18 Songs From 18

Posted On July 10, 2020

Samantha Colleran, July 2020

Since my birthday falls on a Friday, I figured I would turn today’s post into a reflection on some of the songs that shaped the year for me. I was introduced to a lot of music throughout my 18th year of life, and I somehow managed to narrow all of it down to 18 songs that had an impact on me during this year of my life. These are in no particular order, please let me know if you have a favorite among my 18 choices or if you’ve found new music through this post!

1. “Lights Up”, Harry Styles

I contemplated whether or not to put a Harry song on here since I already talked at length about all of his songs in my first ever post, but Fine Line is one of the albums that I simply can’t stop listening to and I’m truly so proud of how successful it’s been. It was a challenge to pick just one song from this album that really impacted me the most, and I was stuck between a number of tracks, but I ultimately had to go with “Lights Up”. I thought “Golden” or “Fine Line” would be on this list because they’re two of my favorites from the album, but when I really sat and thought about it, “Lights Up” was the song that kickstarted the Fine Line era. The night it was released was a whirlwind of jumping out of bed the second I got an Instagram notification saying the video would be released in a half hour, crying in the common room the second the video ended, and ending the night by playing it with my roommate and neighbor until one in the morning despite the fact I had a final in less than twelve hours (sorry Hulbert 6A short hallway, I know you probably hate us for that). I fell asleep with it playing on my phone and on the 4 hour ride home for October break I listened to nothing but “Lights Up”, it’s basically all I played for about two weeks straight. From October to December I streamed it so much it ended up earning the spot as my #1 streamed song of 2019 on Spotify. 

The song overall represents freedom, self expression, and it was a really impactful single choice to begin this new era. I love it dearly, and although it isn’t my favorite song from the album it was the song from Fine Line that made one of the biggest impressions on me when it was first released.

2. “Taken”, MUNA

I’ve been a fan of MUNA for a couple of years now, and although I do prefer their first album About U to their most recent release titled Saves the World, “Taken” found its way into a number of my playlists and music listening sessions since its release in September. It’s kind of country but also very pop-ish yet still has a unique alternative angsty feel and carries the lovely MUNA sound I’ve come to love so dearly. It was the song that stood out to me the most on Saves The World. I really can’t place an exact reason why I fell so in love with this song; sometimes I find it hard to comprehend why songs are so important to me or why they impact me in the ways they do and “Taken” is one of those songs for me. Although I can’t fully articulate what it means to me, I will say it is one of MUNA’s best songs and I feel like it deserves a spot on this list. 

3. “Slow Burn”, Kacey Musgraves

I’m not really a country girl, but there’s something so wonderful about Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour album that I had to include a song from it on this list. Kacey’s music isn’t the twangy cowboy-boots-and-pickup-trucks country that I personally can’t stand, it’s a softer country style with elements of pop and it’s fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed “High Horse” the first time I heard it and it’s my favorite song of hers, but “Slow Burn” was really special to me this year. It’s the album opener, and it’s a beautiful song to introduce listeners to Kacey’s sound. It’s about finding your own groove away from home, taking the time to slow down and appreciate things around you. Up at college (pre COVID, obviously) I was getting into my own little groove, and this song totally fit the whole theme of growing up and learning to be more independent. It’s a beautiful song and Kacey’s voice is exceptional. I’m glad I stopped being so uptight and gave Kacey Musgraves a chance because Golden Hour has grown to be a favorite album of mine.

4. “Levitating”, Dua Lipa

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Something lighthearted and upbeat and not nostalgic at all!” And you would be correct, although the name of the album could seem to contradict this statement. Future Nostalgia is one of the most excellent albums to come out of 2020, and the second I heard “Levitating” I knew it would be my favorite song from the album. It’s such a fun song about the initial feelings of meeting someone at the right place and right time, according to Dua. The entire Future Nostalgia album is amazing and definitely Dua’s best work, but “Levitating” is truly her best song and shows a new side to her art, it’s more bubbly and happier than her previous work. It fits into the space-y/futuristic theme of the album with lyrics like “I need you, moonlight, you’re my starlight” and “I feel like we’re forever everytime we get together/ But whatever, let’s get lost on Mars”. This song makes me want to, in the words of Dua Lipa, “dance my ass off”.

