Weekly Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dwzevGzbePAYJj7axBCup?si=Wp47W7skStKnMKjNCLlRcQ 

Daija’s picks

1. Lorde – “Big Star”
2. Gabrielle Aplin – “Panic Cord”
3. Fleetwood Mac – “Landslide” 

“Big Star” will hit home for a lot of dog lovers out there. Lorde revealed in 2018 in an email to fans that her dog Pearl had passed and then later revealed in 2021 that Pearl inspired the song. Lorde talks about how she’s always been a shy person but Pearl gave her the chance to open up. The lyrics about missing Pearl but also being grateful for him are accompanied by a piano ballad that sets the tone.

I chose an Aplin song for last week’s playlist and this week I chose “Panic Cord” because this song brings back good memories. Aplin sings about a boy who likes her but she doesn’t reciprocate those same feelings, which he can’t understand. The guitar instrumental is fairly simple but gives the song an upbeat feeling despite its lyrics. 

This song deals with reflecting on life and its choices which I think correlates to how some students may feel now that the semester is over. Stevie Nicks, the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac, wrote this for her former partner and bandmate Lindsey Buckingham about their life before the band and if they were in the stage of their lives they wanted to be in.

Angelina’s picks 

1. Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers – “Islands In The Stream”
2. Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers – “Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (Taylor’s Version)” 
3. James Arthur – “Naked” 

Written by the Bee Gees and recorded by Parton and Rogers in 1982, “Islands In The Stream” illustrates what it is like to be in love with someone you have waited for your whole life. Being friends with someone before you enter into a relationship creates a special bond that is hard to create through any other means. The lyrics explain the two people being each other’s “Island In The Stream,” the rock you can hold on to if you need saving, always there for you. 

“Nothing New ” is a song Swift wrote for her 2012 album “Red,” but unfortunately was cut from the record until she was able to rerelease the album and include the original songs that didn’t make it. The lyrics describe what it has been like for her growing up in the music industry. Women in the industry have to reinvent themselves numerous times to keep the audience interested, while most men do not face that challenge, so Swift expresses her fear of failing to be able to connect to her audience. The chorus perfectly shows this by asking, “And will you still want me when I’m nothing new?” 

British singer-songwriter James Arthur is known for his emotional ballads, and “Naked” does not fall short. It is about the pure vulnerability Arthur feels with his significant other. He is ready to take the next step with her, but she is hesitant. He is tired of giving his all in the relationship while she is only giving half the effort. The chorus states, “I’m not going to try ‘til you decide you’re ready to swallow all your pride. I’m standing here naked.” 

Abby’s picks

1. Bill Wurtz – “Money”
2. Lizzo – “Better in Color”
3. The Foxies – “Oblivion”

A funkier track of Wurtz’s, “Money” was released three months after his prodigal return track of 2021, “Here Comes the Sun.” As the title suggests, Wurtz contemplates money and its place in society through back-and-forth play with major and minor keys. The track keeps the listener on their toes as the rhythms and discordant harmonies unexpectedly collide, and the lyrics pull the listener in, which explores the pitfalls of currency as a construct.

Lizzo has described “Better in Color” as “the nerdiest song I have ever written” on Apple Music. While this may be true, there’s no denying the powerful, sometimes growling vocals and stomp-along beat that correspond to and uplift her “nerdy” lyrics. Her song is a message of celebration and sexual liberation: She’s “got the whole world for the pickin’.” 

The Foxies earned popularity more recently through tracks like “Timothée Chalamet” and “Deep Sea Diver,” each of which has over 1 and 2 million streams on Spotify respectively. “Oblivion,” however, comes off their lesser-known debut EP from 2016, also titled “Oblivion.” It’s melodically simple, which makes it perfect, chill background music when hanging out with friends.

Laqes’s picks

1. Damien Rice – “It Takes a Lot to Know a Man”
2. Ed Sheeran – “Give Me Love”
3. Elton John – “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)”

“It Takes A Lot To Know A Man” by Damien Rice appeared on his 2014 album “My Favourite Faded Fantasy.” Rice’s song conveys the message of vulnerability and understanding; to sympathize with one another, one must put themselves into someone else’s shoes. Then to be vulnerable, one must shed their ego, to surrender to another’s help. Upon listening, prepare for the song to take you on an emotional rollercoaster. 

“Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran was released in 2011 on the album “+.” Sheeran began the brainstorming process of this song while at a friend’s garden shed located in Suffolk. The genre of this song falls under alternative, indie and R&B. The singer’s lyrics portray the experience of hoping for a broken relationship to mend itself back together.

“Rocket Man,” written by Elton John, appeared on the album “Honky Chateau” in 1972. The song falls under the genres of soft rock, alternative, indie and pop. It expresses the experience of loneliness and the empty feeling of separation from family. Some believed “Rocket Man” referenced substance abuse, but Bernie Taupin, a lyricist who worked with John said the inspiration for the song derived from a short story based on astronauts in the future, called “The Rocket Man” by Ray Bradbury.

Madelaine’s picks

1. Harry Styles – “Satellite”
2. Sunbeam Sound Machine – “Wandering, I”
3. The 1975 – “Pressure”

“Satellite” comes off of Styles’ newest album, “Harry’s House,” released May 20. The song is very upbeat and is about noticing someone is lonely and letting them know that you are waiting right there for them whenever they want to make the first move. This song is arguably one of the best from this album.

If you tend to worry about the passing of time and how quickly years can go by, these lyrics will be easy to understand and relate to. Sunbeam Sound Machine, real name Nick Sowersby, released their first album “Wonderer” in 2014, “Wandering, I” being the second track.

Looking for a song to transport you back to 2013-2014? Anything by The 1975 will do the trick. “Pressure” is one of the last tracks on The 1975’s 2013 self-titled album. This song has a groovy-inspired beat to it and the lyrics touch on the pressure that comes with difficult topics such as media and growing up.