You know that feeling when you pop in your earpods, step out the door, and suddenly… the world becomes your runway? Yeah, that. Walking to class isn’t just walking — it’s a performance. Tote bag on one shoulder, iced coffee in hand, headphones in, and BOOM: you’re the lead in the music video of your own life.
My life? Extremely dramatic. My Spotify? Even more. I’m not just listening to songs — I’m living them. These tracks aren’t just background noise; they run through my veins (alongside caffeine, obviously 💅). From baddie bops to sad girl anthems, my playlist is chaotic, emotional, and honestly? Kind of iconic. My mood changes from Kailash Kher to Doja Cat real quick. And no, my “Love Me Like You Do” phase never left. These 2016 bangers live in my head rent-free, along with my 3 AM thoughts and that one guy I probably still like (oops).
Anyway, enough about me (for now). Let’s get into the soundtrack of my existence. Feel free to judge — I already judged myself.
🎧 Section 1: Sad Girl Strut
For when you’re lowkey depressed but still hot.
This is the walk of emotional resilience — you’re barely holding it together but somehow still look amazing. You’re romanticising heartbreak, overthinking every look from your situationship, and mastering the fine art of “yes, I’m spiralling but also slaying.” These are the tracks that let the melancholy marinate while keeping your eyeliner sharp and your head held high.
Astronomy – Conan Gray: The kind of song you listen to while staring dramatically out of a moving bus window. Bonus points if it’s raining.
No One Notices – The Marías: It’s giving “I’m screaming inside but make it sultry.” Dreamy vocals, soft instrumentals, and a quiet ache that whispers how invisibility can hurt more than heartbreak.
drivers license – Olivia Rodrigo: The heartbreak anthem that screams “I’m not over it but I look good trying.” Every line feels like a punch to the chest.
7UP – Boy In Space: An underrated heartbreak banger. Soft synths + space metaphors = crying in aesthetic lighting.
Ratoon – Aditya Rikhari: This one stings (was recommended by that guy, we ended things but the song stayed🫠). The metaphors are sharp, the melody nostalgic. If you’ve ever felt abandoned after something beautiful, this hits home.
Kasoor – Prateek Kuhad: Dreamy, painful, and introspective. Feels like a midnight walk after saying things you can’t take back.
💅 Section 2: Baddie on a Budget
*When your bank account is gasping for air but your walk is pure Wall Street.
You might be surviving on instant noodles and moral support, but your energy? Full-time CEO. This is for the girlies who thrift their way into looking like a Vogue cover and have 27 rupees but 27k-level confidence. You’re broke, sure, but also a baddie with unmatched delusion and unmatched fashion sense. Wallet empty, aura rich.
Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter: It’s flirty, it’s fun, it’s caffeine-fueled chaos. She’s out here living rent-free in everyone’s head, and so are you. The lyrics scream unapologetic confidence and the kind of delusion that keeps you hot.
I Like Me Better – Lauv: We’re in our ✨soft self-love✨ era. The lyrics are warm, romantic, and make you wanna hug yourself while wearing cute oversized sweaters and pretending everything’s okay.
Popular – The Weeknd: This isn’t just a song, it’s a strut. It’s for that moment when you put on lip gloss and pretend you’re famous — even if you’re walking to the juice counter with a coupon.
Flowers – Miley Cyrus: Icon behaviour. The lyrics scream, “I don’t need you, I am the upgrade.” Perfect for when you’re healing, hustling, and high-key buying your own damn flowers.
Like Jennie – JENNIE: Vibey, sultry, and dangerously confident. It’s the soundtrack to your fake-it-till-you-make-it baddie fantasy — in a thrifted fur coat, obviously. This is your “main character with WiFi” anthem.
Who Says – Selena Gomez: Confidence booster. I sing this in my head like it’s gospel. The lyrics are basically your hype girl saying, “You don’t need a trust fund to be stunning.”
💕 Section 3: Stranger Romance Energy
For when you see a cute guy and suddenly it’s a Bollywood x Netflix crossover.
You’ve locked eyes with a stranger (probably while reaching for the same packet of Maggi at the store), and now you’ve planned your entire wedding. This section is for those cinematic love-at-first-glance moments we create entirely in our heads, because reality is boring and imagination is free. These songs are all about the butterflies, the soft glances, and the chaos of overthinking a “hi” like it was a marriage proposal. No actual love story? No problem. We’ve got one playing in our headphones.
Still With You – Jungkook: Feels like floating. This one’s soft, intimate, and full of longing — like you’re secretly in love with your best friend and too scared to say it. K-Drama slow-mo scene unlocked. (secretly my future wedding song.)
I Wanna Be Yours – Arctic Monkeys: Poetry disguised as a love confession. It’s mysterious, magnetic, and a little obsessive (but like, in a cute way?). Perfect for staring at someone across the room like you’re the star of a moody indie film.
