The Perfect Coming-of-Age Playlist for all your many new experiences
When you turn 18 years old, you’re legally an adult. Some of us may feel indifferent to the fact, and others may fall into a full-blown “entering-adulthood crisis”. My first year of being an adult was just like every other year. It was when I turned 19 that I started to experience the terrors and thrills of adulthood. The idea of “coming-of-age” is filled with so many new emotions, many of which are hard to grasp before you experience them. When experiencing those emotions for the first, second, or hundredth time, some of us turn to music to console our minds. I mean, at least I do! Through my first two years of adulthood, I have curated the “perfect playlist” for any emotions you may have while experiencing coming-of-age.
1. “20 Something” by SZA
SZA’s song “20 Something” is about struggling to find your way in your early 20s. Despite this, she sings “But god bless these 20-somethings” to remind us that there is still something special about this time period. Life won’t always be stars and rainbows, but it’s good to have faith in the future.
2. “A Letter to my younger self” by Ambar Lucid
For some of us, entering adulthood can be a new chapter for healing. Ambar Lucid uses a perfect mix of English and Spanish in her song “A letter to my younger self” to sing a message of strength to a past version of herself.
3. “The color violet” by Tory Lanez
Just because you’re now legally an adult doesn’t mean you can’t listen to music and pretend your life is a movie. Tory Lanez brings us the perfect song to blast while driving down the freeway.
4. “that’s just how it goes” by ROLE MODEL
As we get older, relationships and friendships come and go. And sometimes you have to come to terms with that “that’s just how it goes”. ROLE MODEL helps you accept this fact through his strummy pop song.
5. “Good Days” by SZA
Again, SZA makes the list with her harmonious song, “Good Days”. She sings about the feeling of losing control in her life, but tries to regain hope by remembering the “better days”.
6. “Ribs” by Lorde
Of course, Lorde’s “Ribs” is a classic, but nonetheless, it’s a beautiful lament about adolescence. When I turned 18, one of the main things I felt was the bittersweet experience of growing up. Lorde captures this perfectly.
7. “Getting Older” by Billie Eilish
In a soft voice over a delicate beat, Billie Eilish uses her song “Getting Older” to cover sensitive topics such as past trauma, growing responsibility, and personal revelations.
Although this is the end of my playlist, it’s not the end of the trials and tribulations of adulthood. For the majority of our adolescence, we want to be older, thinking that we know what it means to be an adult. And in some sense that may be true. We know we’ll have to pay bills, support ourselves, and be responsible for much more than we were previously. But before you get to that point, it’s hard to fully simulate the feelings that come along with coming-of-age. This can feel lonely, scary, and almost out of body. With my playlist “Entering Adulthood”, I tried to touch on all these emotions to help you feel like you’re not alone in this transition.