The College Years: A Playlist
I’m graduating this semester, so I thought it would be fun to make a playlist of the sounds of my time as an undergrad. I came to Rutgers in the fall of 2013… there were some stops and breaks between then and now, and it’s been my experience in this space that life moves a 100 mph. Memory often gets blurry and distorted, but I’ve found music to be useful in recollecting some bits of my own life. In that sense, I ‘ve found music can sometimes be polaroids, capturing moments in time… you can remember exactly where you were, what you were doing, or how you felt. It’s a slow burn, and in a space that moved so fast, music helped me slow down and process it all. It’s not cohesive in terms of genre… I tried to be eclectic as possible, as my own taste of music is very much so. I drew on different sounds, and I kept in mind songs that crossed over into the mainstream so hopefully, you the reader, recognize a few.
Wake Me Up – Avicii ft. Aloe Blacc
This song was part of the EDM revival of the early 2010s. Dance music was mainstream again… European acts and DJs were collaborating with some of pop’s biggest stars and making giant sounding records. The Swedish producer/DJ flips the original Aloe Blacc record, drawing in irish folk sounds combined with house beats. In the video below, you’ll see the crowd not exactly moving to the song. This was also my experience... I really didn’t take to it at first, after a few listens the whole world fell in love. It’s a song of self-discovery, and at my young ripe age of 18, it became an anthem. Rest in power, Avicii, and thank you.
Hold On, We’re Going Home – Drake ft. Majid Jordan
There was a time Drake was on constant rotation. Emotional and sensitive Drake was good for everyone… women liked the tenderness, and boys embraced the introspection. I remember this at the basement parties… slimy and gross, but there we were, singing along. Not a rap song and no time for commitment as Drake says, but in a new city, there’s always that one person we have our eyes on. Just in case, you know.
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars
A really special tune. It’s an R&B song, but it’s upbeat and draws on 80’s funk and soul. It’s retro, damn it felt so refreshing. I loved the sexual innuendoes in it, and that line “Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold”… hell of a hook. Who said R&B had to be moody all the time? This is one of those songs I couldn’t escape even if I tried, but I didn’t mind. Perhaps because it draws on an older sound I remember more experienced (!) folk taking to it more. One of my best friends sang his heart out at a get together once to this. He had some pretty good moves to show for it, too.
Lean On – Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft MØ
All we need is somebody to lean on. Banger, son. It’s a reggae-house tune that made its way into the mainstream. I used to have an apartment on George Street, and at the time I thought I was the coolest thing going, a young Gatsby throwing weekend balls. What I really wanted was some company, and this song captured that feeling so well.
Drake again, I know. I try to distance myself form him now, but I can’t deny his tunes were part of my journey. I was poolside in the summer of 2016 in Los Angeles. This tune helped dancehall and afrobeats enter the American mainstream again, and I loved that so much. It was sensual… all I did was groove and move that summer. I’ll leave it at that, shouts Summer ’16.
Pick Up the Phone – Travis Scott & Young Thug ft Quavo
Listen to the intro. The “steel drum” beat has that boyish swag. I just turned 21 and was new to the club scene. Really fun and obnoxious.
A relationship didn’t work out for me and I tried to win the girl back . J. Cole gave me some ideas that were subtle and simple. Maybe one day.
Around the World- Kings of Leon
I don’t listen to much rock and alternative music like I used to, so when Kings of Leon dropped their album in September of 2016, I actually set time to give it a listen. I had been gone from Rutgers for a year, so the idea of “being around the world”, or elsewhere, really resonated with me. There is life outside of the university space, believe me.
Slide – Calvin Harris ft Frank Ocean & Migos
Calvin Harris departs from the house records that defined his career and released his Funk Wav Bounces project, the focus being a mix of funk (duh), R&B, hip-hop, and soul. I had fallen out of love with those big dance records, so as far as I was concerned, Calvin was sharing gospel. Probably my favorite record on this playlist (no, definitely. Ask my friends.) People come and go in your life, and it was a lesson that I was coming to terms with. It’s evaluating relationships of all kind, and as you get older you realize not everyone sticks around for the long run.
What Lovers Do – Maroon 5 ft SZA
Growing up, I was a massive Maroon 5 fan. I was singing about love before I even knew what the emotion really was. Those guys always put a pop hit out every now and again that I enjoy, and this one sticks out because of the wonderful guest feature that is SZA. As I listened to more R&B in my early twenties, I found SZA and I thought her ability of storytelling was second to none. This record is more pop and doesn’t do her justice, but check out SZA’s own body of work when you the chance. Just wonderful, really introspective and insightful. This was one of those songs that just gave me a pep to my step when I worked my retail job over the weekend.
A Spanish record for the club. Sensual and lustful. Checking out so and so at the club and being seduced by the ambience of it all. “No poetry to it”, as Nicky Jam says. Some songs are really good for being in the moment, and this one does the trick every time.
As I wrap up my time at Rutgers, it’s nice to look back and think of the journey. It’s hard to remember everything, but this is a good alternative. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, but I think that’s a beautiful thing. It’s normal to feel the range of emotions at some point… it’s human nature (shouts M.J) It’s nice to trace one’s own taste in music change over time as well. Invariably, people become open to new sounds, or appreciate the wordsmiths at hand in the heavier songs. I commuted most of time at Rutgers, so on the car rides home I listened to as much music as I could. I felt it all. And there are so many songs I left out… next time. Hope you enjoyed, x.
