If you know anything from reading my articles of recent months, you would know music has such a heavy place in my heart. I’ve had this article in mind for a while and have been trying to find the right way to present it and display my thoughts.

Music has a funny way of doing things. It can bring you down the same way it can pick you up. There’s always those times where it feels like absolutely everything else in the world can be fuzzy and frizzy, so we turn to music.

People have a funny way of covering their emotions and drowning out however they feel through something other than their personal feelings.

I ask 18 people what their go-to pick-me-up song was and why. The answers were shocking, even to me. I forgot how gratifying and mood lifting certain songs can be. I kept my list of people short simply because that’s all I needed.

Here are 17 songs (two people said the same song!) to boost your mood when you need a pick-me-up.

1. “Wake Up” by Petit Biscuit.

“Definitely this one. It was an anthem through some really hard times for me and listening to it know reminds me that I got through my challenges then and I have the strength to keep going now. I really like the best the artists voice and the lyrics too. like literally “Wake up””.

2. “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang.

“Because it immediately makes me want to get off my feet, dance, and just completely jam out.”

3. “Closer” by The Chainsmokers.

“It came out when I went overseas to visit family and I had had a really depressive and anxious summer. I was finally feeling better and I associate this song with essentially transforming into a much happier person.”

4. “Ignition” by R. Kelly.

“Because it’s funny and I can’t not be happy when listening to it.

5. “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift.

“This one’s hard cause it changes all the time... I’d say literally any song I’m able to sing along to and dance to! Like right now, I’m listening to "Blank Space" and it just hypes me up because I can dance and scream it at the top of my lungs, ya know?”

6. “I’ll Be Your Mirror” By The Velvet Underground.

“Because it reminds me that there’s more to me than meets the eye and that love is people who see every part of me and still stick around.”

7. “In My Life” by The Beatles.

“Because it’s all about love and having love for people even when they’re not in your life anymore.”

8. “Nothing Else Matters” by Little Mix.

“The song is just an overall a cute and happy song and makes me feel good because it’s about friendship and that we just need to forget all our problems and just remember that at the end of the day, none of it matters besides us. My favorite lyrics from it is 'I don’t wanna fight, not tonight, cause we’re having fun now'.”

10. “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire.

1. “Because it’s such a classic, feel good song.”
2. “Because it’s impossible to not sing/groove along and it keeps me distracted."

11. “I Wanna Know” by NOTD ft. Bea Miller.

“It just bumps.”

12. “Bohemian Rapsody” by Queen.

“Because whenever it comes on I can immediately sing so hard to us and it always makes me happy.”

13. “River” by Leon Bridges.

“Because it calms me down so much. It’s the ultimate tranquilizer.”

14. “Perfect Places” by Lorde.

“I can’t not be happy whenever I listen to this song. It holds such strong memories for me and whenever I hear it, I wanna turn the volume up all the way and dance around while singing.”

15. “Don’t Blame Me” by Taylor Swift.

“Maybe not the happiest song, but this song always makes me want to scream and shout and that usually helps whatever bad mood I’m in.”

16. “All Time Low” by Jon Bellion.

“This song has so many happy memories tied to it so I always get my mood boosted when I listen to it.”

17. “Final Song” by MØ.

“This song is the ultimate pick me up, it’s such a good car-driving song with the windows rolled down with friends and I’m always happy.”

I’ve thought, and continue to think, how much of a gift music can be. No matter what I do to get out of funky moods, music is always the number one thing to get me in a certain mood or out of one mood.

I’ve been introduced to new, and reminded of old, songs that I do believe can all be total pick me up songs.

I decided to make a playlist of all these songs, so feel free to jam out to 17 new or old songs that pick other people up, and maybe they’ll pick you up too.