Viktoria Georgieva ’23
“My go-to song is always ‘Achilles Come Down’ by Gang of Youths. It is based on ‘The Iliad’ and the story of Troy, but I like to think of it in a modern-day setting as if Achilles is less of a demigod but rather just a boy… I am typically fond of upbeat songs, the kind of songs you can dance to and just not think too much about. But the style of ‘Achilles Come Down’ has a very specific charm…This song is really a poetry piece with violins for background which I feel very conflicted about– my opinions on this song change and that’s why I recommend it– some days I feel cynical and as if nothing makes sense and the song is just a pathetic attempt from a random Aussie band. On other occasions I just sit with my headphones and I allow myself to appreciate it, I don’t try to understand it.”
Ally Kim ’24
“I would recommend ‘Higher’ by Ailee featuring Yiruma. I think both [the lyrics and the melody] make this song special and my friend sang it to me a long time ago when we were both feeling down and that’s when I started listening to it. I’ve listened to this song for a long time. I think that the melody definitely contributes because it’s very positive and sounds inspirational, [with] the lyrics ‘nothing can stop you’ and ‘going higher.’ It’s a very straightforward song and it doesn’t have a hidden meaning or anything, it’s very positive and inspirational…When I’m going through a hard time or if I’m not feeling proud of myself, I always like to listen to it just because it makes me feel like there’s nowhere down to go and I can only go higher from this point.”
April Arabian ’24
“I would recommend ‘Sign of the Times’ by Harry Styles. It’s about loving someone but ultimately realizing that you aren’t meant for them and that your relationship patterns just repeat themselves. It’s definitely not a happy song, but I do love the chords used because of the nostalgic feelings they create. I think this probably falls under pop more since it’s Harry Styles, but I think I’m particularly drawn to this style of his music over his more popular songs because the emotion of the piece is captured in not only the lyrics, but in his voice as well… The overall vibe of the song is what really sells it. It’s honestly a combination of the vocals, the instrumentals, and the tempo of the piece itself.”
Sarah Zhang ’24
“‘Are You Satisfied’ by Marina and The Diamonds. The lyrics embody the feeling of self-imposed pressure that many students can probably relate to, especially around ultimate and finals week. It has a satisfying melody that you can sing along to on late night study sessions. This song reminds me that I’m not alone and motivates me to do better.”
Athena Rhee ’24
“The song I would recommend is ‘Rum n Tequila’ by John K. The song is about the process of moving on after breaking up, but it expresses it in a very light-hearted and sanguine way, which sets it apart from most break-up songs… I feel like this song is the perfect song, especially such a stressful time of the term: finals week. We’re probably all very anxious about the insane workload awaiting us, and I think this is a perfect song to cheer up. I listen to this song a lot these days because as the lyrics say, it helps me numb the pain of finals, except not with rum and tequila of course.”
Lora Oh ’23
“I’ve been listening to ‘Finesse’ by Bruno Mars, especially with the Cardi B remix, and I’ve been listening to it at least once every three days. [The song is] very upbeat and makes me very happy. I feel like it’s more to beat the melody [that impacts this song] because it has a bouncy and excited tone which really gets me energized and happy.”