They Call This Love – Elliot James Reay: This song is literally the soundtrack to having a crush you’ll never speak to. Bittersweet and full of those “what if” vibes. A perfect blend of angst and soft romantic delusion.
CO2 – Prateek Kuhad: If serotonin had a melody. It’s gentle and glowy, like sitting under fairy lights and pretending someone is texting you goodnight (when it’s just Zomato saying your order’s delayed).
Fallin’ All In You – Shawn Mendes: Ugh. Warm, safe, and hopelessly romantic. It’s that slow-dance-in-your-room energy, for when your crush says one nice thing and you’re already planning your future kids’ names.
Snowman – Sia: A surprisingly emotional ballad that makes me want to spin around in fake snow and fall in love with my imaginary boyfriend. Soft and dramatic — the dream combo.
Know Me – GEMINI: Smooth, vibey, and intense. This is that 3 a.m. playlist energy when you’re wondering if that guy in class ever noticed your eyeliner. Spoiler: he did. Probably.
Ye Tune Kya Kiya – Pritam, Javed Bashir: It’s giving old-school filmi love. A dramatic, soulful declaration of falling hard and fast, perfect for when you imagine someone falling for you after seeing your dupatta fly in slow motion. Old Bollywood love hits differently.
Saiyaan – Kailash Kher: Deep, raw, and completely OTT in the best way. It’s not just a song — it’s a feeling. For when your imaginary love story deserves a Sufi soundtrack. Old Bollywood love hits differently.
Noor e Khuda – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy: Spiritual crush-core. This one’s for walking dramatically under the stars, looking like you’re searching for your soulmate while secretly just vibing with the universe.
Raataan Lambiayan – Tanishq Bagchi, Jubin Nautiyal: Sweet, sincere, and hopeful. The kind of song that plays when you catch a cute stranger smiling at you, and suddenly you believe in fate again. (For like 20 minutes.)
💃 Section 4: Desi Queen Walks In
For when you feel like a Bollywood queen about to enter a sangeet. Saree not sorry. 👑
You’re not just walking — you’re entering the scene. Maybe you’re in your salwar, maybe it’s just jeans and jhumkas, but either way, you’re radiating “she’s the moment” energy. This is for the brown girl confidence that comes with kajal on point, a good hair day, and knowing you carry generations of beauty, sass, and strength. These songs are for slow-mo twirls, dramatic glances, and giving ‘rani’ even when you’re just walking into the library.
Chaudhary – Mame Khan: Rajasthan but make it cinematic. The folk fusion vibes? Chef’s kiss. Perfect for walking with purpose, like you’re returning to your ancestral haveli to reclaim what’s yours.
Ghoomar – Shreya Ghoshal: The LEHENGA moment. It’s giving a royal wedding, grand entry, and that one imaginary scene where you twirl and petals fall from nowhere.
Dholna – Shubha Mudgal: This is soul-touching nostalgia. Feels like dancing barefoot under fairy lights at a sangeet with your imaginary soulmate watching in awe. Sigh.
Mehmaan – from Mismatched: Indie desi gold. Soft, cozy, and gives the main character in a coming-of-age drama energy. For when you want to feel cute, reflective, and still a little mysterious.
Banna Re – Chitralekha Sen: Princess-core activated. It’s playful, vibrant, and perfect for when you’re feeling flirty and fabulous — even if you’re just sipping chai on your hostel balcony. This one makes me want to gatecrash my cousin’s wedding.
Khalasi – Aditya Gadhvi: Bold, colourful, and dripping in that girl energy. It’s a cultural reset. When this plays, you’re not walking — you’re gracing the earth.
🎉 Section 5: Zero Thoughts, Just Vibes
For when you’re just out here vibing, no plot, just vibes.
This is your soundtrack for existing in ✨aesthetic mode✨. Maybe you’re walking to class in your comfiest fit, maybe you just aced a test, or maybe you’re just feeling main-character-for-no-reason energy. No drama, no heartbreak, no deep overthinking — just you, your headphones, and the open road (okay, maybe the campus lane but we romanticize). These songs are like the audio version of a good hair day, a surprise discount, or getting a text back in 0.3 seconds. Certified good vibe alert 🚨💅.
Sucker – Jonas Brothers: Funky, fun, and just the right amount of chaotic. Perfect for strutting like you’re the lead in a Y2K romcom reboot.
Fire – Alan Walker, JVKE, Yuqi: The beat goes hard. You feel like you’re about to enter a dance-off at sunset in Tokyo — even if it’s just the mess queue.
Wasabi – Little Mix: Spicy, unapologetic, and straight-up savage. This one’s for when you’re done with people talking behind your back — you’re too busy being iconic.
Strangers – Kenya Grace: Urban, sleek, and moody in the cool girl way. It’s giving: walking through neon lights, sunglasses on, no feelings in sight.
