As finals week dawns upon us and we stay in the Reg for hours on end, we could all use some good study music. Here are a few of my favorite songs and albums to get me through those long nights of studying.
1. Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
This list can’t start with a better album. After a seven-year hiatus from music, JT is back with a great album that is currently streaming on iTunes for free (just in time for reading period!). My personal favorites are “Don’t Hold The Wall” and “Mirrors”. Check it out when you need a break in the Reg- get up, dance around, and picture yourself on Spring Break.
2. Of Monsters and Men, My Head Is An Animal
Since this album came out last year, it has been my go-to study music. The slower songs, like “Love Love Love”, “Sloom”, and “From Finner” are great for reading, and some of the more upbeat songs, like “Little Talks” and “Mountain Sound” get stuck in your head while writing papers and working on problem sets. Spend all day listening to this album in the stacks and be swept away by its whimsical tunes.
3. Downton Abbey Soundtrack
The soundtrack to this period show from PBS is perfect for reading and those times when you just need to be in the paper-writing zone. All of the drama of the show is reflected in the soundtrack, and it’s perfect for those bleak late-night hours when you need to keep studying.
4. Explosions in the Sky, all albums
If thinking about old British manors isn’t quite your style, give Explosions in the Sky a listen. Instrumental indie music could be exactly what you need in the depths of the bookstacks. My favorite song is “First Breath After Coma”, but all of their songs are the perfect backdrop for a day of focus and concentration.
5. Ke$ha, Warrior
Hear me out, this album is not as bad as you might think. Ke$ha reminds me that spring break is almost here, and that soon, I can be covered in glitter and whatever else I want- I just have to take these last few finals. “Thinking of You” is great for that moment when you’ve just finished reviewing notes and you realize that maybe you’re more prepared than you thought, and listening to “C’mon” makes me think of finishing a final and running outside into the (possible) sunshine.
Good luck on finals, and remember to take a few breaks to dance around and stretch- it’ll do you a world of good!