Got feelings for someone, but you don't have the right words to say? Send them a playlist of your favorite love songs and let the lyrics do the talking. As someone who creates playlists frequently, I thought I would give my tips for creating the perfect playlist for any occasion!

At my high school, it was rare to catch a kid without headphones in their ears. I remember thinking my life was over on the days I forgot to bring my earbuds. Many music lovers, like myself, have an artist or an album that carried them through adolescence. For me, it was the unforgettable ambiance of Frank Ocean’s 2016 project, Blonde.

In her sophomore record, MOSS, Maya Hawke’s voice and music mirror the second track, “Bloomed Into Blue” as they undulate and arc through various shades of blue, cradling you like ocean waves. However, these waves are cut with the salt of regret, sadness, and longing. In thirteen songs, Hawke meditates on the transition into adulthood, her position in the public eye, and relationships.

In this, I will attempt to curate the best combination of ten Lizzy songs. The perfect Lizzy playlist for me is all of her songs together, but I will try my best to consolidate them into my favorites. Make sure to add your favorites from “Five Seconds Flat!”

Do you remember… What it felt like being in high school, making plans with your crush over text, then begging your mom to drop you two off at the mall for your first date? Most of us crave that feeling of being young and naïve again, even if it’s just temporarily and through a four minute song.

Listening to Marcos Vaca’s Astonishment of Heart feels like a hug from an old friend and a car ride with the windows down. It is reassurance that I am on the right path and that the people and places I love will always be there no matter where I am. It is nostalgic in the warmest way possible.

Tactus started out with a simple goal: to bring the power of music to the Deaf and hard of hearing community through an accessible device, aka clothing. The final product takes digital audio signals and optimizes them through vibrations on the body rather than vibrations that travel through the air.

Voyager is most definitely a departure from Current Joys’ previous releases, but by no means a negative one. The album addresses love and self-discovery in a nostalgic light, a la a black and white movie. The use of violin in songs like “Altered States” and “Voyager Pt. 1” grants the album an elegant feeling, albeit one doused with tragedy.

I’m sure many of you have heard Drivers License, Deja Vu, watched High School Musical the Musical the Series, or listened to Olivia’s debut album Sour. Ever since Drivers License was released, there has been a giant spark in the popularity of Olivia Rodrigo. Fans deciphered that the songs were about Olivia’s ex Joshua Bassett and his new “blonde girl”, Sabrina Carpenter. People are saying that Olivia is taking after her idol, Taylor Swift, with her writing style and meaning behind her songs.

A few weeks ago, one of my friends asked me if I’d ever experienced any sexism from my male friends or acquaintances from the many bands I’m apart of. She is a strong vocalist and bassist, and I guess she was asking her female musician friends out of curiosity. I didn’t really realize until that moment, but I had experienced more sexism than I thought.

Now, a new generation is ready to dive into the world of shoegaze. Social media wasn’t around for the first height of the genre, so the spread of bands like My Bloody Valentine on the platforms of tiktok and twitter have exponentially grown the fan base surrounding the dream pop subgenre.

The music industry is not as big as it appears to be and there is plenty of insight to gain from those within. In a conversation with Soul Talk Magazine, 24-year-old Nastia Barkan, a day-to-day manager at Friends At Work, provides career advice to both artists and those interested in what happens behind the scenes. She has worked with artists such as Pharrell Williams, Swedish House Mafia, The Backstreet Boys, and One Republic. Currently, she is Charlie Puth’s day-to-day manager.

Indie-pop sensation Mitski recently released ‘The Baddy Man’ from the soundtrack for Chris Miskiewicz’s upcoming graphic novel This Is Where We Fall. Ever genre-bending, the new release has shocked fans with it’s southern twang, and raised more excitement for the album, releasing May 6.

If you’ve been following any 2020 music awards lists, including that of the Grammys, chances are you’ve heard or at least heard of Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers.  This album is nostalgic in a dark way.  It evokes the pain of adolescence and growing up and maybe even more so the realization that those times are constantly disappearing.  Listening to Punisher makes me thirsty for my past with an eye towards my future, realizing that my youth is slipping through my fingers as I enter adulthood. 

The history of the guitar shows that musical instruments have been gendered. But recently, this gendering is beginning to change, and it’s for the best. The guitar isn’t just a musical instrument laden with history, it’s also a symbol. The modern guitar is the most popular instrument in the world, and it crosses boundaries of politics, country, ethnicity, demographics, social class, and economics.

Throughout this year, keeping yourself safe and sane is perhaps more important than ever. For many, music is a form of escapism and release, and listening to something new can help us form different memories and attachments, positively affecting us in our now not-so-positive lives.

I’ve been listening to Sam Smith since he released In The Lonely Hour in 2014. I remember going into the music store in the mall as a thirteen-year-old and buying one of my very first albums. In The Lonely Hour spent most of its time in my mother’s car, accompanying our road trips and rides to school.

On October 22nd, 2008 my family moved from Boston to Los Angeles. Just like the classic childhood movie story, I left all my friends behind, had to deal with the stresses of starting a new school, and even had my proper “crying on the playground while my mom pulled me away” scene.

My closest confidants, most of which were in the grade above mine, had offered plenty of warnings on the trials and tribulations that I was standing at the unforgiving door of - but hell - I figured, hey, it can’t be that bad, right?