Every year I get so excited about my Spotify Wrapped to see what music I’ve actually connected to that year. So I decided to do a similar thing, but for each school year instead of each calendar year. I think that music is one of the best ways to gain insight into your mindset and what you were feeling at the time. I thought it’d be cool to look back at my most played songs each year of college and see if I still listen to those songs and to see where my head was at each year.
First Year
Winter 1 recomposed by Max Richter
Easy to Love by Ivan & Alyosha
The Wonder of You by Villagers
I vividly remember listening to all of these songs during my first year at MHC. I don’t even really know why these songs stuck out to me so much. I think it was mostly a mish-mash of trying to find what I truly like in music and discovering what I want in songs. I feel that each of these songs represents a different avenue of my music tastes. I don’t listen to these songs that much anymore, occasionally I’ll go back to them but they’re no longer in my constant rotation of songs.
Sophomore Year
Carmen Suite No. 2 Danse Boheme composed by George Bizet
I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany
The songs from sophomore year were, overall, happier than those of freshman year. Maybe that’s because I was more confident going into sophomore year, already having one year under my belt. I remember showing my friends some of these songs and having a good time discussing music in general with them. Some of the songs are from TV shows that I watch with friends and they just stuck with me. I do still listen to a lot of these songs, not as much as I did sophomore year though.
Junior Year
Honeybee by The Head and the Heart
A lot of songs I listened to my junior year are still on my daily playlists. I mean it was only one year ago, even if that feels like a lifetime ago. These songs are a mix of happy and sad; I guess because doing virtual classes I needed some uplifting songs and others to just let me express the sadness of taking classes in a module.
Senior Year
I Wanna Help Your Mind by Goth Babe
Forgotten Souls by Mother Mother
I definitely still listen to all of these songs, I mean it’s still my senior year. I’ve been trying to savor the last few days before graduation without feeling overwhelmed by the job search and finals. I guess that’s part of the reason why a lot of these songs are on the calmer side.
All of these songs were my favorite at some point these past four years. It’s funny that by looking at these songs, it seems like freshman year was so long ago. Yet thinking back on memories, it seems like it could be last month. It was fun thinking about where I was in life (and campus) listening to these songs. It was also nice reminiscing about the songs I used to listen to, and some that I still listen to after a few years. I wonder how my music taste will change in the next four years.
I hope this has inspired you to think back on the songs you listened to this year (and if you’re a senior, these past four years). Happy listening!
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