By Nicole Acevedo, Assistant Editor
I don’t have to sit here and tell you how hard this last year has been because we’ve all endured it. My 2020 began with suitcases and transatlantic travels, yet it ended with a lifetime’s worth of introspection and a whole lot of self-healing. As we inch closer to the one-year mark, the pandemic has taken me and everyone else through an entire range of emotions. From hope to disbelief, to devastation, and finally back to hope again, I’ve relied on music to keep me sane. Here are the four songs that I couldn’t go a day without playing.
4. Alone Together – Fall Out Boy
Now, this is a track that needs to be played on full volume while scream-singing in the car. There’s just no other way to listen to it. I couldn’t skip this song if I tried, and maybe it’s because it holds some kind of sentimental meaning for me or because the lyrics just hit home. Perhaps, it’s both. Regardless, screaming “‘Cause I don’t know where you’re going, but do you got room for one more troubled soul?” while driving down the backroads of California is cathartic.
3. Talk to a Friend – Slaves
I’ve been a fan of Matt McAndrew since he was performing on The Voice in 2014, but hearing him take on this new role as lead vocalist for post-hardcore band Slaves has been unbelievable. McAndrew has an emotionally evocative voice that carries you through songs in a manner not many other vocalists can. This track in particular struck a chord with me when it was released at the end of March, and in a year that takes a toll on one mentally, the lyrics remind me to look inward and focus on myself.
2. YOUNG – Grayscale
Grayscale is by far my favorite band — and the Nella Vita album as a whole helped me cope with the rollercoaster of emotions brought on by 2020 — but ‘YOUNG’ was the one that got me moving. As a track that is heavy in lyricism and upbeat in tempo, the song left me dancing around the room. The chorus, “I think I’m better than just giving up in the pouring rain” couldn’t be more pertinent to the need to push yourself through the pandemic.
1. Upside Down – The Story So Far
Although Grayscale is my number one band, The Story So Far has had a major influence on my life since I was thirteen. This track is much softer than the others, but it’s the only song that I can listen to incessantly and still feel like I’m hearing it for the very first time. I have been an anxious mess throughout this entire year, and whenever I am feeling as though the world may be on the brink of eruption, I sit alone and play this song. The TSSF boys really outdid themselves with this one, and I’ll let the four minutes of honey melodies wash over me every time.
