Music has always been a powerful tool for expression. There always seems to be a song out there that can express some type of emotion I am feeling. Music connects so many people, whether it be through the emotions the song is portraying or the genre, it's influential. I have never experienced a point in my life where I was not interested in music. I have favorite genres such as EDM or alternative, but all music regardless of genres has changed me. It has moved me to feel all different types of emotions. It has also allowed me to interpret every lyric into something that I believe it to be. Music has spoken to me in so many ways and it is truly is a gift. It has been able to tell my life story.

1. Green Light by Lorde

This song for me is not only a song that makes me want to get up and dance, but it is a song that makes it okay to not want to let go of someone whether it be yourself or someone else. Fear of moving on can be so hard and difficult to overcome and she explains that through this song. It has allowed me to feel as though I can be connected to another person even when we aren't supposed to be. Her music and dance moves connect me to her. I am also incredibly excited to see her at Lollapalooza.

2. Shake It Out by Florence + The Machine

I fall in love with this song every time I hear it. I have always had trouble with holding onto my issues and bottling them up, but the message behind this song empowers me to just let go. I need to just shake out all of these thoughts that control my mind and instead let the positive thoughts in. All of Florence + The Machine's music has a meaning behind it that has helped me move on through my darkest of times.

3. Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

There are always periods in my life where I have felt change was occurring, but this past year has been the biggest change of them all. My days of being a child were slowly fading and I was growing up. I was making new friends and creating new memories. I was also letting go of some people and ideas that I had focused so much of my life on. This song comforts me in this period of change though because I feel that it helps me realize being on my own is normal.

4. Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison

This song reminds me of my dad. When I was little I would complain how no one ever wrote a song about someone named Allison so he told me that this song was made for me. This started my love for music. I got my love for all different genres of music from my dad. Music creates a sense of being and I cannot begin to explain how happy I am that I am my dad's "brown eyed girl."

5. Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie

Whenever I feel as though the world seems to be coming down on me this song finds its way to me, blaring through my headphones. It's one of those classic songs I could listen to for hours on repeat. It always makes me realize just how much everyone else is struggling. It also makes me realize how I cannot give up on myself and others around me just because of some struggles. This song reminds me that even though I may be having a bad day, someone out there could be having a worse one.

6. Weak by AJR

I am weak. It's as simple as that for me. I struggle with so much around me, but I know I can't give up. I have to embrace the fact I feel weak and alone at times. I'm going to go through points where I continue to fall down because of my weaknesses, but that means I just have to continue to become a stronger and better person. But I should never do that for anyone else but myself.

7. Weekend by Louis The Child and Icona Pop

This has to accurately describe how I feel every weekend. It's a song that you can just get up and dance to and have fun with. It is a song for the weekend, for getting ready, or if you just need to dance around. It is just a fun song to listen to.

8. Vienna by Billy Joel

This song can make me cry every time I listen to it. It seems to understand every feeling I feel about about myself when it comes to how everything has to have an immediate change. Life is a slow and steady process that takes time. I need to slow down and learn to just be okay with the way my life is heading and if I'm not okay with it I need to make a steady change. With that steady change though, I cannot get frustrated if it takes a little bit more time than I was expecting.

9. Eyes Open by Taylor Swift

This song relates to me in sense I feel like I constantly having to be on edge and ready for anything to happen. I constantly have this idea of needing to be perfect in the eyes of those around me. I feel every young adult feels that though. It feels as though people are just looking for you to make a mistake they are not looking for anything else but mistakes. This constant struggle comes through in this song.

10. Try by Colbie Caillat

Society puts so much pressure on young girls to look and act a certain way. Is that what young girls want though? No. I constantly feel this need to act and look perfect though for my "friends" and boys. This should not be necessary though. I should be able to be who I am and not pretend to be something else. That is why I have been trying to do things that I would want to do and look the way I want to look.

11. Flaws by Bastille

The biggest thing I have learned this year came from my friend. I have always thought I needed to be perfect and keep every emotion and flaw hidden, but I have learned now that's not necessary. I need to start embracing my flaws and allowing others to see them. My flaws make me who I am and I want to start to embrace all of them.

12. i hate u, i love you by Gnash and Olivia O'Brien

It is the hardest thing in the world to deal with someone you know is not good for you, yet you can not seem to leave them behind. You seem to be attached no matter how much you try to pull away you always seem to come back. This song shows all those feeling of frustration and love. How sometimes love can be toxic. You have to slowly learn to move on.

13. Thy Will by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family

So many things can leave you feeling broken. I have felt broken so many times in the past and never knew who I could turn to. I just wanted someone to listen to me. It took me so long to realize someone has always been listening to me. There is always one person listening to me even when I do not know it. I know that there is a plan for me and that I have to just go along for the ride.

14. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong UNITED

When I was a senior in high school I first heard this song. At the time it really meant nothing to me, but as I continued this last year and a half of my life I have learned that this song means more than I could have every thought. It proves to me that no matter how much I want to give up at times and just stop, God won't let me. There is always going to be someone out there that is looking out for me and keeping me strong.

15. Baba O'Riley by The Who

It only seemed fitting that I ended with this song. This is my go to song for every emotion I may be feeling. I am not exactly sure why I love it so much, but it just means the world to me. This song has never allowed me to feel lost it has made me feel better every time I listened to it. Sometimes the best songs are the ones you can not explain why you like them so much.

All these songs have seen me through my whole life. They have guided me and allowed me to have feelings of pure joy. They have allowed me to cry and smile. If there is one thing I know for sure is that my love of music is not going anywhere. I continue to look for new songs and hope that music can help so many others in their lives as well.