As my senior year ends, all I can do is reflect. Many emotions have gone through my head in my final month of high school through committing to college, going to prom, and signing yearbooks. If I could owe the biggest thanks to anyone/anything for these past 4 years, it would be music! It was not uncommon to see me blasting music through my headphones through D4 and getting constant notifications from my phone that my volume was enough to do damage to my ears. Through the years, I have gone through many phases of genre exploration, diving through RNB, to rap, to jazz. I have come to be very proud of my music taste and love showing my playlist to whoever asks. Today, I have a main playlist that stretches 30 hours of every song I have liked from sophomore to senior year. These are the ten best songs that have gotten me through high school.

10

“Me And Your Mama” – Childish Gambino

This song off “Awaken My Love” by Childish Gambino is one of the most complex and dramatic songs I have ever listened to. The psychedelic and mellow start to the song is peaceful and chill but quickly turns into an emotional and raw performance from Donald Glover. The dramatic change in tone and beat is by far what makes this song so unique. Both halves just make for the most interesting listen. I would love to hear this for the first time again.

9

“Stargazing” – Travis Scott

Ever since middle school, Travis Scott has been one of my favorite artists. Album after album, he has never failed to disappoint and get me in an energized mood. The album Astroworld, a nod to an old amusement park from Houston, Texas, where Scott was born, has been one of the most influential albums of my life. Every song on this album has been played millions of times for a reason. In Apple Music’s top 100 album list of all time, Astroworld was placed at 98. The song “Stargazing” is the first track to the album and usually the introduction to many of his shows. I was fortunate to see this song live at a music festival in Miami. It was by far one of the craziest experiences of my life as it was my first time seeing my favorite artist, surrounded by 30,000 people in 100-degree weather. One of the best nights of my life.

8

“505” – Arctic Monkeys

“505” by Arctic Monkeys was the first song that made me explore out of rap. “505” was the start of explorations into different genres of music and almost a start into an eye-opening phase in my life. This song holds so many memories as I love to sing along to it with friends and drive around with it blasting. The emotion in this song is so deep and natural that it makes it hard to sing it at the top of your lungs.

7

“Moonlight On The River” – Mac Demarco

“Moonlight On The River” by Mac Demarco has been there through so much. This song is truly depressing and thought-provoking in so many ways. The short set of lyrics and incredible instrumentals are what this song is all about. A popular shared experience with “Moonlight On The River” fans is having it playing after waking up after a gross nap and not knowing where you are. That might be my favorite part about it.

6

“Money Trees” – Kendrick Lamar

“Money Trees” by Kendrick Lamar is the ultimate summer song. It is not uncommon to hear this song blasting from a car in the middle of the cold summer breeze. Kendrick Lamar states “Money Trees” is “about temptation… That’s where we were at the time. Everything was about money. We didn’t care about nothing else truthfully,” he states in an interview with Complex Magazine. The complex and deep meanings are something Lamar has made notable throughout his albums and this one is no exception. This is one of his best.

5

“This Charming Man” – The Smiths

My obsession with The Smiths started at the beginning of senior year when I was introduced by a coworker. I honestly thought it was a phase, though my friends are all tired of me playing The Smiths every time they tell me to put a song on in the car. This upbeat and catchy tune never fails to put some pep in my step. The simple story of a charming man is put in such a weird but understandable way. I plan on playing this song all the time this summer.

4

“Long Time” – Playboi Carti

Through its simple lyrics, unusual beat, and uplifting message, rapper Playboi Carti has made one of the most thought-provoking songs in all of modern rap. Through its lyrics, the song reflects on the challenges faced in Carti’s pursuit of fame in the music industry as opposed to a normal career. “Long Time” brings up hardships and an eventual success that is so inspiring. This song has accompanied many lonely car rides home late at night.

3

“I Wonder” – Kanye West

It is crazy to think that this album was released when I was only 2 years old. This inspirational song from one of the most influential artists ever reflects success and joy. “Graduation” is hitting incredibly hard as of now as we are so close to actual graduation. We can feel the joy and sadness through the high school as we walk through these halls for the last time.

2

“Ivy” – Frank Ocean

We all like to wonder “Where is Frank Ocean?” on the regular, but does it matter if he has released songs like this? “Ivy” is one of the greatest songs off “Blonde,” Ocean’s infamous album that landed at 5 on Apple Music’s best albums of all time. The relaxed beat paired with soothing vocals from Ocean is favored by all, forever. Through his short catalog, Frank Ocean has cemented himself as one of the greatest musicians in RnB.

1

“Jukebox Joints” – A$AP Rocky

Five minutes and twenty-three seconds of absolute perfection. Each line, beat switch, and sample make this song so incredible. I have a bad tendency of getting over songs after listening to them for about a month. “Jukebox Joints” comes nowhere close to that. This is one song that I will never skip and will always sing along to. Pure bliss. To everyone who is graduating very soon, Kanye West drops a lyric that evokes peace, “More power to you, my lovely one.”