This past week, I have completely gone through the wringer. Between midterms, exams, papers and an oral report, I haven’t gotten much of a reprieve from my academic life. There were countless days I spent in my dorm like a shut-in, reading and marking up material for my classes until some ungodly hour in the morning. I was fueling myself on endorphins from my workouts at the gym and excessive amounts of caffeine. I think it’s just come to that point in the semester that for many students, it’s crunch time. During this time, I really just needed music that would relax me and help me to focus on the tasks at hand. This week, I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite studying music.
Song One: “Glitter & Gloss- Acoustic Version” by Skott
If you’re looking to put your mind at ease, the acoustic version of “Glitter and Gloss” by Skott might be the perfect fit for your playlist. I was instantly attracted to the ethereal quality of Skott’s voice. While the way she sings is soft and calming, her tone lacks no conviction, making it all the more irresistible. Skott is an indie singer/songwriter from Vikarbyn, Sweden. Her sound is heavily influenced by her community that primarily consisted of folk singers, but she also draws inspiration from the soundtracks of Final Fantasy and Legends of Zelda, as she considers herself an avid gamer. While this may seem like a unique blend of genre, there’s no doubt that it works to her advantage.
One of the first things I noticed about this song was that while the acoustic guitar is less harsh than the blend of electronic sounds and percussion that is present in the original version of “Glitter and Gloss,” it still has a surprisingly heavy presence. The acoustic however allows for Skott’s vocal technique to become a more prominent aspect of the song. Skott opens this song with an interesting assertion that “glitter and gloss runs deep.” I would take this to mean that the way in which we present ourselves to others becomes a large part of who we are and that it is difficult to strip us down to our most essential parts. Perception becomes an essential part of this song as she refers to herself as a “masterpiece” in someone else’s eyes. This speaks to the way this other person puts her on a pedestal and that they put their own assumptions about her into how they see her. She seems to strip away this layer of “glitter and gloss” by saying “I’m a lot like you, pretty shape, layered in dirt.” In saying this, she breaks down this barrier between herself and the other person and affirms that she comes with her own baggage and imperfections. I believe that what Skott wants her audience to get from this song is that no matter how we cover ourselves up, we will always be something beyond the surface.
Song Two: “Above The Clouds Of Pompeii” by Bear’s Den
Bear’s Den is a British folk rock band consisting of the members Andrew Davie and Kevin Jones, with former member Joey Haynes having left in 2016. Their mellow, atmospheric take on folk-rock creates music that is perfect to listen to in any situation where you want to get out of your own head. When I think of this song, I always remember the trip to my freshman orientation at Hofstra. During that summer, I had just discovered Bear’s Den and I told my mom that while we made the drive down to Long Island, we were going to listen to their entire discography. We planned on this first trip to take the ferry because we were told that it was a good way of avoiding traffic near the city, but what we failed to realize was that the ferry that ran on weekends went to the opposite end of Long Island and added an extra hour to our trip. While my mom was frustrated with the extra time spent in the car, it became one of my favorite trips because it was my first experience seeing Long Island. As we drove up the island, we passed by several vineyards and glimpsed views of the ocean. The soundtrack I’d chosen couldn’t have been more perfect.
At a first listen, I did not really understand the full message of this song. As beautiful as I thought it was, “Above The Clouds Of Pompeii” was a song that more so became background noise for my thoughts. It wasn’t until I played it one morning in front of my mom and she commented on how sad the song was that it really sunk in for me that I hadn’t been paying attention to the lyrics. This song is about the speaker’s loss of his mother. In the first verse of the song, the speaker in reference to his mom says “You were a God in my eyes.” This reverence shows how much he loved and respected his mother while she was alive. At the chorus of the song, he repeats the phrase “Don’t cry. Hold your head up high. She would want you to,” as a way of reminding himself to honor his mother’s memory by being strong for her. Not only was she a divine figure in his life, but she was someone who gave him support. By holding his head up, he is, in a sense, trying to give thanks to her by taking care of himself as well as all the other people she left behind. At the end of the song, the speaker reflects on his loss of childhood innocence when he sings “I was too young to understand the flowers sleeping in her hands.” This image connotes to the image of his mother holding flowers while laying in her coffin. At the time, he wasn’t able to fully grasp the concept of death and its permanence as he uses the word “sleeping,” both in reference to the flowers and likening them to his mother’s state. While this song is a heartbreaking one, it also reflects on the peace and strength that comes in the wake of death.
