For most high-schoolers, back to school is coming up quickly if it hasn’t already! If you’re anything like me, you can’t get anything accomplished without listening to music that reflects what you’re trying to do. So here’s a playlist that’s filled with really calming songs that help me focus and doesn’t distract me at all:

• “Cool Blue” by The Japanese House: this is just one of their songs off their EP titled “Clean” that is part of my playlist. The whole EP, along with their second EP called “Pools to Bathe in” is on the playlist, just because all the songs are such nice background noise to have while I study.
• “Intro” by The xx: This song is mostly just instrumentals with slight background vocals but I think that makes it even easier to focus since I don’t have to listen to any words while I’m reading. It’s really easy to concentrate while listening to this song, especially since it’s a little bit of a faster paced song so it keeps me awake as well as focused.
• “Without You” by Oh Wonder: Like The Japanese House, Oh Wonder is another band whose entire album (self-titled) is on the playlist. All the songs on this album are really great backgrounds that keep me motivated since they’re also a bit faster paced, but also not songs that keep me off-task.
• “Fallingforyou” by The 1975: This is yet another song with incredible instrumentals and vocals that keep me de-stressed no matter how much I have to get done for school.
• “Coda: A Burn Scar In the Shape of the Sooner State” by Los Campesinos!: I use this song when I need some extra motivation to get things finished up, because it’s definitely more upbeat than the others. It’s perfect for the point everyone reaches during homework when they have one more assignment left but little-to-no motivation.
• “Razors” by Owel: I listen to this song once it gets past around 11:00pm because it reminds me of first waking up in the morning, which makes me feel much more refreshed instead of keeping me aware of how utterly exhausted I actually feel.
• “Neptune” by Sleeping At Last: Not only does the band name reflect exactly how I’m feeling while I do my homework, but this song is a great slower-paced song to listen to while I finish up my work. Songs 11 through 21 on the album, “Atlas: Year One” are all titled after the planets in our solar system and they’re also all on my playlist.
• “Medicine” by Daughter: Another really relaxing song that helps my brain slow down when it’s time to go to sleep after studying and doing all my homework.
• “Anchor” by Novo Amor: This song was a single by Novo Amor that I instantly fell in love with as soon as I heard it. The vocals are so relaxed that they almost just blend in with the instrumentals and it’s perfect to listen to while taking a break from studying to let your mind relax.
• “Swingin Party” by Lorde: Yet another song that comes from an album that is on my playlist in its entirety. This album is “Pure Heroine” and all the songs on it are perfect to keep me sane while swamped with homework.

happy studying! (as happy as studying can get)