Ah yes, it's that time again. Midterms Week.
You hated it in high school and let's be honest, you probably hate it just as much now. The name makes you shiver. The month of work you've done seems to be a lot more than you remember, and now you have to plan your Allston hours around your Business, Society and Ethics cram sessions, which you've already scheduled around your Microeconomics tutoring sessions at Yawkey. There's only 4 people who love Midterms Week: the guy who started Insomnia Cookies, the guy who started Domino's and Ben & Jerry, or Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
Don't worry, I'm right here with you (I'm currently writing this article sitting on my floor as my Micro notes are laid all over my bed and my Calc notes are all over my desk), but one thing that always makes me feel better is my music. It makes me Superwoman -- give me my earbuds and I somehow go from switching between Snapchat and Instagram for two hours to typing up six chapters of sociology notes in 90 minutes. So please, let Jesus take the wheel for a minute while I give you my ultimate productivity playlist.
1. "ELEMENT." - Kendrick Lamar
I cannot stress ~enough~ how many times I've just played this song and suddenly have wanted to change the world, somehow. I don't know how, but I have that incentive. I mean, Kendrick went from Compton with a dad who was escaping a gang to being a multi-millionaire and Grammy winner. That counts for something.
2. "In My Life" - The Beatles
This just reminds me of home. It's this super mellow, relaxing song about reflecting on your past and the people who have changed the meaning of it for you. For me, every time I hear it, I think of my family, who has helped me through the roughest of times and are a huge reason why I'm here today. When I die, play this at my funeral.
3. "Homecoming" - Kanye West (feat. Chris Martin)
If you ever want to understand my roommate and I's relationship in a nutshell, play this song full blast, pick up a hairbrush, and start dancing around like an idiot. This song is a power jam, 100%. If I was a baseball player, this would be my walk-up song. If I was a boxer, I'd enter the ring to this song. It's just that iconic. (Bonus: Old Kanye!!)
4. "Not Enough" - Lido (feat. THEY.)
If you like classic 90's boyband vibes, this is the song for you. You will literally feel as if Joey Fatone and Justin Timberlake fell out of the sky, reincarnated as two teenage guys (again!), and started up a new band. I am low-key the biggest boyband fan of all time, so this is my dream.
5. "Cocoa Butter Kisses" - Chance the Rapper
Yes, this song isn't on Spotify or iTunes, and yes, I am salty that I have to use SoundCloud every time I want to hear it, but it's honestly 100% worth it. I always thought "Acid Rap" was better than "Coloring Book"from Chance, but he's also an icon who advocates for good people doing good things and for turning the youth into good role models and leaders of the future. That being said, this song has absolutely nothing to do with that. I just adore him.
6. "September" - Earth, Wind, and Fire
This one is self-explanatory. If you don't get down to this at any family wedding ever, are you even a real person?
7. "What Do I Know?" - Ed Sheeran
Yes, you're probably asking this question as you stare at textbooks on the verge of tears, but it's an important one to ask yourself. This song is about living in the moment, tensions in the people of the world, and focusing on the bigger picture instead of minuscule details. I think it's a very relatable, and under-appreciated, song from one of my favorite artists.
8. "Spice Girl" - Aminé
Aminé is the MOST underrated artist of the year. Yes, Caroline is absolutely ~iconic~ and it will be played at my wedding (and I will be in the middle of the dance circle when that happens), but you have to give "Good For You"a full listen to truly appreciate how wonderful he is. Also acceptable to listen to: "Wedding Crashers," "HeebieJeebies," and "Slide."
9. "8TEEN" - Khalid
Khalid is the loml. I want him to take over my social media accounts and just go crazy (seriously, have you seen his tweets?? I.con.ic.). This song is just a vibe about growing up, but it's also so relatable in the fact that we're all just broke kids trying to live our lives. He's great. Case closed.
10. "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" - Coldplay
Coldplay is my all-time favorite band, without question. I saw them in Boston a couple of months ago with my best friends and it honestly was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. This song is very nostalgic in the sense where it's about growing up and changing, but it also pushes forward. This is also when Coldplay started to adapt to the style that they're pushing forth now (past the "Yellow" stages and more into the "Viva La Vida" ones), but this song is one of their best.
So there you have it! 10 songs that will make your week a lot less of a horrendous massacre of self-doubt, but rather a week where you can turn up the volume and shut off the world. Good luck with your midterms, everyone!