I Am Just a Girl Standing in Front of Her Spotify Wrapped
Amelia Giese (she/her)
Editorial Team Member
Like most people with hearing capabilities and a tendency for emotion, I love music. Why? I could not tell you. That’s way too philosophical for me to even begin to explain. But what I can tell you is which songs I always have on repeat and why they hit so hard. Here they are, in no particular order (except for the first one, which absolutely is number one).
“We Hug Now” by Sydney Rose
I love this song. I know I said “no particular order,” but, let’s be real, this is my number one. The lyrics are full of imagery, and the meaning behind them is deep. It’s about a friendship breakup, and a song has never made me feel so seen. Every time I hear it, I just want to scream the words. It's heartbreak in the form of a song.
The best lyric: “I have a feeling you got everything you wanted, and you're not wastin' time stuck here like me. You're just thinkin' it's a small thing that happened. The world ended when it happened to me.”
“Spring Into Summer” by Lizzy McAlpine
I think what I love most about this song is the vibe. I’m a huge Lizzy McAlpine fan (her new music is everything), and this one takes me right back to the feeling of being a kid in summer. The nostalgia? Painful. The regret woven through the lyrics? Devastating. It makes me think about all the chances I didn’t take and fills me with regret.
The best lyric: “Summer is falling, it's a distant dream. If I turn around, you're runnin' back to me.”
“I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers
I am beyond obsessed with this song. The build-up is unreal. The imagery. The apocalyptic tension. And that ending. The first time I heard it, I just sat in stunned silence. Phoebe Bridgers is a musical genius, and all the screaming at the end? I’ve never heard anything like it. This is catharsis in song form.
The best lyric: “I'll find a new place to be from. A haunted house with a picket fence, to float around and ghost my friends.”
“Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70: IV. Allegro vivace” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
I love classical music, and this is hands-down my all-time favorite classical music piece. The melody is stunning, the emotional depth is wild, and the harmonies? Ethereal. There’s something cinematic about it, and it’s definitely one of those songs I listen to while staring out the car window.
“Great Expectations” from The Outsiders
The Outsiders is the latest victim of my musical theater obsession. This song is pure beauty. The choreography is powerful, but Brody Grant’s vocals? Absolutely insane. His voice gives the song this gut-punch power, and the harmonies behind it are haunting. 10/10 song. 10/10 show.
“This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie
I’ve always been an outdoorsy girl at heart, and this song makes me want to pack a bag and vanish into the wilderness. The message about the American landscape feels even more meaningful now, especially given where we are politically. The imagery is vivid, and it’s actually inspired one of my biggest life dreams: to see as much of the natural beauty of the US as I can.
“Paul Revere” by Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan is such an amazing artist, and this song is my favorite of his. As someone who recently left home for the first time, this one hits different. It’s about wanting to leave but never really doing it and the weird grief of that. Every time I hear it, I think of home and want to cry in a classic midwestern cornfield.
The best lyric: “And the world makes sense behind a chain-link fence. If I could leave, I would've already left.”
“Unknown / Nth” by Hozier
To be honest, everything Hozier writes takes me about a million listens to understand the theme. This song is no different. But I do, however, understand that it sounds otherworldly and devastating. The melody is unreal. The climax? Soul-crushing in the best way. I would give my left kidney to hear it again for the first time.
“Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)” by Panic! At The Disco
Unfortunately, I’ve been obsessed with this song since eighth grade. The harmonies are gorgeous, and the whole concept—being in love with someone since you met them—just wrecks me. It’s so good I can almost forget it’s by Panic! At The Disco.
The best lyric: “Ever since we met, I only shoot up with your perfume. It's the only thing that makes me feel as good as you do.”
“Red Line” by 5 Seconds of Summer
My forever favorite band. This song? Instant classic. I don’t really connect with the lyrics, but the instrumental makes up for it. The title is a nod to the London Underground’s Red Line, and the way the song ends with train doors closing? Genius. And don’t get me started on the guitar riffs. I get chills every time.
Maybe I don’t have some deep, philosophical reason for loving music. Maybe I don’t need one. These songs have been the soundtrack to some of the most important moments, moods, and meltdowns of my life. They remind me of who I’ve been, who I’m becoming, and who I miss. Loving music just has to feel right—that’s it. And these songs? They feel right to me. Every. Single. Time.