NO – Meghan Trainor: The ultimate shut-down anthem. When this comes on, your walk gets sassier, your ponytail swings harder, and your imaginary haters vanish. Perfect for fending off unsolicited opinions, crusty exes, or anyone who dared to interrupt your solo slay. Because sometimes the vibe is just: NO.
Greedy – Tate McRae: Hot girl energy activated. It’s confident, sharp, and perfect for days when your outfit is slaying and your standards are higher than your GPA.
Love On Top – Beyoncé: You will try to hit those high Instant serotonin injection. The vocal jumps? Iconic. You physically cannot walk sad while this is playing.
Gimme More – Britney Spears: You are the drama. Bonus points if you lip-sync this in the mirror before leaving your room.
Die With A Smile – Bruno Mars: Smooth and sweet. Instant mood-lifter. Catchy, smooth, and has that IDGAF optimism. Like yes, the semester’s a mess — but we’re smiling through it.
100 Ways – Jackson Wang: Feels like a high-stakes K-drama where you’re both the spy and the love interest. Walk like you’re on a mission… to slay.
🎤 Section 6: K-pop Kween Era
Yes, I’m in a committed relationship with my bias. No, I don’t take questions.
This is not a playlist. It’s a vibe. A cinematic, slow-mo, wind-in-your-hair, deep-eye-contact, dramatic-backstory type of vibe. You’re not just walking to class — you’re walking through a moody montage where your crush catches feelings, petals are flying in the wind, and you might cry in the rain… but your eyeliner won’t budge. Whether you’re daydreaming about a strangers-to-lovers arc or feeling like a fierce idol on stage, these tracks bring the fantasy to life. Sparkle filter? Already on. 💁♀️💖
That That – PSY, SUGA: Absolute anthem. You can’t not dance. It’s giving party scene after you just slayed finals. You’re unbothered, iconic, and ready to dance off your emotional baggage.
FRIENDS – V (Taehyung): For when you’re side-eyeing your bestie thinking, “what if…” Soft, cute, and dangerously shippable. This song is what I’d send to my crush if I wasn’t such a coward.
Hush – Lasse Lindh: Melancholy in HD. From Goblin (Yes, I cried. Yes, I still cry.), aka the K-drama that made us all believe in tragic love stories and rainy walks.
Butterfly – BTS: So soft. So emotional. So… me. Listen to this while looking out the window dramatically — it’s the law.
LOVE – PSY, Taeyang: Upbeat with just the right amount of sass. It’s what plays when the couple FINALLY confesses their feelings in Episode 12.
Sweet Night – V: My comfort song. Lay in bed, stare at the ceiling, and think about the what-ifs. This song is a cozy hug from the universe.
Magic Shop – BTS: For healing your soul and spiralling emotionally.Emotional comfort in audio form. Play it when life feels overwhelming and you need an invisible friend group hyping you up.
With You – Jimin, Ha Sung Woon: A duet sent from heaven, like floating in a dream. This is the song that plays when you lock eyes with your crush and time slows down.
Singularity – BTS: Smooth, sensual, and deeply aesthetic. Perfect for your slow-mo hallway walk with headphones in and the world on mute. I’m obsessed.
GBAD – Jackson Wang: Sexy, dark, and bold. You’re not the love interest anymore — you’re the plot twist. Totally bad btch* vibes.
APT – Rosé, Bruno Mars: A collab we didn’t know we needed. Sweet and rich like iced coffee on a gloomy day. Think: soft lighting, pretty thoughts, and good vibes.
Mantra – Jennie: The vibe is: “I’m the moment, and I don’t need to prove it.” Icon energy, no notes. Confident, sleek, and sooo Jennie-coded.
Love Shot – EXO: Dramatic entrance? Check. This is your runway strut in slow motion — stare straight ahead and don’t flinch. Sexy and intense. I want to be this song.
Can’t You See Me – TXT: Emotional rollercoaster. Screaming, crying, throwing up (in a good way). Perfect for solo power walks when you’re plotting your academic redemption arc.
🎬 Outro: Cue the Credits
So next time you see me walking across campus — headphones in, eyes distant, tote bag swinging like I’m heading to Milan Fashion Week, just know I’m not ignoring you. I’m busy filming the music video of my life. And no, you can’t skip it.
If any of these songs made you nod your head or scream “OMG SAME,” you need to check out the full playlist here: [Main Character energy✨ ]. Trust me, it’s the serotonin boost you didn’t know you needed.
And hey — if your music taste is just as unhinged, romantic, and dramatic, come say hi or drop your own “music video” anthems on my Spotify profile. I’m always down to cry, strut, or fall in fake love to a good song.
For more dramatic takes, playlist chaos, and main character energy — catch me at Her Campus at MUJ.
Because in my head, the show never stops.
mic drop🎤