Every week, Monday sneaks around and everyone has a case of the “Mondays," usually lasting until Thursday. When I went to work this week, I had a sudden urge to listen to some good music with actual meaning to it. It made my week a whole lot better, and before I knew it, it was Friday. Here is my old school playlist:

1. Whitney Houston – "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"

I always have this song stuck in my head, but when I actually listened to it, I wanted to go out to the club and actually dance with somebody. This song instantly lifts my spirit and my mood, so I was motivated to do my work. I mean, who doesn't like a good dance with someone? This song is all about what happens when the sun goes down and the night arrives, you dance! They need to add this song to all the playlists in the clubs. Don’t you wanna dance? Say you wanna dance. *dance*

2. TLC – "No Scrubz"

This song immediately puts me back to the music video and all the cool galactic things that they did. This song is an anthem to not take any mess from anyone, because you don’t want it. Another main reason I love this song is because they put so much emphasis on saying “no,” which is a constant saying of mine. TLC's message is still relevant to this day.

3. Mariah Carey – "Hero"

I am not going to lie, when I heard this song, I thought I was Mariah Carey performing live at the Proctor's Theater. The lyrics are so powerful and meaningful. After hearing this song, the hero in me revealed herself and got me through the rest of the week. It encouraged me to stay on the road and soon, Friday would come. Not kidding.

4. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – "Crossroads"

I remember when I first heard this song when I was growing up. I did not get it at first, but today I understand it better. Even though this song is about death and everyone dying, the message is very powerful. What are you going to do when you come to the crossroads? Especially in 2016, when it seems like everyone is dying. This song is a great throwback and a good reminder for letting people know that they need to get it together while they still have time.

5. Whitney Houston – "I Have Nothing"

The only thing I can say about this song is that her vocals gave me chills. From the beginning to the end of the song, I felt everything that she was saying. I literally was at work and I just started singing it and my coworker started singing along, and it made my day a little better. Although I cannot relate to this personally, it was beautiful to hear this. Whitney is saying, “Look. I’ve been through a lot. Prove to me that you’re not like the others, because I like what we have here, and I am not going through this again.” Yes, Whitney. She definitely had to let him know. Don't walk away from her!

P.S. This song is still on repeat.

6. Boyz II Men – "End of the Road"

I don’t know why, but when I heard this song, I immediately started crying (hypothetically, of course). I was not sure if it was because you can feel the men’s pain when singing these lyrics, or that the men singing today will never say these things. I especially cried when he said he knew that she was cheating on him, but he didn’t care. He still loved her. If only more of these men existed and were out in the open today.

7. Aaliyah – Are You That Somebody

RIP to a great talent. This song has such a catchy beat that you can really make up your own dance moves to. This is another one where I wish I was in the music video. Aaliyah’s dance moves were one for the books and the lyrics were so awesome. I love its uniqueness because she’s all about being low key and mysterious with somebody, because she really needs somebody. I love how she sends the message saying, "If we're going to make this happen, let's do this as adults, because I have a reputation to maintain." Love. Love. Love.

8. Destiny’s Child – "Lose My Breath"

Hit me! This is a great workout song. For some reason, when I played it, I would instantly work harder. The beat to this song motivates me to keep up with everything that is going on, even if I am losing my breath. Honestly, if I took a Zumba class and this song came on, I would be so happy and lose about 100 pounds. Can you keep up?

9. Whitney Houston - "How Will I Know"

Yes, Whitney is coming in again as last. I have to give props to my future roommate, Meghan, who would overplay this song to death, so I had to start listening to it again. This song uplifted my entire week. I would break out into my own dance session because it's a great song. Also, the message that she is saying is still relevant to young girls today. The beat, the lyrics, the energy, everything was amazing. How will I know when it's Friday?

Everyone has ways of getting through the week or just day-to-day activities. I personally find strength and joy by listening to some good, old school music. Music that has meaning to it and uplifting beats are what we need today to get through challenging times. After all, the 80's and 90's have some of the greatest music of all time.