Weekly Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3CrSRgASW74bCcJnv8Hbwm?si=GI1TFv14Q2GiLLmy6jAqBA 

Madelaine’s picks

1. Vacations – “Telephones”
2. COIN – “I Would”
3. Arctic Monkeys – “Mad Sounds”

Alternative-indie pop band Vacations has an impressive over five million followers on Spotify. The lyrics are about how even though someone isn’t in the singer’s life, they will always be in his thoughts. “Telephones” consists of a surf-pop inspired guitar, light, rhythmic drum beat and lead singer Campbell Burns’ smooth voice. The song comes off of the Australian band’s 2018 album “Changes.”

COIN is a pop-rock band, arguably best known for their song “Talk Too Much.” “I Would” comes from the band’s 2015 self-titled album and features lyrics about a romantic relationship becoming increasingly more serious. If you’re looking for an upbeat love song, this is one to listen to.

“Mad Sounds” is from alternative indie-rock band Arctic Monkeys’ popular 2013 album “AM.” The band has over 23 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Older songs of theirs have recently gained popularity again on TikTok. Lead singer Alex Turner has a very distinctive sounding voice that can be instantly recognized. This song is one of the band’s more slow indie tracks.

Bailey’s picks

1. Anderson .Paak, Bruno Mars, Silk Sonic – “Smokin Out The Window”
2. RealestK – “WFM”
3. Eyedress, Dent May – “Something About You”

Bruno Mars has been a popular pop artist since the early 2000s. His collaboration with Anderson .Paak in “Smokin Out The Window” stays true to Mars’ style. The song became extremely popular through TikTok in late 2021. 

“WFM,” which stands for “wait for me,” is a R&B/soul song released in October 2021. The song lyrics describe a relationship where the two are never quite on the same page. The singers continuously ask each other to “wait for me.”

“Something About You” is an alternative rock song that was released in 2021. This song is not the typical style for Eyedress, however, the change was a nice difference from their typical music. 

Daija’s picks

1. Hozier – “Wasteland, Baby!”
2. Baby Keem – “trademark usa”
3. Abby Cates – “saw ur mom at the grocery store”

“Wasteland, Baby!” is the last track on Hozier’s second album of the same name. The song compares falling in love to an apocalypse because it’s scary and destructive, but can lead to new beginnings. The meaning, paired with Hozier’s deep, husky vocals and the strums of the guitar, make this song cozy and a perfect ending to an album.

Baby Keem may be Kendrick Lamar’s cousin, but he’s definitely making his own mark in the rap world and “trademark usa” shows that. Keem knows how to keep his flow consistent even when the beat slightly changes. His lyrics are simple and straightforward, but the way he raps them adds the extra emphasis that makes this song so exciting and a great way to open his debut album.

“saw ur mom at the grocery store” is a breakup song that you will want to scream at the top of your lungs. It details the awkward encounter of running into your ex’s mom and wanting to tell her everything, but knowing it’s better to stay silent. Cates has soft vocals, but gets powerful at just the right moments.

Kyron’s picks

1. Maroon 5 – “This Love”
2. Brent Faiyaz – “Fuck the World (Summer in London)”
3. J. Cole – “Wet Dreamz”

“This Love” is one of the earliest songs by Maroon 5 that caught the attention of what would become longtime fans of the group. This band stands out because they have always managed to incorporate innovations of electronic music and hip-hop. Nonetheless, the band never strays away from mainly incorporating pop and rock into their catalog. Adam Levine provides his talents as the lead vocalist for the group. 

Brent Faiyaz, combines lyrics about toxic relationship traits with instrumentals you would probably hear in a rhythm and blues classic from the ‘90s. The chorus is edited to drastically change the vocal pitch of Faiyaz, with lyrics that will quickly become catchy and make you want to dance.

This song is more on the sexually explicit side, yet tells a coming of age story. With a great beat to assist the vivid imagery and storytelling ability of J. Cole, the song is about Cole having an attraction to a classmate. In detail, the lyrics describe the anxiety and pressure that comes with a young man losing his virginity for the first time, but with a plot twist in the last verse. 

Grace’s picks 

1. Silverchair – “Freak” 
2. Deftones – “Change (In the House of Flies)” 
3. Joji – “Will He” 

Silverchair is an Australian rock band that definitely does not get enough credit. The band took off when the members were in high school and were met with great praise. The lead singer has a very similar sound to Kurt Cobain, so if you love Nirvana but have overplayed all of their songs, check out Silverchair. This song has a hard rock feel with grungy lyrics. 

Deftones has a trance-like sound. This song has a cool vibe, a combination of angst and relaxation. Since the band has a soft yet hard sound, you can listen to them in many different settings. “Change (In the House of Flies)” also has a satisfying hook.. 

Ex-YouTuber Joji made his way into music and surprised a lot of people with his soft soulful voice. Very different from his presence on YouTube, his unique music gained popularity on TikTok. “Will He” is a breakup song that will definitely have you in your feelings. 

Quade’s picks 

1. Maroon 5 – ”Misery”
2. Michael Jackson – “Love Never Felt So Good”
3. Taylor Swift – “Look What You Made Me Do”

“Misery” has reared its head back into the public consciousness from the remix with another song “CPR” by cupcakKe. The song is pretty good on its own with Adam Levine delivering his signature funky vocals.

Michael Jackson’s discography is legendary, producing such hits as “Billy Jean” and “Beat It.” His song “Love Never Felt So Good” made use of Jackson’s ability to make catchy lyrics, but still pales in comparison to his earlier hits.

It’s time for a throwback with Taylor Swift. The singer-songwriter released this hit back in 2017 as part of her album “Reputation.” While it fails at being a diss track, it’s still a catchy song.