Between crashing out over math equations and hustling to finish my text in the last 5 minutes of the exam, music is an absolute essential for me to wind down, as it allows me to find some comfort and distraction in. Ranging from K-pop over singer-songwriter pop to rock, I want to introduce the 5 most important songs that are getting me through my A-levels right now.
Having seen Måneskin win Eurovision, I’ve been following the Italian bands’ journey and listening to their discography since then. Although it is quite different from what I usually listen to, or maybe exactly because the song is a very energetic rock-track, “Fear for Nobody” turned into my go-to confidence boost. I listened to it on every exam day so far because it gives me the feeling I can achieve everything - exactly the boost I need, especially before the oral exams.
If you know me, you know that ISHAN’s music has been with me for a while. “Go” is the first track the Melbourne-based singer-songwriter ever released, and while I enjoyed casually listening to this song a long time before exam season, it now is more important to me than ever before. Listening to the opening line “Woke up seventeen yesterday” the day after my seventeenth birthday seriously altered my brain chemistry. The song deals with the topic of growing out of childhood, being on your own, taking life into your own hands, not wasting opportunities and chasing your dreams. It puts my thoughts and doubts perfectly into words while also creating a feeling of excitement for what life has to offer after school.
Okay, for this one, the title probably states everything there is to say. PANIC. A feeling I now know better than ever, and yes I am typing this 8 PM the day before my final maths exam, procrastinating.
I couldn’t help but include a second song by david hugo, and trust me I was so tempted to talk about even more of his songs. The self-produced bedroom-(hyper)-pop musician never fails to create songs that describe the feeling of coming-of-age and the struggles that come with it perfectly. Recently I kept coming back to “Ambition” whenever I felt unmotivated to study, because it serves as a constant reminder for me to chase my dreams and not give up on my goals.
Last but not least, POW (an onomatopoeia for an exploding sound because they want to storm the music industry with a “bang”), obviously deserves an honorable mention. The 5 member K-pop boy group never fails to calm my nerves after I had a stressful day, or whenever I feel uneasy and anxious. With their slogan “POW powers you, you power POW,” they definitely live up to their word. Especially their song Sunset, dedicated to their fans, gives me a feeling of connection, warmth and the strength to keep going. It is a reminder that I am not alone, and there will always be someone cheering me on.
