It is finally sunny in Philadelphia, Owls. Spring Semester is winding down here on Temple’s campus. The sun is out again, and the flowers are all in bloom. But what does spring also mean? Finals season. As the last few days of classes come and go, I feel myself zoning out. “Locking In” doesn’t even feel like enough anymore. I need a permanent study room reserved at Charles Library, and Saxby’s residency to get me through these next two weeks.
What else do I need? Music. It’s the one thing that puts me in my zone and motivates me to get my work done. And with the stress of move-out, finals, summer jobs, and everything else that comes with being a college student, it’s not very often that we take time to celebrate the work we put in.
So, in hopes to lift both your grades and spirits, I decided to share with you all my Ultimate Finals Prep Playlist for Spring 2024.
Pop duo Lawrence wrote a mantra for the burned-out student in all of us with this 2021 hit. Meant to be a commentary on the music industry and its redundancy, Lawrence made a breakout hit that appealed to everyone. The lyrics remind you that you can keep going, even if everyone else is doubting you: “They try to give me up, but I won’t give in. And this life will get you down, but I keep living. So I tell myself when I sleep at night: don’t lose sight, baby, don’t lose sight.” If you need an extra kick of inspiration, listen to the 7 minute live acoustic version. It’s pure GOSPEL.
This iconic 2011 throwback has rightfully earned its place on this playlist. If they were partying to this song in Pitch Perfect, that’s how you know it’s real. Grammer brings his message of resilience mixed with a touch of spring imagery: “Only rainbows after rain, the sun will always come again.” A sweet and simple throwback fit for the number 2 spot.
You remember what I said earlier about needing to celebrate the work you put in? This song is a top tier example of that. We live in a society where the culture is that you constantly have to hustle for what you want, do it all by yourself, and then still be kind and courteous for the sake of other people. Another factor is social media. We live in the era of ‘No Face, No Case’. If you’re not constantly showing off your good deeds through your social identity, they may as well not exist. But Drake dismisses this and praises the women who put it in the work and live in their truth: “That’s a real one in your reflection. Without a follow, without a mention.”
Britpop has always had the music game on lock. And English girl group Little Mix is no stranger when it comes to writing a feel-good banger. You might remember these girls for their breakout hit “Wings” in 2012. Back in 2021, the trio released a remix of their title song “Confetti” from their 6th studio album with American rapper Saweetie. This song is written about ditching an awful ex, but the lyrics hold affirmations to look forward to everything you have coming up: “Ain’t blockin’ my blessings anymore, never be the girl I was before. Imma let the good things in my life rain down. From the sky, drop like confetti.”
Erykah Badu didn’t know what she had when she released “Bag Lady” back on her 2000 album “Mama’s Gun”. The lyrics tell of a woman who carries all of her baggage around with her. Erykah’s lyrics encourage the woman to “pack light” and let go of it all: “I guess nobody ever told you, all you must hold onto is you.” It’s a nice reminder to lift the weight of finals off your shoulders.
Twenty One Pilots really tapped into their audience of overthinkers when they dropped this one back in. “Ride” talks about the reality of being in your head constantly and thinking about the extremes of life. But in all, the song is a reminder to enjoy the simple parts of life and let go of the stress: “I just wanna stay in the sun where I find / pieces of peace in the sun’s peace of mind.”
Bob Marley is the poster child for peace and unity. When Marley and the Wailers released their 1977 album, “Exodus”, they packed it with absolute hits like “Jamming” and “One Love/ People Get Ready” and the titular song. But “Three Little Birds” holds a special place in the heartsick many with the chorus holding a calm and mellow mantra: “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing is gonna be alright.”
Winter was quite brutal this year. And longer than it was meant to me (thanks so much, Phil.) And Natasha Bedingfield Bedingfield’s 2008 hit single is a song of hope, reassurance, and just plain joy. “Pocketful of Sunshine” inspires us to look forward to the sunshine and getting away to a better place: “Take me away, a secret place, a sweet escape, take me away.”
Queen Bey has always been the go-to when trying to find a hype song. On her 2008 album “I Am Sasha Fierce”, Beyonce had not only established that she was a force to be reckoned with, but also that the girls were taking over. “Diva” is the ultimate boss energy in a song. With one new single, Bey had clarified one thing that still reigns true to this day: “A diva is the female version of a hustler.”
