By Kate Coli

Warning: Some of the songs mentioned below may include profanity in the lyrics. 

Music means something different to everyone. While some may not pay much attention to it, there are some people, like me, who feel like music is a vital part of their lives. I personally cannot go a day without forcing my friends to listen to new music or making them watch a live performance by one of my favorite artists. I always think that a person’s music taste and playlists says volumes about them.  The Match sent out a survey last month about music tastes in the Upper School to get an idea of what everyone in our community is listening to right now, and we got some interesting results. 

I like to think that my excessive 185 Spotify playlists are diverse. They contain songs by everyone from Denzel Curry, JID, and Ski Mask the Slump God to Kenny Rogers and Norah Jones. While surveying the Upper School, I found that the community’s tastes as a whole are quite diverse as well. The school’s top artists include Taylor Swift, Luke Combs, Harry Styles, The Kid Laroi, Kanye West, and The Beatles. Carter Meagher (‘23) said in her survey response that she “hates pop music in general except for Taylor Swift.” Charlotte Harrison (‘21) stated that she likes Swift but “only her old music,” which is a common opinion among her fans. Pop culture writer Megan Collie from the Canadian culture website Flare feels like Swift’s new sound and persona “abandon all her original values.”

Taylor Swift performing in 2012. Photo credit: Eva Rinaldi.

2020 has been a problematic and claustrophobic year. Because of this, I feel like the only thing that has kept me grounded has been the new releases of singles and projects over the past months. A few of my favorite albums from this year are UNLOCKED by Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats, After Hours by The Weeknd, Supergood by Duckwrth, and isaac’s insects by Isaac Dunbar. 

However, one of the standouts of the year is Limbo by Aminé. Released on August 7, the album presents a fresh and upbeat set of tracks that address potentially controversial topics such as interracial relationships and abortion. However, Aminé keeps it light-hearted with ballads to his hometown and pop culture references such as, “I got more pressure in my palms than Arthur” and “You thought you sang an anthem but you just sang you a Fergie.” Sarina Depalma (‘21) stated that Limbo is currently one of her top three albums, along with Travis Scott’s Rodeo and Tame Impala’s Currents.

Other students’ favorites included Juice WRLD’s Death Race for Love and Goodbye and Good Riddance, Polo G’s THE GOAT, Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, and Fine Line by Harry Styles. Styles, who has also ventured into acting in films, was previously part of X-Factor’s British boy band One Direction, and he has proved himself to be the most successful of the bunch. Fine Line has earned Styles a following of his own and has garnered solid reviews. Pitchfork describes the pop singer’s sophomore album as “mystical.” “intimate,” and “charming.” In the past year, Fine Line’s “Watermelon Sugar” has spent 34 weeks atop Billboard’s Hot 100 chart while simultaneously collecting nearly one billion Spotify streams.

Another project that was mentioned by students was Astroworld by Travis Scott. Scott’s album was released in 2018 and caught the attention of the mainstream with its viral song, “SICKO MODE” which features Drake. The song, among others such as “90210” and “Oh My Dis Side,” both from 2015’s Rodeo, feature multiple beat switches, which makes for a variety in sound and flow in the tracks. Many rap fans claim that “90210” is one of the best hip-hop songs of all time both because of the seamless beat switch and storytelling within the lyrics.

Travis Scott performing at Openair Frauenfeld 2019. Photo credit: Frank Schwichtenberg.

While critically acclaimed rap artists such as Scott are popular throughout Collegiate, many students reported that they have a wide range of tastes in genres besides hip-hop. The most popular genre within the survey was classic rock, with 55.3% of students saying it was one of their favorite types of music. Pop and rap were close, with 50% and 47.4%. However, a favorite genre for many Upper School students was country. When asked why, Walker Clemans (‘22) said country ”is by far the best and most genuine style of music.” Similarly, Audrey Flemming (‘22) said “so much of music today is electronically produced, and I feel like real instruments come out in country music”. The authenticity of the genre seemed to communicate with listeners better than other types of music, such as R&B, which only 7.9% of students said they listened to. 

The internet is always in a constant debate over which streaming platform is the best for music. There are many options, including Tidal, Pandora, Amazon Music, and Soundcloud. Yet Spotify and Apple Music tend to dominate the industry. Out of the two, Spotify dominates Collegiate’s Upper School community, as 63.2% of survey respondents reported that they used it. The next most-used platforms were Apple Music and Youtube, both with 36.8% of students streaming music on them.  

With so many platforms at one’s disposal, it is easier to find smaller artists. The combination of this and social media helped me find artists such as Billie Eilish before they become global celebrities. I found Eilish through social media and also through a friend in early 2017, and watching her grow into a Grammy-winning artist has been exciting, as a fan.

After spending hours scrolling through Spotify, scouring the platform for small artists over the years, I have come across many underrated artists that the world needs to give more attention to. One of my favorites is 17-year-old Isaac Dunbar, an artist who I happen to share a birthday with and had the privilege of meeting last year. Dunbar is an alternative artist who currently has two EPs released (balloons don’t float here and isaac’s insects,) and is working on his third project coming out in 2021, titled evil twin.

Another artist who is on the come up is Prince George County, Virginia rapper IDK. The shining star in his discography is a conceptual album that debates religion and the deadly seven sins, titled Is He Real? Earlier this year, the artist and lyricist delivered a powerful performance of his song “No Cable” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, solidifying his promise as an artist. IDK described himself to Billboard as “more of a producer and big picture person.” His genius is apparent to those who choose to look close enough, as the last letter of each song on Is He Real? spells out the title of his forthcoming 2021 album U See 4 Yourself.

Billie Eilish at the Pukkelpop Festival in 2019.
Photo credit: Lars Crommelinck Photography.

On the final question of Collegiate’s music survey, students were asked to leave some advice, recommendations, and final words about their taste. Will Robins (‘21) said that the small band Glass Beach “deserves a lot more attention.” Rory Jones (‘24) says that she “loves music that tells a story.” She recommends the alternative-pop artist Melanie Martinez to anyone who wants “down-to-earth-but-kinda-spooky music.” For others looking to find new songs to add to their libraries, Anna Port (‘21) says “don’t be afraid to listen to a playlist with no songs you recognize.” Port elaborated and said that she “found some of her favorites that way.” 

Many students said that music was important to them because some songs hold specific meanings. For Maria Haddad (‘23), her music choices hav specific “memories behind them.” She loves listening because it “helps her look back when she is sad or anxious” and she realizes that the “sadness won’t exist forever.” Similarly, Whit Wallace (‘23) stated in the survey that “a few of his favorite songs are connected to a good memory from a long time ago” and that “listening to them brings the memories back.”

After spending time reading and thinking about the Upper School’s collective taste and opinions on music, I think it is clear that music encapsulates more than just sounds. Something as simple as a one-minute song or a two-hour-long album has the power to unite both a small group of people and an entire student body.

Featured image credit: Wikimedia user Lisdavid89.