Playlist of My Life

So before I go in and tell you about what songs I listened to religiously as a teen (and maybe occasionally still till this day), you must know that I've probably gone through teen angst at least 3 times. "How?" You ask. Well I'm technically the middle child amongst 6 sisters; 3 oldest, ME, and then my 2 younger sisters. So naturally as siblings we look up to one another and observe each other. Although we never fully understand what they were going through, their moods, looks/styles, and actions were very influential. So whatever songs we were listening to were played over and over until it soothed our angst souls. It was literally phases that we had to live through with each other and now I share them with you on how it impacted me.

The Fray- Over My Head

A true underdog classic "oldie but a goodie" song that I'm sure everyone in early 2000s America has heard whether you remember it or not. I think I first heard this on VH1's channel when they were playing something like the 'Top 100 Hottest Hits' or some sort and since then (especially the chorus) has been stuck in my head. Back then I always felt like this song was the vibe when everyone was rushing with so much energy and dread in the mornings, getting ready for school or work and after the rush... the house would get quiet again. Leaving me, my little sisters and my great grandma behind to figure out the rest of our day. We may have not been teens at this time but is was definitely the beginning of mixed messages, misunderstandings, growing up faster, etc. The more I think about this song, the more I realize that it was foreshadowing the essence of what 'adulthood' would be and a low-key theme song for my overly anxious brain.

Noisettes- Wild Young Hearts

I surprisingly heard this song on a 'Simple' skincare TV commercial, it was the la la la's that got me. This song is like the happy explanation of Hey-you-broke-my-heart-but-that's-okay-because-I'm-moving-on-and-figuring-out-who-I-am-or-what-I-want-to-be. Which I think is fitting to be the opening song of a young adult's life but you don't want it to sound sad or vulnerably awkward. I've actually used this song to audition for creative high schools when I decided for myself that after I graduate middle school I was going to pursue my real interests in performing arts. Since middle school was, is and will still be the worst part (in my opinion) of grade school years and entering high school meant you get to start over, really develop yourself, and be authentic naturally going through your changes without feeling too judged.

C-ute - Tokaikko Junjou

Okay so this is the stage were one goes down the rabbit hole on Youtube and finds some rare gold that you don't completely understand how but makes sense at the same time. So this is J-Pop (Japanese Pop) and this song just hits the mark of young teenage girl trying to get the attention of their crush to make them see that "Hey I'm 'mature' now and hopefully you see me in a different way?" kinda vibe. When I first saw the music video, I didn't understand what was happening (because it was mostly dancing scenes and walking montages) but somehow I felt like they were talking about someone not being able to see or understand the feelings of the person in front of them. Teen Angst is universal.

Kanye West- I Wonder

"I wonder if you know what it means, what it means, to find your dreams come true." A phrase I feel constantly runs through our minds that changes its meaning from childhood to teenage to adulthood. I think there's a part were we ask ourselves what we want to do with our lives weather it's following our dreams, if we even have dreams, or maybe be content living a simple life. I think a part of teen angst is definitely conflicting with ourselves of what we want to become and trying to figure that out without having everyone on our ass about it because it is our life and not anyone else's. Whatever decisions we make, we want to make them ourselves, learn and experience them ourselves.

Chantal Kreviazuk- These Days

If you watched 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' then YOU ALREADY KNOW! This song hits all the feels for when you're in the car looking out the window in the late afternoon and you are stressed out about life but in this moment it feels like slow motion, it feels quiet. It's like the feeling for a coming of age movie, ya know? This song is saying the things that I feel like we all low key want to say or hear, "What's this life anyway? What's it to you and me? What's it to anyone? Who are we supposed to be?". The rest of the song suggest that we find escape, pretend to be one another, and we'll get through the days somehow. Which I mean is kinda accurate for how majority of society works and the social part of life is what mostly consumes our brains as teens and young adults.

Samantha James- Send It Out To The Universe

At last the crowning moment, you are finally out of the dark, you've learned from your past mistakes as a young person (hopefully), you're embracing the fact that we can't get it right every time but at least we try and that we keep trying, and most importantly you learned to not take everything so seriously. This could work for those teens taking back their life, start anew, becoming an adult. Or for those who are already adults and finally realizing that you can do whatever you want, the sky's the limit. OR for any person in general who is waking up and breaking from the fearful box we created for ourselves. Okay maybe it's not really a Teen Angst kinda song but it is a song to remind yourself of that child within you, that has always been there, that you kinda didn't know where to put in this whole process of growing up and so you shunned away. We all get angst at times but as long as we remind ourselves that it's okay that we don't know or understand somethings now and that eventually we will. I guess that's why most people say its a phase.