Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

Like many other college students, my music app is one of the most important apps on my phone, an app that I could not live without. I definitely lean into a wide variety of musical genres, but pop and indie/folk music tend to be on a heavy rotation. 

I believe that people and their music tastes usually tend to fall into one of two categories: lyrics or music (beat). I personally lean more toward the lyrics of songs than the physical background music or beat. Here are some song recommendations that I think everyone should listen to at least once in their lifetime. 

“Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles

A lot of sentimental value is held in this song for me, The Beatles are my Uncle Tony’s favorite band, and this was a song I would constantly request because I heard it in the “Bee Movie” and instantly fell in love. As a little kid, I could never remember the name of the song or band, so the request came as “the sunshine song by the three brothers”, which is never going away. A tiny part of me will always think of The Beatles as the three brothers. This song never gets old.  

“The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by The Script

My Dad and I periodically have random music nights in which we take turns playing songs on a speaker in our kitchen. It’s a lot of fun and has created a lot of core memories. This was one of the songs I played on one of my turns and my dad instantly made me fall in love with the storyline of the lyrics in a way I hadn’t before. It was an instant add to my dad’s library and it could be added to yours too if you’ve never listened to the song.

“Like Real People Do” and “Almost (Sweet Music)” by Hozier

There is something about softer music that will always have a place in my heart. There is something about the delivery of Hozier’s lyrics mixed with the music that makes me feel so at peace when I listen to both of these songs. “Like Real People Do” feels so authentically human to me. “Almost (Sweet Music)” is so joyful yet peaceful. It reminds me of a bright, early morning where the sun is just starting to gently rise. 

“She Calls Me Back” with Kacey Musgraves and “Orange Juice” by Noah Kahan

“She Calls Me Back” is already up there as one of my favorite Noah Kahan songs, but with Kacey Musgraves on the song, it just scratches an itch in my brain I didn’t know I had; I could not stop playing this song on repeat when it was first released and don’t see myself getting sick of it any time soon. “Orange Juice” is just such a pretty song with lyrics that are written beautifully, but I am a sucker for most of Noah Kahan’s songs.  

“All I Know So Far”, “Happy”‘, and “Last Song of Your Life” by P!NK

P!NK is an artist that my mom and her friends would put on constantly, and at first, I didn’t fully get the hype and love. The “Hurts 2B Human” album, however, is a masterpiece that completely changed my view of P!NK’s music. The songs “Happy” and “Last Song of Your Life” from the album are up there for my favorites. “All I Know So Far” is from a setlist album but has such a beautiful message that feels like a mom hug and reminds me that it’s okay to not know everything all the time.  

“Evermore” album, “The Archer”, “Begin Again (Taylor’s Version)”, and “New Year’s Day” by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift and her songs could be an article all by themselves. I can’t help loving her lyrics. Her popularity can turn a lot of people away, but I advise you to look at her quieter songs. She has something for every person. Some quick and brief favorites of mine are “Long Story Short”, the entire “Evermore” album, the Long Pond Studios version of the “Folklore” album, “The Archer”, “Begin Again (Taylor’s Version)”, and “New Year’s Day”. The “Evermore” album is my no-skip album. I usually love studying and writing with the Long Pond Studios “Folklore” album in the background. “The Archer” took more than one listen to grow on me. “Begin Again” is a classic favorite that fills me with hope and the best fall time weather vibes, and “New Year’s Day” feels like teary-eyed goodbyes with the comfort of knowing you’ll see the other person soon.

“Every Girl” by Turnpike Troubadours

Apple Music considers the album this song is on as “Country”. My boyfriend recommended the song “7 & 7” by Turnpike Troubadours, and as I do with most songs and artists that are recommended to me, I go on a deep dive of the artist. I ended up liking “7 & 7”, but I love “Every Girl” more. I also wouldn’t consider this to be country, but I also always struggle to categorize music into their different genres. 

“Out of Tune” by The Backseat Lovers

Just an upbeat, pretty, lovely lyrics song. I love the flow of the song and really enjoy listening to it. I envision this mix of fall weather in the middle of summer, and the sun setting in bright colors with the temperature just a little too cold for summer. Also, the same feeling of wearing shorts and a sweatshirt in that weather mixed in with the comfort of sitting by a warm fire is present in me when I listen to this song. 

I guarantee I’ll be back with more song recommendations soon. I also hope one of these recommendations is a song you haven’t yet heard of and you get to discover something new and happier as it gets darker and darker earlier and earlier in the evenings.

Ella is a new writer/member of the St. Bonaventure Her Campus Chapter. She plans on writing pieces that cover music, literature, TV and Movies, and the happenings of her life here at SBU. Ella is a sophomore Adolescent Education Major with a concentration in English. She enjoyed doing New Visions Education during her senior year of high school, which gave her a small experience of observing middle and high school classrooms. She has enjoyed exploring all of the clubs and opportunities SBU has to offer, and continues to do so by joining Her Campus, volunteering at the SPCA, and as a member of the Bonaventure Education Association (BEA). Outside of classes and Her Campus, Ella can be found studying, reading, or outside soaking up the sun (whenever it’s an option to “photosynthesize”). Ella also loves chatting with friends as a part of her not-so-quick study breaks.