*Disclaimer: The list below is not ranked*
I have listened to more music in my freshman year on campus than I have ever in my life. I am constantly listening to music whether I am walking from class to class, working in the library, or even simply putting my laundry away in my dorm room. I’m slowly beginning to discover my favorite genres of music, and I love discovering new artists on Tiktok or my Spotify Daylist.
Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean has been one of those artists for me that I’ve always added his most popular songs onto my playlists throughout high school because other people loved him, but since I started college I have wanted to uncover more gems of Oceans’ because he is a musical genius. Ocean is the perfect blend of angelic, mesmerizing, and lyrical mastermind. I adore almost every piece I hear of Ocean.
- “Pyramids” – Yes, I understand that “Pyramids” is just shy of ten minutes long, but every single minute goes unwasted. It is such a beautiful piece with two songs within one. The first four minutes (ish) is filled with an upbeat background and catchy lyrics while the second half is instantly slowed down and more sensual than the first half. I cannot recommend this song enough either — it’s one of my favorite Frank Ocean songs of all time.
- “Scared of Beautiful” – This song is technically unreleased from Ocean, but the minute I heard it I knew I had to have it on my playlist. I listen to this song at least once a day. It’s in the form of a podcast because it is unreleased, but the quality is no different than if it were officially released.
- “Pink + White” – “Pink + White” is one of Ocean’s most angelic songs to ever be released. “Pink + White” encapsulates the perfect moment during the summer when you are driving around with your best friends with the windows down. The falsetto that Ocean achieves (around 2:42) is phenomenal, and it causes one to want to remember the moment they are currently in. “Pink + White” is the song that plays in the back of my head when a major moment happens and I know I will want to remember it. It is utterly gorgeous.
Brent Faiyaz
I’ve heard Brent Faiyaz songs every now and then when they were popular on my social media, but I had never really devoted my time to fully appreciate his music. I didn’t realize the amount of individual songs I had saved on my everyday playlist that were solely Brent Faiyaz. So, I decided to add whole albums at a time — and he is now on my no-skip list.
- “Dreams, Fairytales, Fantasies (feat. A$AP Ferg, Salaam Remi)” – I could recommend this song forever. Faiyaz has featured on many songs before, but this is one of my favorites of all time. “Dreams, Fairytales, Fantasies” instantly puts me into a good mood, and I listen to it particularly when I want a song with a groovy beat to walk to and when I need a pump-up song for my morning workout. I haven’t gone a day since I discovered this song (courtesy of my Spotify Daylist) without listening to “Dreams, Fairytales, Fantasies” at least once. I even got my sister just as obsessed with it as I am.
- “Poison” – “Poison” was the very first Faiyaz song I had ever listened to; when I first heard it, I added it to every playlist I could because it fit every vibe that I was looking for. I played it when I used to work at a coffee shop, I play it when I am in charge of aux, and I play it for myself when I need a break from my other music.
- “Lovely” – This song truly is just lovely. “Lovely” is peaceful and soothing in all the right ways. I love to listen to “Lovely” when I am winding down for the night in the shower. It sums up Faiyaz as an artist in a heavenly, serene way.
The Script
I can’t lie — I love my 200s heartbroken white man music. Ed Sheeran, Gavin DeGraw, Coldplay, The Fray, and The Script are some of my guiltiest of pleasures. When I need a song to blast in the car and drown out my own singing with the perfect mix of drama, despair, and heart — I always fall back on the artists above (plus Adele of course). There is something about 2000s heartbreak music that speaks to my soul, regardless of whether I can relate to what they are writing about or not.
- “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” – I heard this song for the first time on my Tikok, and I never realized how popular it was. Ever since then it has been on repeat, and I even got my best friend to love it. It is just so good and perfectly bittersweet. It is my favorite song from The Script. I love it even more because I got to sing this song with my best friend in the car, and it will forever be a song I will associate with her now. There is no way to sing this song without really feeling it the way The Script intended it to be felt.
- “Breakeven” – I cannot even describe how obsessed I was with “Breakeven” in middle school and high school. It was one of those songs I never got tired of. It’s in the depths of my Liked Songs playlist on Spotify, and I love rediscovering it after a few months of not listening to it. It’s a hidden treasure for me. You cannot casually sing “Breakeven” — I don’t think that’s physically possible.
Ariana Grande
I’ve always liked Ariana Grande, but her newest album eternal sunshine is my favorite album she has ever released. My best friend had this album on repeat when we drove around and every song that came on she said, “This is my favorite one.” And while you may think that it’s not possible to love every song on an album — it is. eternal sunshine proves that.
- “intro (end of the world)” – I’ve always been the person to skip the intro songs on an album because I didn’t know if they added anything to the album. Why I thought that, I have no idea. “intro (end of the world)” changed my mind forever. I am a reformed album intro skipper. “intro (end of the world)” is gorgeous and I will be playing this at my wedding. Mark my words.
- “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – As of right now, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” is Ariana Grande’s most popular song on Spotify. Ariana is known for writing relatable lyrics masked in her alluringly soft voice, and she consistently captivates her audience — this song is no different. “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” has taken over Tik Tok and given people the gift of healing through posting glimpses of texts that led to some of the worst moments of their lives.
SZA
SZA has been one of my favorite artists, ever since it was the popular aesthetic to like her music in 2017. Her music transcends reality. Her angelic voice, soft beats, and beautifully crafted lyrics come together to create an unmatched experience. Even her SNL parody song “Big Boys” had everyone on social media rioting because it wasn’t an officially released song.
- “Saturn” – “Saturn” is SZA’s newest single, recently released in 2024. It is one of my favorite singles she has ever dropped. It is so beautiful in the yearning, and the sweet melody is one of my favorite things SZA has ever crafted. “Saturn” is SZA’s top song on Spotify; I have no trouble understanding why. It is perfect.
- “2 AM” – “2AM” is my favorite song on CTRL because it’s sassy in such an angelic way but is also therapeutic to sing out loud. SZA speaks from the heart, and I appreciate that.
- “All The Stars (feat. Kendrick Lamar)” – This was another song that had me in a chokehold when it first came out in 2018 featured in Black Panther. I was obsessed with it, and it was in my heavenly rotation of SZA songs when I was fourteen. I am in fact still just as obsessed with it as I was.
Of course, these are not the only songs or artists I am obsessed with at this very moment, but I had to pick and choose. I am always on the lookout for my next favorite artist or song regardless of if it’s popular or not. I used to like music, but now I love it. It’s become one of my favorite avenues of self-expression, and I will continue to express myself proudly.