I am going to be honest with you, the spring motivation drought has hit me hard. My second semester of college has been 10x better than the first in a lot of ways, but staying motivated has been a hundred percent harder. Even with the beautiful weather, often all I want to do when my alarm goes off is pull my covers back over my head. I highly doubt I am alone in this, and so I thought I would share some songs that help me get up and get going in the morning.
- Sunday Best—Surfaces
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This song, at least to me, is highly underrated. Don’t get me wrong, I love songs that make me feel, but sometimes you just need a feel good, upbeat song. This is it. Plus, waking up with the lyrics “Feeling good, like I should” is a great tone for the rest of your day.
- Stronger—Kelly Clarkson
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For the decade (what!) that this song has been on the radio stations, it has been one of my favorites. Not only is it a good reminder when you are feeling down, but the lyrics really hype me up. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it to be a super good motivator.
- Run the World—Beyoncé
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Does this song really need an introduction? An ultimate girl power song, Beyonce’s hit makes me want to be productive in whatever I am doing. You can’t run the world without a little hard work, right?
- Be a Light–Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban
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Yes, country is my jam (hate me if you want), but in all seriousness, I love this song. While it might be a little slower, the message is one that I try to live by. It may not be the best for your alarm, however, since it’s jam-packed with country superstars and written for a worthy cause, it’s hard to listen and not smile.
- Confident—Demi Lovato
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There is nothing wrong with being confident. Sometimes this hit slips under the radar, but the power vocals, beat and lyrics make it memorable. Not to mention that if you’re like me, the words of the song are something I too often forget. The lyrics reign true, so go out there and shine.
- Good as Hell—Lizzo
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Again, just another great, empowering song. It is all about feeling good in your own skin, and starting the day with this kind of confidence boost is a great way to gain momentum for yourself as the day goes forward.
- Waking Up In Vegas—Katy Perry
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This song is just a fun one from early Katy Perry. No rhyme or reason, just an energetic song that might be in some ways a little like college. College isn’t Vegas, but the confusion intermixed with the fun and uniqueness of these four years is consistent. I am also pretty sure I used to sing the chorus at the top of my lungs at some point too, which is interesting since I was 8 or so when it came out. - Classic—MKTO
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This is another fun one, a truly “classic” pop song straight out of the 2010s. Regardless, it has been a constant on my playlists since its release. Given the beat and the syrupy vocals, I think it is fairly easy to see why this one gets me out of bed.
- Getaway Car—Taylor Swift
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This song from Reputation is adrenaline inducing. I don’t know how much more needs to be said about it. Taylor has a way of transporting her listeners into her song, and I personally think this song does a really good job of that. With that kind of excitement, we might as well be Bonnie and Clyde in that getaway car too. A scary thought, but you get the point.
- Jump Around—House of Pain
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There are two reasons for including this song. First, nothing will get you up like this on gameday (or so I have been told). Second, and maybe more importantly, could I really be a Badger if this song did not make the list?
As the semester starts to wind down, my desire to do school work continues to get more and more stagnated. For me, music is one of the best ways to help me mitigate that feeling and refocus. I know I am no expert, and this list is in no way comprehensive: there are so many genres and artists that I didn’t get to mention who all deserve a spot. In a lot of ways, I am just scratching the surface, but hopefully you can find at least one that will help you finish out the semester as strong as you started.