Your New Back to School Music Playlist!

As the school year begins, it’s time for students to start gearing up for what awaits. While you may be busy buying school supplies and dorm essentials, one critical part may get overlooked: the perfect playlist. Here are some albums that encapsulate certain moods as well as some standout songs for each category. 

Summer

Before we get into the school year, here are some great albums to listen to this summer while relaxing and having fun with friends. 

When We Were Young – The Backseat Lovers

The Backseat Lovers have been consistently making guitar-heavy alternative rock hits since 2018, and this album is perfect for any summer events. Some of the standout upbeat summer songs from this album include “Kilby Girl”, “Pool House”, and “Dugout”, but every song on this album has something for everyone.

Sunburn – Dominic Fike

Dominic Fike has been one of my favorite artists since 2018, and for good reason. Though his discography tends to lean towards experimental alternative music, this album is a great introduction to his music with more indie rock. The best summer songs off this album include “How Much Is Weed?”, “Frisky”, and “Ant Pile”. 

Tourist History – Two Door Cinema Club

A classic summer album from 2010, Tourist History has many hits that have come back year after year. Some of these major hits you may have heard of are “Undercover Martyn” and “What You Know”, but the album is filled with perfect songs for this summer.

Along with these albums, here are some other standout songs that should be added to your summer playlist this year, ranging from slower, chill tunes to more upbeat and energetic songs. 

“Basement Jack” – Steve Lacy

“Peach” – Kevin Abstract

“Lost” – Frank Ocean

“Debaser” – Pixies

“Booster Seat” – Spacey Jane

“12:51” – The Strokes

Studying at IMSA/Dorm Music

When it comes to staying focused while studying, the right music can change everything. The right music for you can help create the most productive environment, helping you concentrate and understand information quicker. The genres of music that tend to help most in this category are Lo-fi and acoustic, so here are some great albums and highlight songs in that category as well as some personal favorites for studying.

Outer Space – j’san

This album contains seven lo-fi songs that are great for focusing and studying, but if you’re a person who likes a wider variety of songs, the artist J’san has many different lo-fi albums and is featured on many curated lo-fi playlists.

Cigarettes After Sex – Cigarettes After Sex

Though this album may not seem like it would be ideal for studying, it’s filled with a selection of quieter, acoustic songs with unobtrusive lyrics that all sound similar enough for a focused environment but still provide enough variety to not become repetitive. 

I tend to study with music that is calmer but not to the levels of lo-fi and classical, so if you also prefer music like this while studying, here are some highlight songs that help me focus.

“Softly” – Clairo

“Streetcar” – Daniel Caesar

“True Blue” – boygenius

“Halcyon Age” – Vansire

“Cool With You” – Her’s

Casual Listening

On the IMSA campus, there’s plenty of moments in your day-to-day life where you may find yourself wanting some casual music to listen to while you hang out with friends or partake in a hobby. Here are some of my personal favorite albums and songs to listen to in these moments.

The Record – boygenius

This album is a beautifully cohesive set of songs made by three artists who were already strong independently, but only multiply in talent when put together. It’s a great selection of songs to listen to while hanging out with friends or just to listen to in your free time.

OK Computer – Radiohead

This album is regarded as one of the greatest alternative rock albums of all time, and, in my opinion, absolutely worth a listen. I’m a personal fan of Radiohead and their discography as a whole, but this album alone is wonderful and great for casual listening.

This Is Why – Paramore

This is the most recent album from Paramore, and it’s great to listen to during your daily routine. It’s filled with great songs such as “Crave” and “The News” and is a fun change from the rest of their discography. 

Along with these, here are some more great calmer casual songs separate from these albums.

“Kyoto” – Phoebe Bridgers

“Fallen Star” – The Neighbourhood

“Freakin’ Out On The Interstate” – Briston Maroney

“Jackie and Wilson” – Hozier

“Boy Bye” – BROCKHAMPTON