We have managed to stave off our mid-semester blues with the power of music. We have gotten through midterms and the end of the semester is in sight, but the motivation to actually get there is rapidly dwindling.
You might be wondering what to do. But before that, letâs talk about how you got into such a situation in the first place.
If there is any surefire way to sap your academic motivation, it is to sit in your room, the lounge or the library with no music running through your ears. Forcing yourself to be alone with the text will only make you despise it further. You might even consider pulling the window open and launching your studies (amongst other things) right out of it.
I donât think I need to tell you where youâll find your cure, right?
My friends, donât throw out your back whipping your nearest window open. You need not do something so drastic. To help my fellow Jaspers out, I have compiled some of my favorite motivation tracks that span from the rock to electronica into one compact playlist. All you need to do is grab a pair of headphones, plug âem in and listen to it. Youâll be crossing things off of your to-do list so fast, youâll be begging for other things to do.
Isnât music wonderful?
âI Want You Back (Alive)â by Graham Parker, off of his record, Essential Graham Parker.
F*ck The Jackson 5âs version. This is the best version of the song.
Yes, I understand that The Jackson 5 wrote the song, but Graham Parker infused it with an energy and rock attitude that was missing in the original. This energy is infectious and will overwhelm your tired body with inspiration. Parker isnât going to let you go so fast â he needs you back (at the end of the semester, of course), alive.
Parkerâs voice is gruff and sharp, delivering Michael Jacksonâs lyrics with a stronger desperation. The steady tempo provides you with a comfortable beat to bob your head and scrawl sentences out to. The use of guitars gives the Motown classic a much needed revitalization by creating a fuller-sounding melody.
Just donât argue with me on this one. Youâre not going to want to listen to The Jackson 5 original ever again.
âHow Can You Reallyâ by Foxygen, off of their album, âŠAnd Star Power.
âHow Can You Reallyâ is, much like âI Want You Back (Alive),â is a steady-paced song that sounds like it was ripped straight from the 1970s. Lead singer, Sam France, has a dreamy, hypnotizing voice that would otherwise lull you into a sleepy daze. Thankfully, the piano melody is a repetitive, constant presence that jolts you back into reality. Youâll want to thrust your body in every direction in some ill-made decision to dance.
I mean, itâs one way to get your blood pumping.
The chorus is powerful explosion of sound that will inspire you to turn those textbook pages like itâs nobodyâs business. Youâll scramble to get your studies together each time you hear the introductory chorus horn.
Given that âHow Can You Reallyâ is a solid, 3 minute 33 second song, youâll be scrambling a lot. Your self-induced panics will help you make some serious headway in your research papers.
âFifteen (Oxford Remix)â by Goldroom, featuring Chela, off of Majestic Casual â Chapter 1.
âFifteenâ is a misleading track. It begins with gentle and atmospheric instrumentals and is layered with a voice that comes in soft and smooth. The synthesizers are quiet and welcoming, but it does not last long. They introduce a world of pounding chords and repeating guitar riffs that explode into a wondrous electro-dance motivation melody.
The song hammers out a throbbing drum beat that pulls the repeated lyric, âFifteen / Weâre floating through the slip screen,â back down to Earth. The guitar riff floats in and out of the pulsating synthesizer chords, keeping your mind awake as you tear through your studies.
This would be an optimal time to take a quick dance break before tackling on more schoolwork.
âRendez Vousâ by La Plage, off of their single, âRendez Vous / Mark.â
There has never been a song that better captured the feeling of walking down a sunny beach with sand in your toes than âRendez Vousâ by La Plage.
âRendez Vousâ features sun-stained, staccato guitar chords with the sweet voice of lead singer, Flore. Her coos are mere whispers over the heavy dance beat that is fueled by the guitar and drums. She repeats âI got this burning / feeling inside meâ in the chorus, which might match the ever-burning desire to get your homework done today.
Plain and simple, this is dance music done right.
