1. Title: Royals

Album: The Love Club EP
Artist: Lorde
Release Date: 2013

Label: Universal Records

When I first heard Royals, I fell in love. The song, written and sung by a seventeen year old New-Zealander who calls herself Lorde, describes the culture many people start out in. Lorde calls out all of the suburban teens who sing/write about partying and drinking and acting like they truly live the life of a rock star. This song is what I like to call “cruising music” with a heavy bass and something that doesn’t distract. The lyrics are distinct and easily memorized, making it a great summer track. Her first EP was just released and as she makes great strides, her songs become anthems for this generation.

2. Homeless

Loose Change
Ed Sheeran
2010, Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran was brought into the spotlight with the fame of his song “The A Team”. People began digging around his past records and suddenly, several of his songs, some released years ago, jumped the charts. “Homeless” is one of those songs, which quickly made its way into Pandora stations and onto the stage. The editing and mastering of the entire album, especially “Homeless”, tell how talented Ed is. Loose Change was an album he released by himself three years ago. “Homeless” tells the story of a man who walked away from a home he knew to find a home he wanted to be in. With the end of summer, many of us are finding new homes and re-discovering old homes.

3. 93 Million Miles

Love is a Four Letter Word
Jason Mraz
2012, Atlantic Records

Out of all the songs Jason Mraz has released since “I’m Yours” made the charts, “93 Million Miles” has to be my favorite. It makes the listener feel like they have a place every time they listen to it. I get a warm feeling while listening to the song and it feels very summery. Love is a Four Letter Word was released with little press, but the song encompasses the entire message of the album. The album has songs about love, home, and meeting people, finding new places and “93 Million Miles” relates the entire piece to one time and one person. For me, Mraz’s voice feels like I can go along with him, or find my own way.

4. Awake My Soul

Sigh No More
Mumford & Sons
2009, Island Records

I’ve been a big Mumford & Sons fan since the release of Sigh No More. It’s the type of album that will lead the listener to finding themselves, having fun, and letting go of responsibility. “Awake My Soul” has been one of my favorite songs, breaking the barrier that most artists keep up. Mumford & Sons bares their souls in their writing, keeping up beautiful melodies and beautiful lyrics. Everyone can find something to relate to and can find some way to express themselves through their music.  Sigh No More as an album was great for a variety of audiences, and “Awake My Soul” is a song that everyone can love.  I think the feeling of summer turning to fall rushes through the songs, as well as through the reader as they listen.

5. Young and Beautiful

The Great Gatsby (Soundtrack)
Lana Del Rey
2013, Water Tower/Interscope Records

I listened to the soundtrack for The Great Gatsby before actually seeing the movie, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to this song. Lana del Rey, a fairly well known artist in most circles, went from the bottom of my list of favorite singers to the top. She holds so much emotion in her music, and in “Young and Beautiful” she begs someone to keep her forever, no matter what she looks like. She will always love him and she will never forget the times they had. The lyrics hold so much meaning to anyone who has ever been in love, no matter the age. Summer is the time of young love and, whether it falls apart or falls together, everyone wants to be loved for something. I know I want to be loved for who I really am, not for a mask I feel I have to put on.

6. The Writer

Lights
Ellie Goulding
2009, Polydor

Ellie Goulding is a favorite of mine, mostly for her amazing genre bending and her never ending flow of loving lyrics. “The Writer”, which was released on the same album as “Lights” and appears at first to be nothing more than another one of her pop songs. It’s actually a love song with the oddest of meanings. Ellie describes herself as a hunk of clay and as an unwritten song or story, hoping her love will shape her around their relationship. She feels like she can trust that person and that’s a big part of summer love: finding trust.

7. When the Day Met the Night

Pretty. Odd.
Panic! At the Disco
2008, Atlantic Records

“When the Day Met the Night” is such a fantastic summer song. The whole song is a story about the sun, the moon, dawn, dusk and how the four relate. The song is vivid and easily relatable. Throughout the song the listener can find themself in any character place, or just watching the scene unfold. Pretty. Odd. is an amazingly literal title for the entire album, and “When the Day Met the Night” fits quite nicely. I’ll always think of the sun setting on a great day when listening to this song.

8. Another Brick in the Wall Part II

The Wall
Pink Floyd
1979, Columbia Records

The first time I heard this song was in the car with my dad. He’s been my biggest influence in music and is the reason I love Pink Floyd. “Another Brick in the Wall” is one of the most well known songs by Pink Floyd. I always think of classes I’m regretting taking when listening to this song, as well as the people I don’t like. Even with the strange reputation Pink Floyd has gained, The Wall and “Another Brick in the Wall” continue to surpass all expectations. They will never be irrelevant and will always give someone that feeling of running away from stereotypes. My favorite thing about this song is how it tells me to break stereotypes differently than other songs with the same meaning. Something about it screams to me and makes me want to be my own person.

9. Rock the Casbah

Combat Rock
The Clash
1982, Sony Music

Another song I heard with my dad is “Rock the Casbah”. Although it doesn’t really encapsule summer,but it screams a rebellion that only comes along with the feeling of summer ending. I did a little research a while back about the meaning of the song and found myself smirking about the relevance. A song about oil and the Middle East was still easy to relate to thirty-odd years after it was released. Meaning withstanding, the song still holds a very summery rock feel. It’s easy to listen to, not care about the words, and only pay attention to what’s going on with the melodic and harmonic parts of the song. Any musician could sit through various runs of it and find something new every single time.