The songs that made my term

Since starting at Warwick at the end of September, I have listened to hundreds of songs, something that I was made aware of when Spotify revealed that I had listened to 188,000 minutes of music this year. Meeting new people and listening to their recommendations has certainly expanded my taste. However, there are a few songs that I kept returning to and ultimately defined my first term at university.

‘You’re On Your Own, Kid’ – Taylor Swift: The title of this one is self-explanatory. Moving away from home for the first time was a daunting experience but this song perfectly summarises that first week at university.

‘You’ – The 1975: As my favourite song, ‘You’ became a staple for me during my first term at Warwick. For me, despite the almost three minutes of silence before the transition into ‘Milk’, it is the most underrated song out of The 1975’s discography and I was surprised when it was not featured in my top 5 songs of this year in my Spotify Wrapped.

‘Rush’ – Troye Sivan: Troye Sivan’s latest album, Something To Give Each Other, features some incredible songs, but ‘Rush’ was ultimately the standout. The repetitive chorus of Sivan’s hit single is guaranteed to be stuck in your head after the first listen. This track is bound to hype everyone up regardless of the circumstance.

‘Eat Your Young’ – Hozier: Hozier’s renowned lyricism is present throughout every song on his latest album Unreal Unearth, and this is clear in one of his singles released earlier this year ‘Eat Your Young’. I have repeatedly returned to this song due to its masterful mixture of lyricism and composition since its release making the track deserving of a place in this list.

‘Can’t Catch Me Now’ – Olivia Rodrigo: As a huge fan of the Hunger Games franchise and Olivia Rodrigo, you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that Rodrigo was releasing the lead single for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It surprised no one that this could be heard on repeat from my room when the single was dropped. The build-up to the bridge of Rodrigo’s single will be replaying in your head for days. ‘Can’t Catch Me Now’ can also be played ironically whilst waiting for and sitting on a U1 bus.

‘Suite: Jonny’ – Faye Webster: Although the original song ‘Jonny’, released on Faye Webster’s third album, is also a staple, the orchestral version released on Webster’s 2022 EP Car Therapy Sessions epitomises autumn. Hence, it could often be heard through my headphones as I walked from Lakeside Village to the FAB. If someone were to ask for a song that embodies Autumn, Webster’s ‘Suite: Jonny’ would be at the top of my list.

‘Ever Since New York’ – Harry Styles: Much like ‘Suite: Jonny’, Harry Styles’ ‘Ever Since New York’ from his (underrated) self-titled album exudes autumnal vibes and was perfect to be listening to around campus as the leaves were changing.

‘Movies’ – Weyes Blood: I only came across Weyes Blood’s music this year and ‘Movies’ is certainly the standout track. Natalia Mering’s (professionally known as Weyes Blood) voice becomes almost hypnotic against the background of the string ensemble and drumbeat.

‘Winter Song’ – Sam Fender: Sam Fender’s cover of fellow Geordie native Alan Hull’s ‘Winter Song’ encapsulates the season change between Autumn and Winter. Although it may not be a traditional Christmas song with a perpetual upbeat melody, the rather sombre song made the perfect backing track as my friends and I assembled a gingerbread house or decorated our flat with tinsel.

‘These Are The Days’ – Inhaler: Lead singer of Irish band Inhaler, Elijah Hewson, details exactly the thoughts of most freshers as they finish their first term in the chorus of their 2022 single: “These are the days/ I think we’re gonna be ok”.

A mixture of emotions has been experienced this term and this list of ten songs encapsulates this rollercoaster from the meaningful lyrics of Swift’s ‘You’re on Your Own, Kid’ to the hypnotic ‘Movies’ to the catchy guitar melody of ‘These Are The Days’.