âWhat You Knowâ by Two Door Cinema Club, off of their record, Tourist History.
The debut record of Two Door Cinema Club is timeless and iconic. The song, âWhat You Know,â even moreso.
The opening guitar riffs are packed with energy and inspire even the shyest of people to get on their feet and dance. The individual notes layered over those chords twinkle brightly and press you further, begging you to complete your work.
This song is relentless in its speed and energy, giving only momentary breaks to provide Alex Trimble the glory his voice deserves. Use this song as the template for your work schedule. Frantic working sessions, momentary mental breaks.
âKnow Meâ by Frankie Rose, off of her album, Interstellar.
Frankie Rose is my dream-pop queen. âKnow Meâ is a song that is dripping in blurred guitar chords and swirling vocal drones, all topped off with a warm buzz. The guitar drowns you in gentle sound; the aural overwhelm forcing you to listen deeper into âKnow Me.â
Roseâs voice is sweet and hypnotic. Paired with the repetition of âdonât know me, donât know me, I know,â her voice only becomes even more entrancing. Lose yourself within the dreamy waves of this track and forget that the outside world exists. You have work to do.
âCaliforniaâ by Grimes, off of her record, Art Angels.
Grimes opens up âCaliforniaâ with brutal honesty: âThis / Music makes me cry / It sounds just like my soul.â You could likely make the same argument about how your papers make you feel.
Despite the upbeat clapping, Claire Boucherâs bright howls and the swelling fuzz of the synthesizer, âCaliforniaâ is one hell of a dark song. Boucher sings, âCalifornia / I didnât think youâd end up treat me so bad,â which are lines that provide a different perspective of the often-romanticized state.
Her voice gives the impression of fragility, but it is the strongest feature of the song. Boucherâs wails will resonate loudly in your head long after youâve finished listening to this playlist.
âNo Excusesâ by Air France, off of their album, No Way Down.
Air France, yet another great Swedish musical act. With that being said, Iâll be moving there now. See you.
The opening instrumentals invite you to comforting world of sunshine and carelessness. The lyrics, âNo excuses left / Waiting to fail / But not quite yet,â provide you with a gentle motivation that is propelled by the string section.
The strings sparkle; the guitars call back memories of sunnier shores and crystal blue waters. Itâll only be a matter of time until you enjoying yourself loudly under the sun with âRendez Vousâ by La Plage, but until then, be captured by the sound of Air France and get back to work.
âHeartbeatâ by Bag Raiders, off of their eponymous debut.
Iâm fascinated by how well Bag Raiders managed to capture the sensation of the heartbeat in the opening of their song, âHeartbeat.â
Start turning those pages faster and up your heart rate to match the tempo of this fantastic electro-dance track. The low, gravelly voice of Jack Glass beckons you closer to the bouncing, heavy bass like a siren, and submerges you without warning into the synthesizer-bass-drum whirlpool.
âHeartbeatâ is just a feel-good song. The upbeat chorus is infectious and you will find yourself dancing in your seat to Bag Raiderâs rhythms. Itâll keep you studying â thatâs all that matters. When youâre done, you can crank up the volume and dance your heart out.
âKill The Directorâ by The Wombats, off of the record, A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation.
You canât have a motivation playlist without the speed and attitude of quintessential indie Brit-Rock.
I wanted to send you off with the fastest song possible in order to keep you pushing through your studies. Matthew Murphyâs voice is laden with an unrequited desperation as he sings about the most mundane things (âWhenever she looks / I read the nearest paper / But I donât care about the soapsâ and âCarrots help us see much better in the dark / donât talk to girls / theyâll break your heart,â specifically).
The bass and guitar are in constant conversation with one another and it makes for quite the listen. âKill The Directorâ features a frantic tempo â a sensation you might experience when youâre scrambling to pull your work together.
Fret not, my fellow Jasper. Now that youâre motivated, youâll never crawl to the deadline again.
You can listen to this weekâs playlist via Spotify below.