5. “Only The Brave”, Louis Tomlinson

I’ve talked about Walls before, but this album is so special to me because it’s Louis’ debut and I just can’t get over how amazing it is despite all the hardships he had to overcome to get it out. The song I’m choosing for this post is “Only The Brave”. “Only The Brave” sounded the most interesting to me based on the titles on the soundtrack and the way Louis talked about having to have it for himself on the album. I was expecting to be completely blown away by it (spoiler alert: I was). This song is the shortest on the album, yet it packs such an emotional punch. The lyrics are really different from the straightforward style I’m so used to with Louis. Metaphorical isn’t the right word, but the concept and lyrics are definitely more abstract than what he normally sings or writes about. It’s simple in its delivery, the lyrics are raw and emotional, and it’s a side of Louis I can’t believe he actually shared with us. It’s truly one of the most powerful and beautiful songs I’ve had the pleasure of hearing this year, and quite frankly one of my favorite songs to ever exist. 

6. “It’s Time To Dance”, The Prom Ensemble

The day after I turned 18, two of my favorite people in the whole world, Jonathan and Matt, took me to see an amazing Broadway show called The Prom (which was unfortunately taken off of Broadway a month after I saw it). The Prom was a soundtrack in very heavy rotation for the following two or three months after I saw the show, excluding this beautiful soundtrack from this list would be unfair. The song I’m choosing for the purpose of this post is the final song of the show called “It’s Time To Dance”. Everyone is happy and have all grown positively and realized that love is love and the prom finally happens. The two protagonists of the show, Emma and Alyssa, get to go together. It’s a beautiful ending, everyone gets to dance with who they want to dance with and everything is happy. If you missed your chance to see this beautiful show, I’m truly so sorry you missed out, but definitely check out the rest of the soundtrack, you’ll get an idea of how talented this cast is and how heartwarming this show is!

7. “Champagne Supernova”, Oasis

I’ve talked about this song in a Sunday Sounds post, but I have to include it on this list because it’s so incredible and it’s one of the songs I felt I connected to most during this year. I feel like I’m talking a lot about nostalgia throughout this post, but I can’t help it. This year led to a lot of changes, and there’s nothing wrong with a little nostalgia. “Champagne Supernova” is a song that makes me feel super nostalgic when I listen to it and I’m not sure why. There’s not really a specific meaning, which means it’s completely up to interpretation for the listener. Whenever I listen to this song, I can’t do anything else except focus on the music and the words. It’s one of those songs that takes on a different meaning to fit the moment you’re listening to it in, and that’s something I love about music. Especially now, the lyric “‘Cause people believe/ That they’re gonna get away for the summer” is hitting in an odd way; the world still isn’t fully back to enjoying what we consider a normal summer, all we can do is fantasize and reminisce about the times we were able to properly enjoy life with people we love. This song is just one of the most fascinating ones I’ve ever heard and I’ve learned to appreciate it even more as time goes on. 

8. “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”, The Smiths

I found myself getting into a very, very deep Smiths shaped hole right around the time I turned 18, and this song in particular was in heavy, heavy rotation on my summer playlist. I’m completely fascinated by The Smiths’ genre, I call it the “If I Were The Star Of An Angsty Indie Movie This Would Be My Soundtrack” genre. They have other really great songs, but this one always manages to sneak its way into my headphones. There’s something so nostalgia inducing hearing Morrissey sing about wanting to go out to see people and life. When I do go out it’s never in huge crowds like Morrissey sings about; I typically go out with a smaller group of people, I always find myself hoping the night will never end and I “never, never want to go home”, and when my night has to come to an end I find myself feeling as though I’m missing something. That’s exactly what this song describes; the feeling of missing something. “There Is A Light” also has elements of a splatter platter record, Morrissey expressing the idea of dying at the side of the person he’s with. It’s such an interesting and impactful song and definitely deserves its rightful title as a popular Smiths song and a spot on this list.

9. “Finally // beautiful stranger”, Halsey

Halsey released a new album at the beginning of this year called Manic, but prior to the release of this wonderful album she dropped a few singles. One of these singles, and one of my personal favorites from the album, is a simple acoustic song called “Finally // beautiful stranger”. Halsey often writes about love, but it’s always complicated and it’s never simple or straightforward. “Finally // beautiful stranger” sees Halsey in a different light, the song doesn’t have any twists or turns, it’s just a simple song about finding a really special person and falling in love with them. Manic tells a story, and “Finally // beautiful stranger” is a standout moment in this story. It’s so different from anything Halsey has ever released, the first time I heard it I immediately teared up. It’s so beautiful and a different type of emotion from Halsey, and I’m so happy she decided to keep it on the album. 

