Summer is the perfect time to reflect back on years past and try to remember all the essential things that make this season fun. My favorite thing to do is make a playlist for all my favorite tracks that have slowly worked their way out of my daily listening but will forever remain in my music library. Here are a few songs that transport me back in time:
- “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction
Yes, I was an avid One Direction girlie when I was 12. This song always makes me feel like I’m a teenager trapped in a 21-year-old’s body, and I love it for that. Every time this song comes on my shuffle, I can’t help but give it a listen and remind myself of that carefree feeling I had at 12.
- “Try Hard” by 5 Seconds of Summer
Of course, like many other fans of One Direction, I was (and still am) a huge fan of 5SOS. This song coincides with “What Makes You Beautiful” in that carefree feeling of adolescence, and there’s no way this song would ever make its way out of my life.
- “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance
Swiftly following my 1D phase, I took a sharp 180 and dived fully into my emo phase. This song reminds me of high school and hair dye. Hearing the sweet sounds of Gerard Way’s vocals at full volume at age 13 led to life-altering changes…like my hair still being dyed red at my big age.
- “Rockstar” by Nickelback
This song was always playing on the radio when I was a kid, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t genuinely enjoy this song. I’ll be the first to say I love Nickleback: if they have 100 fans, I’m one. If they have one fan, its me. If they have no fans, I’m dead.
- And finally: “Mean” by Taylor Swift
While I wasn’t the full-blown Swiftie I am now when I was younger, I always loved this song. It’s hard to talk about nostalgic songs and not bring up Taylor Swift since she dominated radio stations all my life, and that just goes to show how strong her impact is. This song was defining for me as a young kid who just wanted a way to get out of her negative feelings about bullies at school, and like always, Taylor has a song for that.
These songs helped define my childhood and always bring me back to specific moments in time. These songs will always hold a special place in my heart, even if I don’t listen to them all the time.