Name: Tessa Loftis
Hometown: Nolensville, TN
Year: Sophomore
Major (and minor if you have one): Global Leadership Studies and French double major
Role at Her Campus: Contributor
What is your favorite genre?
My favorite genre is rock, which I know is incredibly broad. I grew up listening to The Beatles, Queen, Aerosmith, Rush, The Who, and the Rolling Stones, so I still listen to a lot of classic and 80s rock. And I LOVE that Harry Styles’ debut solo album has a classic British rock vibe. But I love modern rock as well, including soft rock. I don’t listen to heavy metal, but I do listen to hard rock, especially female-led bands like Halestorm. And I’m not ashamed to say I listen to pop-punk sometimes, too.
What types of songs are on your top 20 list?
I don’t listen to spotify regularly, so my top 20 list is mostly stuff from playlists I’ve made for specific events. So it’s almost all pop with some awesome throwbacks. I listen to Harry Styles A LOT but I love jamming to some 90s and early 2000s bops as well. It’s just a weird mix of awesome artists, from Alessia Cara to Britney Spears to The Sugarhill Gang.
How has your music taste changed over the years?
I used to listen to more alternative, acoustic soft rock than I do now. In middle and high school, I was really into Train, Plain White Tees, and John Mayer. Now I hardly ever listen to that genre. I have definitely embraced upbeat pop music and I’m a little sad that I didn’t appreciate pop before now. When One Direction was still together, I hated them, but now I love listening to their music. I’ve always loved classic rock and 80s pop, but now I’ve just expanded my music taste to include current pop and a tiny bit of country.
Describe the best concert that you’ve ever been to:
I can’t pick just one concert, because I’ve been to so many amazing shows. But I did see P!nk recently and she absolutely blew my mind. She was doing incredible acrobatics while singing, and the whole show was just a huge spectacle. She is also so incredibly inspirational. She’s an incredible mom and a feminist, and she seems to really love her fans. Her smile was so genuine while she was performing, and she played mostly older stuff that I knew.
What do you listen to when you drive?
This is going to make me sound old-fashioned, but I actually listen to the radio! I listen exclusively to Lightning 100 (100.1 FM ladiesssss). Catch Belmont alum Jake Wesley Rogers on there, as well as awesome artists like Hozier, Alessia Cara, Sam Smith, and Kasey Musgraves. I discovered a lot of my favorite artists by listening to Lighting 100, including Borns, Brandi Carlisle, Chris Stapleton, and Republican Hair.
What do you like to listen to when you study?
I prefer not to listen to music while I study, but if my surroundings are distracting, I’ll put in headphones and listen to jazz or classical. Anything without words, really. And when I take a study break I listen to motown. I know, it’s weird, but Proud Mary really takes the edge off of a long study session.
What was the first concert you remember going to?
My parents used to take me to a ton of small concerts and Nashville festivals, but the first big concert I ever went to was U2. It was their 360 tour in 2012 and it was freakin’ awesome. Pretty much every concert I went to before college was for my parents. So… I’ve seen Duran Duran twice.
If you could meet any artist for coffee, who would it be and why?
Definitely Harry Styles. No explanation needed. I love him.
What upcoming album/new release/new band has you excited?
Taylor Swift just announced that she’s releasing her next album THIS FRIDAY, April 26, so that’s pretty exciting. To be honest, I didn’t love Reputation. But I was a big fan of 1989 so I have high hopes. I’m interested to see if she keeps the edgy vibe from Reputation, goes back to the sweet pop vibe from 1989, or reverts back to country.
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