Autumn can be rough. It’s a new school year, which leads to a heady sense of optimism, or perhaps even dread. New might mean a fresh start, or it might present different challenges to the ones you’ve experienced beforehand.
Whatever autumnal changes the season brings for you, here are my top 10 recommended songs to get you through.
1. “Honey” by Kehlani. The song is reminiscent of summer flings and sweet romances, but the sweet melody of the singer assures you that, despite the changes, it’s going to be alright. With a simple backbeat, and a sweeter-than-sweet music video, it’s my pick for that “leaving summer and entering fall” state of mind.
2. Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. As midterms rears its over-caffeinated and demanding specter, I recommend belting the lyrics to this song out full blast. (Or panic-singing, as I like to call it). DON’T STOP ME NOW, MIDTERMS!
3. “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus. Unless you’re an avid David Bowie fan or love 80s goth films, you’ve probably never encountered this song before. It takes a while to hit the main lyrics, but the song definitely has strong Halloween punk-and-clubbing vampire vibes.
4. “This is Halloween” as featured in Nightmare Before Christmas, (or with Marilyn Manson, which is another version I’m partial to if you like heavy metal covers). Nothing gets you more in the Halloween spirit than this skeleton-and-witchcraft pump up song.
5. “Don’t Dream It, Be It” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. If you’ve never seen the 1975 cult classic featuring Tim Curry, then maybe you’ve seen the film referenced and lip-synced by the incomparable Ezra Miller in Perks of Being a Wallflower. If you needed some motivation, just listen to the lyrics of the song: don’t dream it, BE IT. (And be true to who you are).
6. “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett. Another Halloween classic that you can mumble-sing to yourself at any time. It could be summer, and still have perfect timing to “do the monster mash, a graveyard smash!”
7. “lalala” by bbno$, y2k. The opening will get me every time. “What was that beat again… oh right, BA BA BA…” It amuses me, but also it’s an ear worm that will eventually get stuck in your head at most college campus venues.
8. “Graveyard” by Halsey. A song about trying to find the warning signs of a bad relationship, and how sometimes, they feel like butterflies, but you have to find yourself first.
9. “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo, because we are all 100% THAT b*tch energy. Love yourself unconditionally.
10. “Take What You Want” with Post Malone, Travis Scott, and Ozzy Osbourne. A solid song from the album “Hollywood’s Bleeding” with a chorus that bleeds perfectly into the main track. Great when you’re caught in a mood between chill vibes and wanting something with a stronger hook.