The October to December stretch is a frightening time in the fall semester. Deadlines start creeping up, midterms and finals rear their ugly heads, and the weather starts to get gloomier. It can feel like a neverending loop of exams and coursework. Many students feel an immense amount of academic burnout this time of year. If your spirits are down, here is a playlist of three songs to heal and encourage you.
“You Say I Love You” by Quiet Light
“You Say I Love You” feels like a bittersweet ending to a chapter in one’s life. The ethereal and mysterious vocals performed by Quiet Light combined with the choppy, echoey production make it feel like her voice is fading from the memory of the lover she’s singing to. The upbeat drums, operatic synth, and final addition of violin create a refreshing sentiment of acceptance in letting something or someone go. I listened to this song a lot when studying for midterms, and it gave me the motivation to let the stress go and think about the freeing feeling of completing half of the semester.
“EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED” by Tiffany Day
This personal track from Day highlights the emotional turmoil one feels after achieving goals that they worked hard for. The heavy autotune on her voice plays with the juxtaposition of the rawness in her lyrics; she sings, “If this is everything I’ve ever wanted / Why does it feel like something’s missing? / God, I question, is this actually real?” It feels like a diary entry. As her lyrics become more intense and personal, so does the instrumental. It builds up with glitchy beats after the lyrics repeat, “If this is everything I’ve ever wanted / Everything-thing I’ve ever wanted,” until it quiets into just her processed vocals. Again, like Quiet Light’s, this song feels like a wave of tension release — exactly what one needs after midterms. Listen to “EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED,” contemplate your life, and accept it for what it is.
“How To Teleport” by Jane Remover
Throughout this song, there are heavy drums that resemble Chicago footwork (a subgenre of electronic music). The production is chaotic, including sounds of whistles, the popular “eh” sample used in songs like “That Girl” by Pharrell Williams, and glass shattering — it is quintessentially hyperpop, an experimental pop subgenre that gained prominence in the 2010s. However, the lyrics are still personal. Jane Remover sings, “Whatever it takes to forget all my mistakes / It’s just something to put me out,” referring to someone doing anything to drown out their thoughts. I believe the production is as chaotic as it is because it is physically hard to think of anything else while listening to the song. So while you’re pondering your midterm results, you can listen to “How To Teleport” to dance and drown out your thoughts.
