Four years fly by in a flash of lights, sights, smells, and sounds. For seniors at FSU, graduation is so close you can taste it, see it, and feel it; it’s only weeks away.
In the same way we listen to “We Are Young” by fun. and remember the simplicity of the radio blasting in elementary school, yearning for the excitement of young adulthood, we can listen to some of the memorable music moments of undergrad, remember a fearfully exciting time, and yearn for college. Music is more than expression; it’s a marker of time, trends, and culture.
These are some notable music moments of the last four years that played as the background to the college experience for undergrads from 2022 to 2026.
Freshman year
“Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” by Ice Spice and Pink Pantheress
The year started off strong with the rise of Ice Spice, and although she’s practically forgotten now, three years ago, she was everywhere. This song is the most unforgettable and undeniably freshman year song.
While both Ice Spice and Pink Pantheress had already started to carve out spaces for themselves in the music industry, with Pink Pantheress even being interviewed by British Vogue earlier in 2022, this song brought them out into the mainstream, and their collab owned the Spring semester.
SOS by SZA
After five years of fans begging for more, SZA finally released a new album in December 2022. It was everything and more. Songs like “Kill Bill,” “F2F,” and “Ghost in the Machine (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)” were everywhere.
SZA reached the top of the Billboard charts and was the most nominated artist at the 2024 GRAMMYs thanks to SOS. Self-destruction and self-love weren’t only themes of the album, but themes of freshman year.
SOPhomore year
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan
The rise and fall of a Midwest princess indeed. While Roan faces constant backlash now, a few years ago, she was fresh in the public eye, and people couldn’t get enough of hits like “Casual,” “Red Wine Supernova,” and “Pink Pony Club.”
“Pink Pony Club” had an impact that other artists aspire to; Roan changed the game and the song we perform CPR to. Her sound and style were new and exciting, and though she faces the public’s wrath now, her start was nothing short of iconic.
GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo
Rodrigo’s second studio album, GUTS, was a hit. It was a peek into the diary of the average college girl. Wanting that toxic ex back, jealousy over the perfect girl, and confessions of constant embarrassment.
Much like SZA’s SOS, it’s a hallmark of the toxicity and uncertainty that comes with growing into your own person in college.
Junior Year
brat by Charli xcx
BRAT summer bled into BRAT fall, and BRAT spring. BRAT wasn’t just the moment; it was the movement and the lifestyle.
It brought club culture back into the mainstream, and the effects on the music industry are strong and constant. While Charli had fame before, this album put her in the hall of fame and solidified her legacy.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny
During times of civil unrest, when more people, especially minorities, are feeling abandoned and abused by the government, this album served as a love letter to Latin and immigrant communities.
Like other albums on this list, its impact stretches further than one year, and for Latin students away from home, it’s a comfort. As the political unrest in the U.S. continues, the importance of this album grows.
It’s a time when music and culture mix beautifully, and it won’t soon be forgotten.
Senior Year
“Stateside” by Pink Pantheress Featuring Zara Larsson
Even though the accompanying album had a summer release, the hit song “Stateside,” remixed featuring Zara Larsson (“Stateside + Zara Larsson”), has been all over our feeds this whole year.
Iconic moments like Alysa Liu’s Olympics Exhibition skate put it on a global scale it hadn’t been before. It’s cute, it’s sassy, it’s fun, and it’s confident. It’s the song to dance confidently and strut.
“Crank” by Slayyyter
Though the full album Worst Girl In America was only recently released, Slayyyter’s singles, including “BEAT UP CHANEL$” and “Crank,” were beautiful, gorgeous, and stunning, and gained tremendous popularity online.
“Crank” became closely associated with gaming YouTuber Lilsimsie through an evolution of memes that initially praised her for her charity work and outspoken nature on sensitive political topics.
Brainrot can no more be explained than it can be experienced, and the connection of music to culture and memes is practically a hallmark; so simply put, what do y’all know about getting so gay off that tequila?
As the final notes of senior year fade out, it’s clear these songs were more than just music to fill the silence. They were markers of time, personal growth, and the goings-on of culture, from the fresh uncertainty and desire for fun of freshman year, to the self-assuredness, confidence, and absurdity of senior year.
Once graduation has passed, you can still tune back into the background tunes of four of the most impactful years of your young life and remember a simpler time.
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