BTS and Steve Aoki being on a song together is enough of a reason to list this 2018 track. BTS has achieved wild success in the K-Pop and worldwide music scene alike. But when they dropped “Mic Drop”, they gave fans a whole new hype song. The beat of the song already tells us that this is a song to flex to. And the lyrics give us the best help of all: “Did you see my bag? Did you see my bag? It’s hella trophies and it’s hella thick. What you think ‘bout that? What you think ‘bout that? I bet it got my haters hella sick”
Newcomer to the Country music scene, Tanner Adell took over the country scene after the highly anticipated release of her 2023 song “Buckle Bunny” and her EP of the same name. “Trailer Park Barbie” is another song featured on the EP, highlighting how through working hard, you can get anything you want. Adell mixes country and classy with her effortless line: “Buffalo sauce in the Birkin, only Kentucky Fried Chicken. That’s why I stay putin’ the work in, I’m grabbin’ all of the fixins.”
Ariana Grande and Victoria Monet as a singing-writing duo will never cease to amaze me. With Ari’s surprise drop of the 2019 album “thank u, next”, no one knew what to expect of the new Ari, coming off of her breakup with “SNL” star, Pete Davidson. So when she dropped the single “7 Rings”, Ari had proven pretty quickly that she didn’t need anyone else, she could get what she wanted on her own: “Look at my neck, look at my jet, ain’t got enough money to pay me respect. Ain’t no budget when I’m on the set, if I like it then that’s what I get.”
Billy Joel is a maestro beyond compare. While the New York native has countless hits, many dim in comparison to his 1976 single “New York State Of Mind” from his album “Turnstiles”. Joel sings of longing for his beloved city, cashing in on a trip to the city rather than some lavish getaway. As finals season comes to a close, we all get inspired to go wherever we truly desire: “Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood. Hop a flight to Miami Beach, or to Hollywood. But I’m taking a greyhound on the Hudson River line. I’m in a New York state of mind.”
P!nk has always been generous to her fans when it comes to writing a hype song. In 2010, the Philly native dropped “Raise Your Glass” as a standalone single. Both a party anthem and an ode to the hardworking people everywhere, “Raise Your Glass” is a great addition to the list for the instant boost it gives us: “So raise your glass if you are wrong, in all the right ways.”
With the start of summer break literally less than 3 weeks away, we’re well within our right to start daydreaming about summer break. With Lenny Kravitz’s 1998 hit “Fly Away”, you have our support to absolutely start vacation shopping and outfit planning. After all, he’s only saying what we’re all thinking: “I want to get away, I wanna fly away, yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Admittedly, the Broadway fan in me had to throw in one song from a musical. Straight from the 1978 film adaptation of “The Wiz”, Lena Horne in the role of Glinda belts out a song of encouragement to Dorothy, after telling her that she always had the power to go home. Lena’s performance is magical, and the song reminds us that we all have the power to achieve whatever we want: “Believe in yourself, right from the start. Believe in the magic, right there in your heart.”
The Hannah Montana movie was a cultural reset. Society and our childhoods were never the same after that. When the movie premiered in 2009, it generated so many hits like “Hoedown Throwdown” and “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home”. But the pivotal number is “The Climb” when Miley comes clean about her double life as Hannah to her entire hometown. The song is a tearjerker, with a powerful message of not giving up: “There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move. It’s always gonna be an uphill battle, but sometimes you’re gonna have to lose.”
Harry Styles has cornered the market on making feel-good music. The former One Direction star has 3 albums worth of heartsick ballads, rock and roll anthems, and songs about fruit. On his 2019 sophomore album “Fine Line”, Styles also gave us the song, “Treat People With Kindness”, a mantra that was spawned from his first album campaign for his self-titled 2017 debut. The song is meant to be a celebration of the person you are and encourages you to live your life the way you want. “Giving second chances, I don’t need all the answers. Feeling good in my skin, I just keep on dancing.”
Don’t count my girl Kelly out just yet. Clarkson’s 2015 hit, “Whole Lotta Woman” celebrates her Texas roots while making it clear that anybody can be a boss. The song itself has pop and r&b roots, with a country twang to go with it. “I’m a whole lotta woman, anything I see, I want, I get.”
The Go-Gos are definitely from a land before Gen Z, but their songs are timeless. Hitmakers behind “We’ve Got The Beat” and “Manic Monday”, The Go-Gos gifted us one of the most relatable breakup songs with the 1982 hit “Vacation”. The lyrics resonate with our desire for something new, somewhere far away: “Vacation, all I ever wanted. Vacation, had to get away. Vacation, meant to be spent alone.”