” reminded you that even though life may be hard, you have the power to change the negativity and write your own story. Life is a journey with many possible avenues you can travel; don’t worry about the now, when you can think about the future!
Whether you’re jogging around campus, hanging with your friends, or party hopping all night long, the songs that defined your preteen years always make for a great time. Listen away!