I’m one of those people who has music around… all the time. Yeah, like every second of every minute. If my Bluetooth speaker isn’t blasting music, then I’m humming some tunes. If I’m out and circumstances are preventing me from singing, then I’m internally Beyoncé-ing. Call me weird, but I bet I’m not the only one. How can we be college students and not be bopping our heads to some beats or rifting along to some crazy R&B melodies? Come on, our shower heads know how much of a diva we all are.
So from a fellow shower-Mariah Carey to another, here’s my big reveal — WOMP: What’s On My Playlist?
1. Belong to You — Sabrina Claudio
Every morning when I wake up, you’ll easily find me listening to the sweet sweet tunes of Sabrina Claudio’s Belong to You. Honestly, it is the most sensuous, most freeing, angelic, and calming voice ever. Talk about ear-candy! For some reason, I just think of crisp white linen sheets and oversized shirts when I listen to this — who knew sound could be so aromatic? I wake up and go to bed to this music.
2. Ego — Beyoncé
Queen B is real, let me tell you. And my playlist is full of classics; I’m classy that way. There’s just something about Beyoncé’s old songs. Don’t get me wrong, Lemonade is great and I love Partition just as much as the next one, but her earlier albums… well, let’s just say there’s a firm foundation to her acquisition of unequivocal “Queen” title. After all, like the song sings: “[she] walk like this ‘cuz [she] can back it up.”
3. Sofa — Crush
Yes, it’s true; the K.Pop trend is in. K.Pop, or Korean Pop, is stealing so many global fans’ hearts, and let me tell you — holy moly, they can sing, alright! Of course there’s a huge KPOP trend of popular girl/boy bands just rocking those catchy songs like it’s nobody else’s business, but KPOP is so much more than that. Artists like Jay Park, Zion T, Ailee, CL, and Rocco are just making mad sounds, and Crush is on the top of this list of sirens! His work in the famous Korean Drama Goblin (he sang the iconic OST Beautiful Life) brought him global, and if you’re all about that sweet sweet honey voice, definitely check Crush’s Sofa out… because guess how awww-ing the lyrics are? “I sit on the sofa where you used to sit, and I stare blankly at the door wondering if you’ll come back…” Waterworks ON.
4. Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse) — Mark Ronson with Amy Winehouse
And it’s time to visit some classics of the classics. Who didn’t shed a tear when the voice of the era, no other than Amy Winehouse passed away at such a young age? She might be gone, but that does not mean the public is so easily willing to let her go. Her raspy, raw, and one-of-a-kind untamed voice resonates hard through her masterpieces even to this day. Starting from her sassy & jazzy tunes of Hey Little Rich Girl to the all-time-favorite, iconic Rehab, Amy Winehouse’s songs marked legends after legends. And Valerie — oh Valerie is just speechless. That perfect combination of playfulness, richness, and scratchiness! Who would ever believe that one of the reasons Amy Winehouse was almost always drunk on stage was because she had stage fright?!
5. Yes — Beyoncé
Now, I know we already hailed our Queen B. But let’s admit it — how is it doing her justice if only one of her songs makes it to my top playlist? Also, talk about prolific! Beyoncé’s ability to cross all genres of songs is amazing, which is why Ego and Yes both deserve to be on this list! The level of sass you get in Yes makes us all just want to drop the mic and pluck our lips like ducks. Not to mention Beyoncé is preaching hard in this song! “I said yes we can be together, yes you can stay with me, but when I say no not tonight you actin’ so ungratefully. The first time I said no, it’s like I never said yes… You are so ungrateful, mmm-mmm-mmmh.”
6. Raining — Margo Seibert (from the Musical “Rocky”)
So one thing you need to know about me is: I am a musical theatre junkie. Which means, it is a miracle that I only managed to fit one musical song here. Normally you’ll get 8 out of 10. But my current indulgence is Raining from the Musical “Rocky.” My goodness, the heartbreaking tunes just take me to a gray and red boxing arena, smudged with tear and sweat marks here and there as I fail to look away from my baby putting his guard up against an equally fierce opponent. Talk about biting down your tongue and chipping away pieces of your soul every time you let this song take you to that place.
7. Versace on the Floor — Bruno Mars
What is a college life without some Bruno Mars’ eargasmic belting and rifts? That man knows how to use his god-given instrument! And I can’t help but admit, he makes me feel damn-sexy whenever I listen to this particular song, Versace on the Floor. As a broke college student, I may not be wearing a Versace, but that blessed voice sure makes me want to drop my Forever 21 sundress on the floor. Oh yeah.
8. Mean — Taylor Swift
Let’s go back to the once-upon-a-time when Taylor Swift wasn’t revisiting her teenage spasm and spitting cringy lines like “I’ve got bad blood” or “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone… why? Because she’s dead.” Do you remember that time? When Taylor Swift was actually the one-and-only queen of mainstream country music, and her pretty voice and sweet guitar skills were enough to awe the audience? Yeah, this song is from that era. Mean, along with songs like Love Story, Fifteen, You Belong With Me, and Back to December all left huge brush strokes on the musical canvas. So if you’re getting a little tired of her (literally) repeating what everyone made her do, revisit those earlier works — they’re actually great songs, I promise!