The fall semester has been a doozy for all of us, collegiettes. We are nearing the end, and it feels so good.
This semester has been full of never-ending days, long study nights and an impending finals week. I can wholeheartedly say that music has gotten me through this past semester. That snowy walk to class is manageable only because of my carefully curated playlists, compiled of every song I enjoyed throughout the month.
I’ve been maintaining monthly playlists for several years now. It allows me to almost transport back to the time when I enjoyed certain songs. Music has such a strange ability to bring back old feelings or memories, and I’m grateful that I’ve been able to preserve these musical moments in time.
Looking back through my monthly playlists, I’ve assembled the highlights of my August to November playlists to showcase this fall semester’s vibes.
FLORENCE PUGH!
Toby Sebastian welcomed Miss Florence Pugh to the studio to sing background vocals on “Midnight.” This song gives me old-timey Jack Johnson “Banana Pancakes” energy. The mellow, happy vibes are hard to pass up and how can you not support Florence Pugh? She literally does it all. Girlboss.
“Outer Banks” fans, you remember this one.
I’m a big fan of Dr. Dog and their music, but hearing “Where’d All the Time Go?” in season two of “Outer Banks” revitalized my love for the band. While Kie, Pope, and JJ search for their missing friends in Charleston, the song reminds them of old times and sends waves of nostalgia to viewers. The song perfectly encapsulates how it feels to be longing for the “good old days” and acknowledges that growing up is hard. Say what you want about John B and his crew, but “Outer Banks” has a great soundtrack.
Does the “Donda Chant” still haunt anyone else?
While track one on “Donda” still creeps me out to this day, August 29 was a long-awaited, successful day for Kanye fans everywhere. “Hurricane” is one of the most pop-esque songs on the album, with a feature by The Weeknd. The release night of “Donda” was one of my first semester memories as many of my friends packed into a tiny dorm to listen to the album when it came out at 3 a.m. Because of this, whenever I hear “Hurricane,” I’ll be reminded of the painful wait for Kanye’s tenth album and the night it was finally released. Kanye, I can always count on you to keep me guessing.
Not to be confused with Taylor Swift’s “august.”
“August” by Flipturn was a last-minute summer song discovery. This song closed out the dog days of summer but helped me add some pep in my step during syllabus week. This easygoing song provides good vibes and screams a happy, chill summer spirit.
I had Lil Nas X on repeat for all of September.
I’m sad to report that “Montero” got lost in the shuffle of new releases this September. After the dramatic and controversial “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” music video drop, the hype died down for Lil Nas’ newest album. Even though “Montero” didn’t produce a lot of radio hits, “AM I DREAMING” has never left my personal Spotify queue. I’m a sucker for Miley Cyrus and will shamelessly listen to any of her music. This collaboration was a long time coming, and Lil Nas did not disappoint.
Is “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” next?
We love Taylor for never missing an opportunity to stick it to Scooter Braun. At the end of the summer, the “slow zoom” trend was taking TikTok by storm. Taylor’s “1989” hit “Wildest Dreams” was the go-to sound for the slow zoom TikTok and made it off “Swift Tok” and onto the For You Pages of millions.
Scooter Braun was profiting from this trend, so Taylor recorded “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” to redirect the money to its rightful owner. This surprised all and begs the question: Has Taylor already re-recorded all of the albums? It hurts thinking that the songs already exist, but we know that Taylor will tease us with riddles and drag this on for years.
I can’t begin to describe how excited I was when I got the Spotify notification that “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version) had been released on that September day. First-semester game changer.
Thanks for this one, TikTok.
I’m not sure how I came across “Lovers Rock,” but I’m pretty sure it had something to do with TikTok. This indie-pop band tells the story of a young couple’s interactions at a party. The tune and instrument choices are really unusual but add a lot of character and personality to the song. It became one of my favorites really quickly, and this has been a recurring song on my monthly playlists ever since I listened to it for the first time.
Clairo, come to State College!
“Sling,” Clario’s newest album, came out in July and was a 10/10 lineup. While Clairo is mainly known for her radio single “Sofia,” “Sling” doesn’t have a song that stands out the way “Sofia” did. Every song on the album is uniquely distant while maintaining a consistent theme. The ninth track, “Joanie,” is a five-minute instrumental piece that showcases Clairo’s vocals and multi-instrumental talent. When I think of a typical instrumental song, I think of slow, soft, maybe even boring tunes. “Joanie” is an upbeat, happy song that I always appreciate in the queue.
Foster The People is more than just “Pumped Up Kicks.”
While hitting those mid-semester blues and feeling pretty homesick, “Ruby” described some of the emotions I was feeling. I know “Ruby” will be a big player in my Spotify Wrapped this year.
If you’ve only ever listened to “Pumped Up Kicks,” give Foster The People another try. Start with “Lamb’s Wool” and “Pick U Up.”
This semester was FULL of Arctic Monkeys.
I’ve never really liked the Arctic Monkeys before, and I definitely missed the 2014 Tumblr era. However, after hearing “505” and really enjoying it, I continued to delve into their discography. First came “Cornerstone,” and now I have “I Wanna Be Yours” on repeat. As the days have been getting shorter and the sun sets earlier, “I Wanna Be Yours” is my go-to track on the dark, cold walks back from class.
Careful; this one will get stuck in your head.
Young the Giant’s “Apartment” is a song that I tend to get lost in visually. The song tells a story that is so easy to follow along. From the point of view of a man’s inner monologue, he walks from his apartment to his partner’s, contemplating their relationship and its future. Young the Giant is another band with a few headline songs, but a deep dive into their lesser-known music is worth it.
See: Why Phoebe Bridgers‘ Feature On Red (Taylor‘s Version) Is So Significant
What does this song mean?
Every November, I find myself rediscovering “Open Season” by the High Highs. It is so refreshingly soothing, and for whatever reason, it is my guilty pleasure fall song. One of the things that I appreciate about “Open Season” is that every listener can interpret its meaning differently. While the lyrics are somewhat bleak, the tone and singing are uplifting and almost encouraging.
Enough said.
If you’re interested in more of my semester favorites, check out the Spotify playlist below.