10. “Everywhere”, Niall Horan

I was planning on writing an entire review of Heartbreak Weather, but I could talk so extensively about this song I didn’t think it would be fair to the rest of the songs on the album. The first time I heard this song when listening to the album top to bottom, I had chills for two songs after it. The introduction is so beautiful, the little “doo, doo doo” of the guitar immediately caught my attention and as soon as the first lyric, “You walk into the room, I go quiet”, filled my ears, I was completely done for. The entirety of the album tells a story of finding and losing love and dealing with the heartbreak of it all, this song hits the peak where Niall sees his ex lover everywhere he goes and he can’t shake the image of his ex’s face. The chorus is driven by an acoustic guitar and bass drum and if you listen closely you can hear a very faint bassline. Something about it makes you want to stomp your feet and jump around. It’s not necessarily anger this song makes you feel, but it’s some sort of emotion that bubbles inside of you and makes you want to scream the lyrics from a rooftop. There’s also this really amazing high note Niall hits in the bridge when he sings “Yeah you’re still not here”, my jaw dropped when I heard it and it left me completely speechless. It’s my favorite song off of Heartbreak Weather and my favorite Niall song of all time; it bumped down “The Tide” from his first album Flicker, which I thought would be impossible. “Everywhere” did it, and that’s exactly why this song is on my list. (Note: If you have the chance, listen to the entire album top to bottom, it captures the idea of falling in and out of love perfectly, but keep a close ear out for this gem of a song!)

11. “Don’t Call Me Up”, Mabel

I’ve loved Mabel since 2018 when I found out she was opening for Harry for the European leg of his tour. Although it isn’t my favorite song of hers, “Don’t Call Me Up” takes me back to late nights with my roommate Gracie belting out this song past quiet hours (again, sorry Hulbert 6A short). On nights when we didn’t feel like going out to parties we would make our own fun in Hulbert, and this song often ended up in the rotation of music on Gracie’s speaker. Don’t call either of us up when this song is on, we’ll be too busy scream singing this song completely off key with each other. 

12. “How to disappear”, Lana Del Rey

Don’t yell at me for putting Lana on here, I know she had drama a few months ago, but Norman F*cking Rockwell! is the first album release I experienced in college so it’s special to me. Besides, Lana will always manage to find a way into my music shuffle; she’s part of my eighth grade soundtrack alongside Halsey and Marina and the Diamonds, she can’t leave my life permanently. Now that that’s out of the way, on to the actual song. “How to disappear” is a reflective song, Lana recalling past lovers who can’t properly communicate their feelings to her and end up leaving. The disappearing aspect can be looked at in one of two ways; one, the guys always end up choosing other ways of coping with their problems (usually drugs or alcohol) instead of communicating with Lana; two, Lana tries to get her lover to give up drugs and alcohol but she ultimately fails and ends up disappearing from their lives. Both are recurring themes in Lana’s work, so it’s up for interpretation which one the listener feels she’s singing about. The song ends on a hopeful note, Lana looking to a bright future and working through her relationship struggles. It’s such a gorgeous song and Lana’s voice sounds so soft and delicate, this album is truly an incredible body of work and deserved so much more recognition. 

13. “Leave Fast”, Sam Fender

I’ve talked about Sam Fender on my blog before, and there’s another song of his that I’ve really connected with over the past year that I felt deserved a spot on this list. “Leave Fast” is filled with tons of references to places in Sam’s hometown and talks about how small, tight knit communities can be hard to leave behind no matter how badly you want to dissociate yourself from them. I can’t necessarily relate all of the things Sam sings about to my own hometown, but the general idea of wanting to get out yet feeling like you’re being held back in one way or another is something everyone can relate to at a certain point in time, and this is certainly the time I felt that I related to it the most. It’s a simple song and a really interesting closing track for his Hypersonic Missiles album.

