My Favorite Songs:by Isha Wagle

My Favorite Songs:

I listen to music a lot. I listen to all different types of music. I will take a look at every genre but it’s not like I’m okay with all music. I have the music that I hate and the music that I really love. If you’re anything like me, you probably wouldn’t mind getting to know some more music. So, here’s a list of all of my favorite songs. Some of these are sad but I find that those are the songs that are the most meaningful.

1.       25 in Barcelona. This song is by the incredible artist JP Saxe. A lot of people know him from the great song “If the World Was Ending” but he has so much more than that. This song is one of his other incredible songs. It sounds really great and has the same mellow and sad vibe as “If the World Was Ending”. I also really like it because it has a super interesting concept. It is celebrating a birthday without the one you love. There are a lot of different takes on breakups and not being with the one you love anymore, but I appreciate this because it is one of the more unique ones. It takes a look at the more quiet sadness that goes along with a common experience.

2.       Your Obedient Servant. This is from Hamilton with Leslie Odom Jr. and Lin Manuel Miranda. I’m no theater geek and the only musicals I know well are Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. That said, I love this song. Leslie Odom Jr.’s voice is unparalleled. It has this incredible smoothness to it that can be seen in other songs like “Wait for It” and “Dear Theodosia”. I also appreciate how they do some cool things with the music near the beginning of the song, playing around with record skips. The content of the song is also interesting and I appreciate the contrast between the intense letter and the amicable sign off of “Your Obedient Servant”.

3.       Burned Out. This song is by Dodie Clark and it is really interesting. You can tell that a lot of thought went behind making this song. I like how the verses are in a minor key and are sad and solemn but the chorus is in a major key. These are not just random adjustments either; they reflect the message of the song and I love when music reflects lyrics. It has some incredible lines in it like “Words only get through if they’re sharp”. The ending is also extremely haunting and it creates an emotion in you that only art can.

4.       Kiss Me. This might not be the “Kiss Me” you’re thinking of. This is not by Sixpence None the Richer, but by Ed Sheeran. This is not the only time his name will be mentioned on his list. Unfortunately in recent years he has been reduced to just “Shape of You”. However, people should also remember that he is the same man who sang “Thinking Out Loud” and “Photograph”. This song is beautiful and is full of many memorable lines. One of them is “I’m falling for your eyes, but they don’t know me yet”. It creates a sense of home and comfort and safety.

5.       Grow as we Go. This song is by Ben Platt and he should be recognized as much more than just Dear Evan Hansen. His album is called “Sing to me Instead” and that itself is a beautiful way to use words. The title has a simple elegance to it. The song itself is good because it carries a different kind of romantic feel to it. It talks about how a person wants to leave so that they can make themself better, but the narrator says that they can grow together instead of apart. Ben Platt has many other incredible songs on this album. Ease my Mind is a beautiful love song. Run Away takes you through a story through generations and melts your heart. New is a quick paced break up song that is glad to have a relationship over. In Case You Don’t Live Forever is a song of gratitude that is beautiful.

6.       New Year’s Day. This is one of the gems of Taylor Swift’s reputation album. It is an extremely simple song but the harmonies are incredible. The accompaniment is a simple but elegant piano. It also has this really great line: “Please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh I can recognize anywhere”. It is a very underrated song and is worth a listen. It is not like her usual pop tracks nor is it like her old country songs.

7.       Small Bump. This song takes the listener through a pregnancy from the husband’s perspective. He talks about his pure excitement of having a child and how much he will do for the child. The song is heartfelt and you can see the true love the father has for the soon to be born child. However, the child dies before they are born and that is revealed at the end of the song. The beat which most likely represented the child’s heartbeat stops at that point in the song. The topic is extremely delicate but the song deals with it with much care. It is another song by Ed Sheeran who has a wide range of talents other than just empty pop songs.

8.       When You Love Someone. This song is by James TW and it is a beautiful song with a unique topic. It is from a parent’s perspective, talking to their child about how the parents are getting a divorce. The song is melancholy and the parent tells the child that everything is going to be alright and that they will understand one day.

9.       Piece By Piece. This song is by Kelly Clarkson. Her performance of this song on American Idol is incredible and moving. It is what originally drew me to the song. It talks about her father who left her and wasn’t there for her. But instead of being a completely sad song, it talks about her appreciating her husband, who picked her up, “Piece by Piece”. It is also beautiful because at the end of the song, she looks to the future for her unborn child that will be loved and cherished and be treated better than she was.

10.    Even My Dad Does Sometimes. This is the last Ed Sheeran song of this list, but his incredible songs are not just limited to the three listed here. This song is about a person who has cancer and the narrator talking to that person. The person with cancer is giving up on life and this song takes the heartbreaking point of view of a person who loves them very much. The lyrics are all carefully thought out and delicately crafted. One of these lines is “Go on and tear me apart”, saying that it is okay to be terrible to me if it means you feel okay. It allows for a moment of free weakness and anger at a person filled with love. Another line is “Rage against the dying of the light” which comes from the popular poem that is also worth a read.

11.    Clouds. This song is by Zach Sobiech and is the song I hold the closest to my heart. Zach Sobiech was diagnosed with cancer and had a year left to live. After hearing this, he recorded the song “Clouds”. This song got a lot of attention and celebrities created a music video in support of him. This song represents the very best parts of music. This song shows what music is and what it has the capacity to be. The song is indescribable and the words he uses in the song are so careful and sad. He doesn’t wish for everyone to be saddened and he is sad, but he takes a calm view on his situation. If you don’t listen to any song on this list, listen to this song. It is worth it.

There you go. Those are my favorite songs. Now you might be noticing a lack of some genres but that is only because I wasn’t sure how much I could write about some of the other styles of music. I hope this gave you something to listen to and stay safe!