my freshman year playlist by Ankita D. '23
2/3 of a year in 25 songs
music is really important to me. i swear to god, without Spotify, i would be nothing but an empty husk *dramatic sigh*
making and curating playlists is one of my favorite things to do, so i decided to create a freshman year playlist before i started school last August. and since my freshman year was cut abruptly short, i’m doing this post now instead of in May.
the rules for adding to this playlist were very limited—i mainly just added songs that were significant in some way or other/songs that i associate with cool experiences. as of my last [physical] day at MIT, 3/14/20,01 ah, the irony i have 123 songs. some are memey, some will make me cry as soon as i listen to them, but all of them are meaningful.
let’s get right to it!
- Bring Em Out by T.I. — this was the first Mocha Moves audition piece and thus the first song i learned on a dance team at MIT. every time i hear this, i remember the exhilaration of dancing at the audition and the subsequent excitement of performing this dozens of times on stage
- Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! by the Vengaboys — one of the floor lounge BANGERS that will always, regardless of circumstances, get everyone on the floor hype. it was iconic02 hey Burton 2, i'll love you forever when i first heard it being played during REX and continues to be an essential track on my floor’s playlist
- Stuck on the Puzzle by Alex Turner — my SO showed me this song a week into the school year. it’s one of my favorites and it reminds me of the beginning of our relationship :’)
- The Good Part by AJR — i listened to this a lot before going to see AJR. i really resonated with it whenever i was feeling overwhelmed or emotionally taxed since the confusion/frustration in its lyrics are a Big Mood
- Indigo by Niki — this was one of the few dances i was able to learn during the school year. later, though, i choreographed to it for my dance show, so i’ve listened to it an unspeakable number of times this year
- Crash My Car by COIN — i don’t have any particular memories tied to this; it’s just a song that i found in early October and really liked.
- Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales by Car Seat Headrest — i found this from the November college application motivational soundtrack!!! i love it. i’ve screamed this in the shower so many times since then.
- Cigarette Daydreams by Cage The Elephant — my SO and i sang this a lot whenever he played guitar. it’s just so good
- We’ll Be Alright by RADWIMPS — i haven’t actually watched Tenki no Ko/Weathering With You, the movie this is from, but this song slaps and makes me really feel like everything is going to be ok
- I Like Me Better by the Hullabahoos — a cover by the acapella group that a friend that i met in Taiwan is in. i listened to it nonstop for three days in November. it’s so uplifting!
- Selah by Kanye West — i was working on a pset at night in Building 36 when i heard this for the first time. i immediately went to find windows to dance in front of03 if you don't have mirrors, windows at night time are a dancer's best bet because it’s so powerful. people were walking past me the whole time, but i was so absorbed in dancing that i didn’t feel self-conscious at all, which was really liberating
- Killer Queen by Queen — i associate this song with a chaotic night in which one of my closest friends on my floor and i had a shower party, did face masks, and ran through the halls of our dorm barefoot, all the while blasting Queen
- Juice by Ycee, Maleek Berry — i taught my first dance workshop to this song!
- Vienna by Billy Joel — my SO and i listened to this on the bus to NYC for Christmas; my floor also jammed to it on my last night at MIT
- Do You Realize?? by The Flaming Lips — <3
- Genius by Sia, Diplo, Labrinth — i first heard this in my favorite Dance Troupe set of last fall. i had it on repeat so much that i really pissed Nisha off during Christmas break. i also filmed a cool dance video to it in Sedona, AZ!
- Coming Attractions by Nodaway — i listened to this a lot on walks during IAP. it has the perfect tempo for the long04 see: 10-minute-long trudges to campus, i swear to god
- Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz — another one of my close friends on my floor introduced this to me. it’s such a vibe
- When You Were Made by The Growlers — i found this band a few days before a really important day with my SO. it means a lot to me
- Mount Everest by Labrinth — i heard this in the HBO show Euphoria back in August and resolved to choreograph to it once i joined a dance group at MIT. and hey, i did that! i’m really happy with how the section turned out. choreographing to it for Mocha Show was an unforgettable experience
- Lost In Yesterday by Tame Impala — “when we were livin’ in squalor, wasn’t it heaven?”
- For The Girl by The Fratellis — an upbeat bop by my favorite band; i blasted this while skipping down my floor’s hallway on a very memorable night in February
- Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby by Cigarettes After Sex — this song has gotten me through many a slow study session on the quiet side of Stud 5.05 the 5th floor of the student center it’s so beautiful
- Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra — a classic…i’ve saved a very clear image of all my friends dancing to this on my last night at MIT
- Rêverie by Debussy — slow danced to this with my SO, again, on my last night at MIT. i definitely cried a lot and will cry every time i hear this in the future
if you like music, i strongly recommend creating your own playlists for each year! it’s a great way to document emotions and memories, and it’s always fun to go through songs at the end of the year and be reminded of all the incredible times you had.
given how my freshman year “ended,” listening to this playlist is bittersweet, but i’m so thankful that i decided to make it.
stay stafe, make the most of your quarantine, and don’t forget to always sing “COVID-19” to the tune of Come on Eileen!