As a lover of music, I try to listen to music as often as I can. Many friends have claimed that my music tastes are rather strange and very eclectic, which puts me in the perfect position to recommend the different songs you all can listen to when you’re in different moods so that you can try to adopt a music 24/7 lifestyle.
Pumped/Slightly Terrified:
Victorious by Panic! at the Disco.
For those of you who are looking forward to a momentous occasion in your life, this might just be your song. I have often detailed my love for the fact that Panic! At the Disco has a different style with every album. Well, with Death of a Bachelor, PATD travelled over to creating more radio-approved songs. Brendon Urie of PATD shows great passion in his vocals during this song, which contributes to the absolute energy coming from Victorious. The song makes you feel like Rocky after his training montage! And typical of Panic!’s songs, this song initially seems like an anthem for people in the spotlight. However, once you’ve listened to the song a few times, it also becomes a cautionary tale of getting too caught up in fame and celebrity.
Lush Life by Zara Larsson.
YAY. Just talking about this song makes me want to play it. If you haven’t been living under a rock and decided to listen to the radio any time during the past summer, you’ve heard this song. Lush Life is a song by the singer of the also-well known Never Forget You ft. MNEK. Said singer, Zara Larsson, is an amazingly talented young adult who won the Swedish equivalent of America’s Got Talent at 10 years old. Lush Life is a fun and upbeat dance song that essentially says that you should have fun and not get tied down by unnecessary drama. The song went quadruple platinum in Sweden and its a great song to goof off with.
Nobody’s Perfect by Hannah Montana.
I love this song. I mean, I really love this song. Hannah Montana was the first singer I chose to listen to without any parental guidance (towards Train and Maroon 5). Despite the now-blatant autotune of all of the songs that I felt Hannah Montana had, I loved that the lyrics of her songs had meaning and weren’t just a mush of fast-paced noise. When I was in elementary school, this song especially always helped me cheer up during a bad day. After all, if Miley Stewart, as a successful pop star (everything I wanted to be in the 4th grade) was having problems, then mine were also completely valid. If you’re looking for a blast to the past and something to lead you down the Disney YouTube vortex, this song is your best bet.
Studious/Calm:
May Be by Yiruma.
As much as I ignore what my parents have to say about the negative effects of listening to the Top 40 Pop Hits while studying, they do have a point. However, researchers from the University of Maryland in Baltimore have determined that classical music or music with minimal words is the best type to listen to while studying. This is because music without words decreases the distraction that would be caused by music you have strong positive or negative emotions toward. In addition, listening to soft music is better for your performance than loud music. So, I bring you to the one instrumental piece on this list, “May Be” by Yiruma. I’m sure many of you have previously heard of Yiruma because of his monumentally popular “River Flows In You.” But while the song “May Be” is not as well known, it might just be one of my favorites because it always gives me a feeling of hope. This piece encourages me to work my hardest because I feel like what I am trying to accomplish can be done. For those of you trying to get in the mindset to study for test or midterm, this is the piece that will really help you out.
man running in forestPhoto by 