14. “February Stars”, Foo Fighters

When I was doing my deep dive into the Foo Fighters discography for my 25 year anniversary post, I stumbled across a really beautiful song from their second studio album The Colour And The Shape called “February Stars”. It starts off really slow and quiet, and by the end of the song you’re thrown into this powerful instrumental breakdown as Dave belts out “February stars/ Floating in the dark”. The lyrics are so stunning and the arrangement of this song is so incredible, I don’t understand how more people aren’t aware of the existence of this song. Dave described the song as “Just a song about hanging on by the tips of your fingers and hoping you don’t slip and fall”. I fell in love with it upon my first listen and I hope you all fall in love with it as well. (If you have the time, check out this live version from the band’s Skin And Bones tour in 2006, it’s amazing!)

15. “Dreams”, Fleetwood Mac

I’ve been a Fleetwood Mac fan for a while, but my love for this band has grown exponentially in the past year or so. For my History of Rock class I took during my second semester of college, we were assigned a group project where we picked a band and wrote about their history and all the little details I totally geek out over that no one else really takes a strong interest in. Of course me being the ultimate music nerd and a perfectionist by nature, I took the lead on the project. Not to brag, but I worked tirelessly on making the presentation as incredibly detailed and aesthetically pleasing as possible. Since “Dreams” is one of the band’s most popular tunes, I had this song playing in the background while I worked on the project. Fleetwood Mac’s only #1 US single, “Dreams” established Stevie as a credible songwriter and influential force in the Fleetwood Mac family. Sometimes you just need Stevie Nicks to croon in your ear about her heartbreak and remind you that everything will be alright once the rain washes you clean. Seriously. It’ll make you feel powerful, almost like Stevie is bestowing some of her witchy energy onto you for 4 minutes and 17 seconds.

16. “The Stranger”, Billy Joel

This whole album is incredible, it was a breakthrough for Billy Joel. The title track is one of the greatest works of music I’ve ever heard. Not only is the melancholy whistling one of the coolest introductions to a song, but the lyrics are just incredible. This year I feel as though I gained a better appreciation for the lyrics and how creative they are. The general idea of the song is that we don’t really know ourselves or others as well as we think we do, “Though we share so many secrets/ There are some we’ll never tell”. It talks about trying on different faces, learning about ourselves and other people. It’s a bit psychological, it makes you question those around you and sometimes makes you wonder if you truly know them. I loved this song from the moment I first heard it, I fell in love with it even more this year, and I’m sure my appreciation for this timeless classic will only grow as time goes on. 

17. “The Crystal Ship”, The Doors

Right before I left for college I found myself having a bit of an obsession with The Doors. I bought their first album on vinyl and fell completely in love with it, “The Crystal Ship” is among my top three songs off of that album. The whole psychedelic rock genre fascinates me so much, and listening to people like The Doors makes you feel like you’re floating. I had a general understanding of psychedelia, but in my previously mentioned History of Rock class we had an entire unit on this subject which only enhanced my fascination. The whole point of the genre is that the music itself feels like a trip without having to actually consume drugs, and it’s something I continue to be fascinated by every single day. If you haven’t laid on the cold tile of your dorm room with your roommate listening to this song on vinyl with your eyes closed while Jim Morrison sings about a lost love to fill the silence between the two of you, you haven’t lived, and I will stand by that statement. 

18. “Back In My Body”, Maggie Rogers

For my second semester at college I had to do an artist project for my Contemporary Issues In The Music Industry class where we picked an artist who made a release within the last year to 18 months. We had to discuss a number of aspects about the release such as how the artist got into music, their lyrics/songwriting, music videos, promotional efforts, etc. I ended up writing a number of papers on none other than Maggie Rogers, who released her debut album Heard It In A Past Life in January 2019. Those papers are a huge reason why I started my blog, so it would be cruel of me to leave her out of this post. The entire album is incredible and it took me a long time to choose between all twelve songs, but for the sake of the post I decided to go with “Back In My Body”. The entire album perfectly summarizes Maggie’s feelings towards becoming famous, her anxieties and doubts and the high moments, but this song in particular is a standout. “Back In My Body” highlights times where Maggie had moments of doubt and panic but came into her own and powered through the negative thoughts. Learning more about Maggie as an artist and having this album on repeat when working on my papers led me to appreciate her lyrics and music even more than I already did. I’m so glad I chose to write about Maggie for the entire semester, I don’t think I would be writing this piece if it wasn’t for Heard It In A Past Life. 

I hope 19 provides me with as much wonderful music as 18 did. You can find all of the songs in one playlist below, cheers to another year!