Song Three: “Birthplace” by Novo Amor
Spotify recommended this song to me because of my love for Aquilo, and I can’t say that I was disappointed with the choice they made. Out of all the songs on this playlist, this one is definitely the one that feels the most relaxing to me. Novo Amor is a Welsh singer/songwriter and is also a multi-talented instrumentalist, having experience with guitar, piano, banjo, bass, and drums. His music is considered to fall under “indie folk rock” and his EP, Woodgate, put him on the map.
The thing I love so much about “Birthplace” is the song’s sense of purpose. This song is about finding one’s place and appreciating the environment that surrounds you. In other words, the perfect traveling song. One of the first lines in this song that struck me was in the first verse in which he sings “Narrow your breath from every guess. I’ve drawn my birthplace.” He’s found such a deep appreciation for where he comes from that he can imagine no other place on Earth being better. When someone tries to challenge his assertion, he politely tells them that nothing will compare and that he’s “drawn [his] birthplace” because it deserves to have its story told. In verse two, he tells his audience “I fall obsessed in all it’s memory,” conveying the strong connection he has to his childhood home and to his lineage. All of his best memories contain this place of his affections and the song suggests a longing to get back to that place. However, it seems that he’s come to terms with where he is in his own life at the end of the song as he claims that he’s “found a better place.” Although we all tend to have strong attachments to where we grew up, as we experience more throughout the course of our lives, we all find a place in which we belong.
Song Four: “Youth (Quiet)” by Luna Shadows
While the original version of “Youth” is already relatively relaxed, the quiet version offers an interesting quality that almost feels like you’re hearing the song while submerged under water. Because of this calming, subdued effect, I prefer this version of the song. Luna Shadows is a singer, songwriter and producer from Los Angeles, California. She describes her genre as “Echo Park Pop” which takes elements of indie pop and dream pop and fuses them with a sense of “romantic melancholy.” She’s used her music career as a way to dispel the emotional chaos in her life. I’m particularly grateful that she chose to turn her emotions into art, as she creates songs that are hauntingly beautiful.
She grabs her audience immediately in the opening lines as she sings “I wish that I could reach out, steal all your feelings ‘til they fit me like a glove,” evoking a feeling of both jealousy and longing. It seems that the speaker wants to be close to the person she is referring to. By stealing their feelings, she wants to hold some form of power over this person and by fitting them to herself, she suggests the cementing of a bond between herself and the person of her affections. She admits that her “wasted youth” would not be wasted if she gave it to the other person. She believes that this person will give her all of the things that she wants out of her younger years. She sings “my heart’s stuck on my sleeve,” admitting to her audience that she has left herself vulnerable to be hurt by the other person. However, this action also suggests her willingness to trust and give all of herself to someone else. While the feelings of her youth are conflicted, she’s not afraid to sacrifice in order to experience love in a way that is real.
Song Five: “Air” by Rayvon Owen
I first started listening to Rayvon Owen back in 2015 and still, this song always gets me. There’s something so honest about the way he discusses the missed opportunities of love that makes for an emotionally enlightened song. Rayvon Owen is an R&B and pop singer from Richmond, Virginia. He first got his start on the 14th season of American Idol, making it into the top 4 before being voted out of the competition. He released his first EP, Cycles, in 2014.
