I have never been the person who just puts headphones in and walks around with them in. It’s not because I don’t like music, I love music, I just have never been in a place where I am comfortable enough to tune everyone and everything else out and just listen to music. This past summer, I studied abroad in London and it was the most amazing six weeks of my entire life. I think about it every single day and I miss it so much. During the trip, I made a playlist that was full of random songs that I started listening to on the plane and then in my dorm. When I got there, I saw people everywhere wearing headphones and living their own lives tuning it all out. For the first week and a half, I did my thing in silence. As I got more comfortable, I decided to put my headphones in and it really made my trip exponentially better. I wanted to take you through my trip through the songs that I listened to and the memories that I associate them with because every time I hear them, I am immediately taken back.
“London Boy” By: Taylor Swift
Landing in London
I always try and pick a song to listen to as the plane lands. The song that I listened to as my plane descended into the UK was “London Boy” by Taylor Swift. I had not been back to London since this song was released and knew that this was the song I had to pick for the landing. It was truly surreal listening to it as I felt the wheels hit the ground and it set in that I was really there.
“Lovers Rock” By TV Girl
Shopping in Selfridges
The first song on my list is “Lovers Rock” by TV Girl. Something about this song just makes me feel like I am floating on air while I am listening to it. It is so calming and the perfect song to listen to while shopping. This was definitely a favorite when I would go to Selfridges, a department store. I would stroll through the designer floors, then go to food hall and get a raspberry profiterole tart and sit outside and people watch. This was one of my favorite things to do because it really made me feel like I actually lived there.
“Mind Mischief” By Tame Impala
Tube Song #1
On the tube, I made sure I had some music to drown out the sounds of the train going through the tunnels. One of these songs was “Mind Mischief” by Tame Impala. There really wasn’t a rhyme or reason why this was one of my favorites to listen to on the tube, it just was and it is long enough to last the entire ride.
“Summer Montage/Madeline” By Justin Hurwitz
Walking through Kensington
After watching La La Land I fell in love with the soundtrack. The “Summer Montage” track was a favorite of mine on this trip, specifically on my first full day alone of exploring. I spent the day in Kensington and walked over ten miles and this song was definitely one that was on repeat. It made me feel like I was in a movie, which was a recurring feeling through the whole time.
“Herman’s Hustle” By Justin Hurwitz
Tube Song #2
Another soundtrack song from Justin Hurwitz was “Herman’s Hustle” from Babylon. This was also a song I liked listening to on the tube due to its upbeat and facepaced nature.
“Cruel Summer” By Taylor Swift
Oxford Street Shopping
A staple summer song will always be “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift. I primarily listened to this while shopping, and Oxford Street was one of my favorite places to shop.
“Daylight” By Harry Styles
Tube Song #3
Another lighthearted and calming song I listened to on the tube was “Daylight” by Harry Styles. It really just put me in a great mood, not that I already wasn’t, but whenever I listen to this song it just makes my day better.
“Genesis” & “Oblivion” By Grimes
Tube Songs #4 & #5
“Genesis” and “Oblivion” by Grimes were probably two of my most played songs on the tube. I have absolutely no idea why but something about the instrumental matched with moving on the train and it was so fun listening to it.
“Love Of My Life” By Harry Styles
Strolling on Sundays in the Park
The song of the trip was absolutely “Love Of My Life” by Harry Styles. Written about England and London, this song meant so much to me during my time in London and really made me fall in love with London even more. Every Sunday that I could, I would put my headphones in and listen to this song while strolling through Regents Park, where my school was situated. The last Sunday was truly bittersweet and Sunday’s feel empty now without these walks.
“Dance The Night” By Dua Lipa
Tube Song #6
A few days before I flew across the pond, Dua Lipa released her song “Dance The Night” for Barbie. This song is the epitome of fun and I used the track as not only a tube song, but to hype me up for the release of the movie which was released two weeks after I returned home. I wanted something to look forward to after I left, since I was dreading coming home.
“Cinnamon Girl” By Lana Del Rey
Walking through Regent’s Park
Another park stroll song was “Cinnamon Girl” by Lana Del Rey. This is another song that makes me feel like I am floating on air while listening to it. It is such an ethereal song and was perfect to listen to while watching the baby ducks and swans floating on the lake and jumping into puddles.
“Another Day of Sun” By La La Land Cast
Tube Song #7
Going back to my Damien Chazelle movie soundtracks, I have “Another Day of Sun” by the La La Land cast. Listening to this song while walking to my train made me feel like skipping (I didn’t), but I considered just skipping through the tunnels, onto my train, off of my train, and to my destination because this song is happy personified.
Rubber Soul By The Beatles
Album of the Trip
I knew going into the trip I wanted to choose an album by The Beatles to listen to. I was in their homeland anyways and figured I’d make the most of it. I chose Rubber Soul and it was such a great decision. I knew a few songs on it like “Drive My Car” and “In My Life” but wanted to know them all. My favorites ended up being “The Word”, “Girl”, “I’m Looking Through You”, and “If I Needed Someone.” Choosing an album for the trip made me want to do this for all future trips to any location, it was so special and I even purchased a tshirt with the album cover on it at the Beatles store that was located right near my school.
“So Good” By Weston Estate
Tube Song #8
Another tube song was “So Good” by Weston Estate which is actually a local band. I heard this song at my school’s end of year concert and thought it was good, so I added it to my playlist and I actually ended up listening to it a bunch and it was a great summer song.
“A Kiss” By THE DRIVER ERA
Tube Song #9
Another song I heard at my school’s end of year concert was “A Kiss” by The Driver Era (yes, my school had Ross Lynch shirtless on campus to celebrate the end of the year). This song is such a fun one and almost had me dancing in my seat on the tube.
“Princess Diana” By Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj
In the Presence of King Charles
One of my favorite song stories from my trip was one that involves “Princess Diana” by Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj. I had seen that King Charles was going to a church service and would be escorted there. So I decided to go and see if I could get a glimpse of him. I made my way to where the church was and was met with police officers strapped with machine guns with no way to even get a small glimpse of him, so I ultimately turned around. I put my headphones in and headed back to the tube station. All of a sudden I saw people on the other side of the street freaking out. A car was stopped next to me, so I stopped, turned my head, and sure enough, it was King Charles on his way back to Buckingham Palace. The funny part? I was actually listening to “Princess Diana” and would argue that I am the only person on the planet that has listened to that song in his presence.
“Borderline” By: Tame Impala
Tube Song #10
The final tube song is “Borderline” by Tame Impala. I really do just love this song and there isn’t a big explanation as to why it made the list, it was just one of my most played songs while I was over there.
“As It Was” By Harry Styles
Going to the Barbican Centre
The final song on my London list is “As It Was” by Harry Styles. From screaming the lyrics “LEAVE AMERICA” in Wembley with him to listening to it on repeat at the Barbican Centre where the music video was filmed, it repeatedly came up and I enjoyed it every time.
If you are going on a trip anytime soon, I highly recommend creating playlist of songs to listen to during this trip so when you hear the songs again at home, you are reminded of the great times you had in whatever place you visited.