Surprise Staff Playlist

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist

The overall atmosphere of this playlist gives an accurate insight on my music taste: Most songs fall into a large spectrum with two extremes of either extreme pop to calming! Personally, I think it’s perfect for any car ride!

1. “Gnarly (Clean Ver.)” - KATSEYE. Katseye, a global girl group who have recently gained more traction, debuted “Gnarly” as the title track of their first comeback, which was, at first, met poorly. However, I latched onto the song once the choreography from the members came out, proving that “Gnarly” is a song built for performance. I thoroughly enjoyed the contrast of “Gnarly” to their debut, which held a  softer sound, and how it helped define their noise as a group with lyrics about breaking expectations, which is the bottom line of what they did with this release. I enjoy listening to “Gnarly” whenever I need an energy booster throughout the day.

2. “FaSHioN” - CORTIS. I  was first attracted to this song by the lyrics and the surprising age of the artists. Cortis, a boy group that debuted this summer, are largely younger than me and have achieved so much, which inspired me. I enjoyed that their carefree nature was translated into their lyrics, showing how one’s perspective is valuable to how you live life, and that your impact can bring your own value onto things. The uplifting message, along with the energy sung by the members, makes “FaSHioN” a perfect song for getting out of an emotional or academic slump for a comeback!

3. “Pasilyo” - SunKissed Lola. I remember “Pasilyo” being the first Tagalog song I truly fell in love with, as well as the first song I saw in my language to go viral. Tempo and instrumentals alone are heartwrenching, emphasizing the emotional beauty of the lyrics, if you can understand or search up the translations. I could only translate one phrase, “Akaw ng Ikaw,” meaning you and only you. The story of this song describes the euphoria you get when you get married (with pasilyo meaning “hallway,” specifically down the aisle in this context) so this song reminds me of my parents’ small wedding in the Philippines and the beauty of my family’s homeland. Overall, this song is culturally special to me.

4. “TFW (That Feeling When)” - ENHYPEN. I am a fan of Enhypen’s music, as it’s typically performance-centered, but I thoroughly enjoyed the mellow sound of their music that comes out very rarely. Their soft vocal tones highlight “TFW”’s theme of taking the time to enjoy life, especially with someone or being somewhere you love. I typically listen to this song during a period of stress because of the peace I get from the music.

5. “Buttons” - Lyn Lapid. I began to follow Lyn Lapid’s releases in an attempt to connect with my people, culture, and community, with “Buttons” being my favorite release. Lapid highlights the appreciation of small things that can easily be taken for granted, such as being emotionally close with someone, being on someone's mind, and being a physical comfort. This reminds me of noticing the small things in life, especially in the people I love. Just like “TFW,” this song, I’ve found, to be calming and helpful when getting me in the headspace to study!

6. “Cherry Wine” - Grentperez. Grent Perez is exceptional when it comes to curating “feel-good” type songs, and “Cherry Wine” is no exception! I find that love songs, especially indie ones, reflect the most beautiful aspects of love, and I enjoy how Perez describes the joy of utilizing time when learning about the people in your life. “Cherry Wine” is vocally soothing, with the combination of guitar instrumentals and harmonizations of backing vocals, which makes it perfect for listening to during night drives, especially when it’s raining.

7. “Ditto” - NEWJEANS. This song legitimately changed my brain chemistry as well as my view on Korean pop culture. The soft instrumental and vocals are heavenly, with the vocal harmonization during choruses highlighting the members’ skill in mixing their vocals. This elevates the comfort perspective of love in which both sides feel the connection, but if you put the entire concept together, the song holds more of an impact. Specifically, the music video, which breaks the parasocial encouragement with idols within the Korean pop industry. This furthered my respect and understanding of “Ditto” as a whole!

8. “M2M” - Cody Jon. Jon, I perceive, is the Australian counterpart of Grent Perez in the similarities of his use of “feel-good” lyrics. He tells the story of the transition of platonic to romantic in the best way, which gives me a sense of hope for the romance that Jon describes. This song feels cinematic, in a way that you get the visual of listening to it during a long drive along the beach. “M2M” falls into the genre of 2000s pop and RnB, and the small hints of jazz all work together to give me a sense of relaxation!

9. “Dancing Through Life” - Jonathan Bailey and Wicked Cast. Since the first Wicked, along with the release of Wicked: For Good, I have gained a lot of respect for the score within musical theater, especially with the Jonathan Bailey casting. The directors of Wicked embraced the whimsiness of the song, utilizing strong vocals on top of an energetic instrumental. The theme also helps me put stressors into perspective within my life: the song emphasizes that sometimes obstacles don’t matter, and that accepting that some issues don’t matter will make life easier! This is a 100% dancing song.

10. “Best Part” - Daniel Caesar, H.E.R. I absolutely love the instrumentals of this song with all my being, it feels along the lines of “slice of life” cinematic music. “Best Part” is one of my favorites as Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. show off their harmonization skills, which prove to be extremely vocally soothing for your ears! The first time I listened to this was during karaoke with some of my closest friends, so this song gives me a strong sense of nostalgia. The overall mix of vocals and calming guitar instrumentals makes me recommend this song as background music for a nap or period of relaxing!

11. “Killin’ It Girl” - J-Hope. I’ve been a fan of BTS for a while, so watching J-Hope craft his individual voice is what piqued my interest in his solo songs. “Killin’ It Girl” resonated well with me both through the lyrics and the choreography performances (definitely reccomend). First, the song holds a powerful focus on encouraging a woman to live life with confidence without needing a man, which J-Hope emphasizes through the iconic duo dance break. With such a dance-focused song such as “Killin’ It Girl”, background dancers aren’t typically the highlight, but J-Hope utilized his background dancers in a way that highlighted the female dancers in such a skill-full way, which always makes me enjoy this song even more! When listening to music, I always encourage looking at different performances to understand the song from different angles and interpretations!