Whether walking around campus, studying in Snell, or working out at Marino, it’s almost a given that students will have their earbuds in, blasting music. It seems that AirPods, wired earbuds, and over-ear headphones have become a staple of student life just as much as carrying around a backpack. But what exactly is playing underneath these headphones?
There is not just one genre of music that students listen to and not just one reason why students want to listen. Music has become more of an individual phenomenon, as the importance of radio in determining music taste has declined recently. The consolidation of songs onto large platforms like Spotify has prompted millions of people, especially students, to curate their own playlists and establish their own listening habits irrespective of the general trends in music. Playlists give people more creativity and freedom to create their own musical experience.
Music holds a unique place within social life, with the question “what do you listen to?” being a common icebreaker. It’s almost a standard “getting to know you question” at this point, as music taste has been treated as a partial indication of personality. This development could be partly due to the popularization of fan bases. Social media has been effective in creating communities of fans connected by support for an artist. People have ideas of what individuals within these communities are like, and can think of an imaginary person they feel to be representative of these groups. If someone were to say they primarily listened to Mitski, K-pop, or Kendrick Lamar, you’d probably have different idea of who this person is and what they’re like based on each genre or artist listed.
Spotify users have access to specifically curated playlists that are made for the particular user’s tastes and preferred genres of music. These playlists provide listeners the chance to discover new music, as they will often include lesser-known artists. With access to so much music, how do people decide what to listen to? It turns out that listening habits for Northeastern University students vary, and students often look for songs that match “moods” and certain “vibes.”
According to a survey of several Northeastern students, pop is the genre that people listen to most. Pop has been a staple genre in music culture and continues to thrive as pop artists like Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and Justin Bieber amassed dedicated fanbases, all while also appealing to average listeners. Anika Burac, a first-year pharmacy student, says her favorite artist is Doja Cat because she enjoys her upbeat style that “puts [her] in an energetic mood.” Similarly, Cindy Lai, a first-year biology major, listens to pop music because she enjoys the “melody” within the genre and how “catchy” it can be. Pop has been able to maintain its prowess in the music industry because it’s easy to listen to, lifts a mood, and is memorable. Pop songs are left playing in our minds, even when we’re not listening to them.
Many students seek out songs for these particular “moods” or “vibes,” or for the feeling the song invokes. These songs can vary situationally in terms of what students are doing such as working out, studying, or even walking. Nidhi Pillai, a first-year data science student, describes herself as a “big walker” and said her favorite songs “are just very good walking songs” and fit the vibe of the activity, adding to the experience. For Pillai, this includes songs like “Hanoi Cafe” (Blue Toucan) or “All over you” (LEISURE).
Rather than complementing an activity, some students prefer songs that serve as distractions from that activity. Leah Cussen, a third-year environmental studies and communication combined major, said her favorite songs including “A Kiss” (The Driver Era) or “Baby Blue Shades” (Bad Suns) are “nice distractions from whatever [she’s] thinking about or working on.”
Some other students value songs with moods that match their own, regardless of what they’re doing. For example, Angela Choe, a first-year pharmacy major, likes to listen to “a wide range of songs based on [her] mood in order to cope with how [she] feels in a reasonable way.” It’s clear that students have particular playlists or songs at the ready to match their moods or vibes. In essence, students value their playlists and favorite music whether these playlists are made to supplement going through a breakup or to just blast with the windows down on the highway.
Finally, students may be drawn to music for other motives that aren’t a mood, vibe, genre preference, or artist loyalty, but rather for a reminder of the past. Nostalgia is a powerful feeling, as songs that remind us of a particular time, person, or memory have special places in our hearts and our playlists. Chantel Wong, a first-year behavioral science major, says one of her current favorite songs is by the Taiwanese band F4 because “F4 is just childhood.” With songs that have a personal connection like this, it often doesn’t matter what its general mood or vibe is but rather that it has a special place in the listener’s mind. Erin Lee, a first-year business and design combined major, says she enjoys “listening to songs that [she] used to when [she] still lived in California.” Even when listening to some of her favorite songs like “Red Mercedes’” (Amine) and “Remember Summer Days” (Anri) while in Boston, she’s placed into “the same headspace [she] was during summer.” Songs like these that can remind us of a simpler or happier time and evoke these feelings, no matter the context in which they are listened to.
Regardless of the reasoning for why Northeastern students listen to music, it’s clear that music has become a very personal matter, with every person having their own unique taste. There is no standard listener at Northeastern, as each has their own preferences and reasons for listening to the music that they do.
If you’re looking for new music to listen to, I’ve created a list below with all of the responses to students’ favorite current music!
Summer (The Carters)
Hanoi Cafe (Bleu Toucan)
All over you (Leisure)
Sweet (Cigarettes After Sex)
Japanese Denim (Daniel Caesar)
Only (Leehi)
Die for you (The Weeknd)
BERMUDA TRIANGLE (ZICO, Crush, DEAN) [on here twice!]
Dry flower (Surl)
Invincible (Omar Apollo)
Stay with me (Cheat Codes)
Future Nostagia (Dua Lipa)
Hallucinate (Dua Lipa)
Family ties (Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar)
Devil In A New Dress (Kanye West, Rick Ross)
m y . l i f e (J. Cole, 21 Savage, Morray)
Stars Align (Majid Jordan, Drake)
Drew Barrymore (Sza)
Mr. Brightside (The Killers)
Red Mercedes’ (Amine)
Remember Summer Days (Anri)
I Hate U (SZA)
BERMUDA TRIANGLE (CRUSH, Dean, ZICO)
Heat Waves – Slowed (Glass Animals)
Baby Blue Shades (Bad Suns)
A Kiss (The Driver Era)
Feels Right (Alina Baraz)
Single Again (Big Sean)
Options (Doja Cat)
134340 (BTS)
The Beginning (Magdalena Bay)
Young Girl A (Siinamota)
Moscato (Kurosuke)
Beauty & Essex (Daniel Caesar, Free Nationals, Unknown Mortal Orchestra)
流星雨 (F4)
Feels Like Home (Bea Miller)
Hot Tea (Half Alive)
Just My Luck (TIA RAY, Kehlani)
Self Control (Frank Ocean)
Nights (Frank Ocean)
White Ferrari (Frank Ocean)
Pancakes for Dinner (Lizzy McAlpine)
Amazing (Rex Orange County)
Redesign (Awfultune)