As we begin to get used to the idea that spring is in fact here, I have organized a playlist of songs that I have a habit of listening to on those warm, sunny days while walking across campus to get to class. Here are 11 songs that are on my spring playlist:

1. “Empty” – Ray LaMontagne

Honestly, I could listen to this song during any season, but I find it particularly relaxing to listen to during the spring and summer. The gentle rasp of LaMontagne reminds me of spring semester during my first year at Fairfield, when I spent the afternoon laying on top of the hill in the middle of the quad.

2. “rEaR vIeW” – ZAYN

Since the release of Zayn Malik’s debut album, “Mind of Mine,” exactly a year after his departure from the globally successful boy band One Direction, I have found myself listening to several of his singles, on repeat, including “rEaR vIeW.” The song is a far cry from the type of music that the band has made, focusing a great deal on the electronic sounds that Malik, and those who he worked with in the studio, generated. His music style is an adjustment, but “rEaR vIeW,” as well as some other songs that I will mention later, flow naturally into each other and fit well when played in sequence.

3. “Daisy Dukes” – Zandi Holup

This particular song has been on repeat for me for several weeks now and what makes listening to it even more fun is that it was written and sung by a friend with whom I went through some of primary and all of middle school. She is extremely talented and I have enjoyed listening to several of the songs on her EP, but this particular one is my favorite and is a great one to get up and dance to.

4. “99 Miles from L.A.” – Art Garfunkel

After seeing Garfunkel this past summer, I fell in love with “99 Miles from L.A.” The song is perfect to listen to while going on a walk and is also great to play if you’re going to the beach on a warmer day. It always brings me back to last summer and the warm weather as I walked from my uncle’s house in Rhode Island to the local beach.

5. “Jersey Girl” – Bruce Springsteen

I’m a little biased when it comes to this song since I’m from Jersey, but Springsteen’s song -- despite not being written by him -- is perfect as we hopefully leave the cold behind for good. “Jersey Girl” helps me envision the Jersey Shore with all of its attractions and the electric energy that comes with the knowledge that summer is around the corner.

6. “sHe” – ZAYN

“sHe” is another song by Malik that I have on my spring playlist. My favorite part of the song is the chorus and the smooth sound of Malik singing: "She wants somebody to love/To hold her/She wants somebody to love/In the right way/She wants somebody to love/To kiss her/She wants somebody to love/In the right way." Throughout his album, his voice is melodic and as the song fades out, “sHe” leads in perfectly to another song that is on my playlist entitled, “dRuNk.”

7. “Wolves” – One Direction

Everyone who knows me also knows that it wouldn’t be a playlist of mine if I didn’t include at least one song by One Direction (spoiler alert: there’s always more than one). This song is extremely upbeat and can easily get caught in your head after listening to it on repeat a few times.

8. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a soothing song that is great to listen to when you’re trying to unwind from a long or stressful day of classes. Also, if you’re looking for a quiet place on campus to listen to the song, I recommend sitting outside of Egan Chapel by the benches so that you can not only enjoy the quiet atmosphere, but also admire the view.

9. “dRuNk” – ZAYN

My spring playlist features several songs by Malik and his song "dRuNk" is another one off of his recently released album that I’m fond of and enjoy listening to regularly. My favorite verse of the song is: "Right now I'm emotional/I lose control, when I'm with you/I hope I haven't said too much/Guess I always push my luck when I'm with you." The chorus also reminds me of the seasonal change to warmer weather and that summer is just around the corner when he repeatedly chants: "Drunk all summer/Drunk all summer/We be drunk all summer/Drinking and flowing and rolling/We're falling down."

10. “Disney Girls” – Art Garfunkel

Similar to “99 Miles from L.A.,” Garfunkel’s 1985 album “Breakaway” features “Disney Girls,” a soothing melody that highlights his incredible and unbridled talent. This is a song that I’ll find gets stuck in my head at random moments for no particular reason, but I seldom grow weary of it. One of my favorite lyrics in particular is: "Reality, it’s not for me/And it makes me laugh, oh/But fantasy world and Disney girls/I’m coming back." I cannot emphasize how much I love this song and I strongly recommend not only listening to the two Garfunkel songs I mentioned, but also the entire “Breakaway” discography.

11. “WILD” – Troye Sivan

Sivan’s “WILD” EP was released on September 4, 2015 and was subsequently followed exactly three months later by the release of his debut studio album “Blue Neighbourhood.” During that time, I not only fell in love with “WILD,” but I also fell in love with everything that went into the creation of the album, including the music videos that coincided with three of Sivan’s tracks in his three-part “Blue Neighbourhood” video series. The series does a great deal to not only depict friendship and young love, but also shows how a restrictive and inherently homophobic environment can shape the lives of those who openly engage in what is considered by many to be sexual deviancy. I consider the most powerful lyrics of “WILD” to be when Sivan croons: "Leave this blue neighbourhood/Never knew loving could hurt this good, oh/And it drives me wild." Sivan, openly gay himself, followed up his ambiguous final video of the series with an important message to reach out for support if needed, and if I didn’t already love “WILD,” I’m certain that his message would have sold me on the importance of his album.

All of these songs mean different things to me and as we continue to enjoy the warm weather and hopefully the permanence of spring, I strongly recommend opening Spotify, Pandora or YouTube and giving each of them a listen.