There’s a million songs about the wild highs and lows of being a teenager. Between raging hormones, first relationships, wild parties and rebellious phases, it’s the perfect life stage to inspire a hit tune.
But what about those of us who had a more tame teenage experience? I’m talking about the kids who stayed home on Friday nights with their SAT prep books, the ones who played video games with their friends instead of heading to the hottest party, the wallflowers reading in the bleachers at the school dance. When do their stories get told?
Rest assured, those kids will get their moment to shine (trust me- I was one!), but it sometimes comes later in life- in college or even post-graduation. And that’s okay! Maybe you don’t meet your closest friends until you land your first job after college. Maybe your first love is sitting next to you in your campus spirit org meeting, instead of your high school math class.
Life can be full of powerful new experiences at any- and every!- stage. Here are ten songs that celebrate moving at your own pace, and living all of the highs and lows to the fullest.
- “Give Yourself A Try” - The 1975
“You learn a couple things when you get to my age/ Like friends don't lie and it all tastes the same in the dark/ When your vinyl and your coffee collection is a sign of the times/ You're getting spiritually enlightened at 29
2. “Late Bloomer” - Leah Nobel
“Time is already fast enough/ So, tell me what's the big rush?/ Who cares what they say/ Do it your own way at your own pace”
3. “Yes I’m Changing” - Tame Impala
Yes, I'm changing, yes, I'm gone/ Yes, I'm older, yes, I'm moving on/ And if you don't think it's a crime, you can come along with me
4. “Losers” - The Belle Brigade
“There will always be someone better than you/ Even if you're the best/ So let's stop the competition now/ Or we will both be losers
5. “Ribs” - Lorde
“This dream isn't feeling sweet, we're reeling through the midnight streets/ And I've never felt more alone/ It feels so scary getting old
6. “I Can’t Handle Change” - R.O.A.R
“Hangin' out where I don't belong is nothing new to me/ I get tired, and I get sick, and then I lose the strength to leave/ I can't handle change
7. “Sidelines” - Phoebe Bridgers
“Watch the world from the sidelines/ Had nothing to prove/ 'Til you came into my life/ Gave me something to lose/ Now I know what it feels like/ To wanna go outside
8. “Ceilings” - Lizzy McAlpine
“I can't recall the last time I was kissed/ It hits me in the car/ And it feels like the end of a movie I've seen before
9. “Don’t Delete the Kisses” - Wolf Alice
“I look at your picture and I smile/ How awful is that? I'm like a teenage girl/ I might as well write all over my notebook/ That you rock my world
10. “Vienna” - Billy Joel
“Slow down, you're doing fine/ You can't be everything you want to be before your time”