I found “Air” at a time when I was emotionally distraught, and it had such a grounding effect that allowed me to get through my struggles. The song tells the story of a fading love that’s gone past the point of saving. Owen suggests this internal dilemma of calling it quits as he says, “The memory of our love is like a ghost inside my head.” Although he remembers a time when they were happy together, now it seems as though those pleasant memories are haunting him and that he has “nothing left to say.” He demands that they acknowledge that their love is failed and describes it as like “holding onto the air” because it slips right through his fingers. He then claims that they are “a fading silhouette” to mean that they are a shadow of what they once were, and now cannot even consider themselves that. As much as they have both resisted leaving this relationship, he is coming to terms with the fact that it’s really over and that they would exist better apart from each other. Sometimes, it takes the most bravery to admit when things aren’t working.
Song 6: “Dandelion Hair (feat. Melissa Polinar)” by Joe Brooks
I actually found Joe Brooks right around the same time as Rayvon Owen and I connected a lot with his music because of its simplicity. I believe that this song is especially perfect for studying as it is generative and plays into free-flowing thought. Joe Brooks first began his career at age 17 as a MySpace musician whose early success fueled the production of two independent EPs. He was then picked up by Lava Records and produced the album Constellation Me in 2010. His music falls between pop, rock, and acoustic styles, overall spawning a serene quality when paired with his airy voice.
“Dandelion Hair” was one of the songs to be released on his latest EP, I Am Bones. This song roots itself in whimsy, painting a tranquil image of young love. One of the things that makes this song magical is Brooks’ rich use of imagery. He sets to describing where he stands with this girl in the heart of the mountains, singing that “for a moment, we are timeless. Bare feet in the grass with your dandelion hair.” The image of a dandelion suggests that the girl could be pick up and carried by the wind, making her a free-spirit. At the chorus, he seems to acknowledge that the feelings he has towards this girl are “one in a lifetime.” He tells her to “feel the Earth as it moves,” alluding to the fact that their love is something that connects them to nature and to the world around them. It is a grounding presence that allows them to fully appreciate the beauty that exists in their lives. He puts any fears she may have had to rest, telling her “I play these calloused hands and give you all I can. I’m not much but you make me the wealthiest man.” He wants to assure her that if they stay together, he will offer up all of himself and try to support and provide for her in any way that he can. At the end of the day, this is another song about love’s sweet promises.
Song 7: “I Believe in Us” by LÉON
LÉON is a Swedish singer/songwriter originating from Stockholm. Growing up with a mother who was a cellist and a father who was a composer and conductor, it came as no surprise that LÉON too adopted the family’s love for music. The greatest influences in her career have been artists such as Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Beyoncé, Etta James, Sam Cooke, and Stevie Wonder. Her style of music falls under the category of indie pop and she released her first EP Treasure in 2015. Her personal style is easy to be enveloped in. LÉON has an effortless voice, fusing together sad and sultry qualities that draw her listeners into the world that she creates.
“I Believe in Us” is a song about bittersweet evaluation. The relationship between the speaker and her significant other seems to be in a state of strain, but even after all of the difficulties, she is not ready to give up yet. She opens the song admitting that “Maybe I’ve been holding on too tight. Hard to see what you and I’d become.” Just from this first verse, it gives the impression that the speaker is more invested in her relationship than the other person is. In the second verse, the speaker gives more context to the severity of the relationship, saying “Lately I’ve been dreaming of a life, thinking I was takin’ on your name. Do I have to put that dream on ice?” Here, she’s alluding to the possibility of marriage in their future, but now that future seems to be uncertain. She still wants to be with this person, but her significant other is distancing themselves. Repeatedly in the chorus, the speaker sings “I’ve been dreaming that you love me in the morning,” which indicates that there is a question of whether or not the other person’s feelings are in the relationship. While LÉON sings the song with conviction and sincerity, she may have to admit that while she believes that their relationship will pull through, it may only be a one-sided feeling.
I will acknowledge that while calming, many of these songs are also sad and emotional. It just so happens that emotional songs tend to be the kind that I work best to and that I listen to most often. Although I use music in many instances as a form of white noise, I find it helps me if I listen to songs that I can connect to so that I can channel the emotions a song evokes into my work, even if that work is academically based. Hopefully, you were able to connect to some of these songs. Peace is something we all need to feel in times of strain and it is important to remember to take moments for yourself to reflect.
Listen to the full playlist here!