As a first-year college student, I often tend to look lost and pathetic walking around campus even when I’m just getting from one class to another. Although this will probably get better with time, I’m currently dealing with it by making carefully curated queues and playlists for my walks. Here are five of my favorite songs to gallivant around campus to:
- Good Ones by Charli XCX
Starting off with a recent drop, “Good Ones” is definitely the type of song you’ll find yourself pretending to perform to an imaginary crowd. This song just makes you feel like someone else. From the second I press play on it, I feel like I’ve been transported into a video game, a high-speed motorcycle chase, or a music video. The beat and the production help out in creating this electrifying Matrix-y vibe that just gets me going where I need to go, and quickly, too.
- Pasadena by Tinashe
I never really got the whole appeal of California and the ‘sunshine-and-happiness’ lifestyle people often associate with it. But “Pasadena” changes my mind about this every time I hear it. The song will take you into the carefree, sun-bleached life that so many bored college students might be wishing for. Every time “Pasadena” comes on shuffle, I just feel like I’m going to have a good day. And even if that turns out to be wrong, I appreciate the serotonin boost I get from listening to Tinashe singing that “it don’t get better than this,” when in reality, it probably could.
- Ladykillers by Lush
There’s nothing like starting off the day with a slight superiority complex. “Ladykillers” is for everyone who has ever dealt with boys and men who behave as though they know better than others. It fuels you with just the right amount of rage to speed walk your way to class, all while feeling super badass and mysterious.
- Electricity by Arctic Monkeys
The effects of a great guitar riff can be extremely potent. “Electricity” is total proof of this. The song is loud and bold, and the looped guitar riff is indeed, as the name suggests, electric. On top of the great instrumentals, Alex Turner singing the words “tell me something I don’t already know” makes this a song an even more perfect confidence-boosting tune.
- Gloria: In Excelsis Deo by Patti Smith
I want to finish off the list with an absolute classic. I don’t even think I need to say much about this song as it truly speaks for itself. It is a song about a confident woman, performed by a confident woman, for confident women, making it perfect for women (and others) who want to walk with purpose. Even if you aren’t already familiar with “Gloria,” give it a listen, and I guarantee Patti Smith will have you repeatedly spelling out the titular name by the end of it.