Everyone has those songs that they are emotionally attached to. Whether it is because it is attached to a specific memory or just inspires me as a musician, I have so many songs that make up who I am as a person.
I have been inspired by "Teen Vogue" on YouTube to create my very own "Playlist of My Life" (check some of theirs out here).
1. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers
This song has been in my life for as long as I can remember; however, it took on a whole new meaning for me when I heard it live at Lollapalooza last year.
Live music is everything to me, and uniting with a group of people who love the same music that I do and listening to thousands of them scream out the words with me is something that I will never forget.
2. "ocean eyes" by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish is such a huge inspiration to me musically. She is 16 years old (only 14 years old when this song came out) and is already performing on huge stages such as Lollapalooza and "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon."
This song is just so beautifully done for someone as young as she is. This song is all about feeling scared of falling in love, whether that is in a relationship or even just a friendship, and it touched me the very first time I heard it.
3. "HUMBLE." by Kendrick Lamar
I always used to say that I liked all genres of music except for country and rap, but now, I'm proud to say that one of those has moved up onto my favorites list. This song made me realize that there can be so much more to rap music than what I thought.
This song made me actually step back and appreciate the genre so much more. I love the message of just keeping it real and positive that Kendrick Lamar seems to be sending in the song.
4. "But It's Better If You Do" by Panic! at the Disco
Anyone who knows me shouldn't be surprised to find a Panic! song on this list. The album this song is on, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" is my favorite album of all time, and this song really started it all for me.
Although I knew the hit song "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" first, this song really opened my eyes to a whole new type of music. The cabaret style mixed with the overall pop punk genre of the album just worked in a way I never realized it could. This band and this song specifically really were the beginning of my ongoing love of pop punk music.
5. "Cry Baby" by Melanie Martinez
I have been a huge fan of Melanie Martinez ever since she got her start on "The Voice." Before her, I didn't really like anyone with too breathy/airy of a tone because I was classically trained and I prefered richer, fuller tones.
However, she completely changed my mind. There is something so captivating about her voice that just made me continue to follow her after the show was over. This song has always really connected with me because I have been called a crybaby and it sucks, but she made me embrace it and not get insecure about being an emotional person.
6. "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles
While this song appears to be about an abusive relationship, it really holds so much more meaning for me. It deals more with any type of thing that is putting you down.
For me, I've always related this song to my struggles with anxiety and perfectionism. The lyric "But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go. The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down" has always held so much meaning to me because while my perfectionism can hurt me, it can help me too.
This song is just so beautiful and Sara Bareilles' vocals with her gorgeous piano playing is almost enough to make me cry when I hear this song.
You can check out my playlist here.
