The Me and Music Tag

Morgan @ Morgan Is Reading Again tagged me to do this tag—originally created by Sophie @ Me and Ink—at the perfect moment. I’d been thinking that I really wanted to write another music-related post, but I wasn’t sure what to write to integrate books with it (you know that’s become one of my favourite challenges). So, when I saw they’d tagged me I was extremely happy. Today, we shall forgo the books for a while and focus solely on the music!

The rules say to choose how many prompts you want to do (up to 17) and name 1-5 songs per prompt, and well, I’m doing fifteen prompts, so this might be long. Prepare for a probably extra dramatic post of me gushing over all types of songs, albums, and artists.

IT’S A LOVE STORY: favourite songs about love

Although this is more about heartbreak than love per se, I had to include this specific McFly song so you can all listen to Danny’s absolutely gorgeous vocals. McFly have remained one of my favourite bands throughout my life, and this particular song always gives me goosebumps because of the aforementioned vocal prowess.

Alex Turner simply has no right to write the lyrics he does, yet here we are. This entire song is just too much so, obviously, I adore it. I just believe that any song that has the guts to open with “I wanna be your vacuum cleaner” deserves a shoutout. Arctic Monkeys are also kinda back, which makes me really excited to see what they bring us next.

Back in 2020, I listened to this song obsessively for a good three months, and I still think it’s brilliant. In my Lorde rabbit hole, this one definitely stuck out for me. There is just something utterly romantic about The Louvre itself, so a song with that name already has some love points from the getgo.

SHUT UP AND DANCE: favourite songs for dancing

This song is truly something else. Not to be dramatic but experiencing it live was a life-changing moment, I don’t think I’ve ever jumped and danced that hard, so I had to include it. Generally, if I want to dance, I know I can trust Monsta X to deliver the songs.

There is simply no other way to describe how I feel about this entire album besides obsessed. I recently saw Rosalía live and this one was so much fun to dance to. The fun melodies and playful tone make this the perfect dancing song, not to mention the sassy lyrics that bring in the attitude.

The Orion Experience have got the danceable song recipe down. Their songs are always so much fun to listen thanks to their 80s disco vibes and fun lyrics. If their music comes on shuffle, you best believe I will get up and dance.

IF THIS WAS A MOVIE: songs from film/tv/broadway

I will be talking only about musicals here, because there are simply too many great songs that I want to include.

When I first listened to Heathers I was so obsessed with this song that I forever ruined my Spotify stats, as “Dead Girl Walking” continues to show up in my most played songs category after years. And it isn’t the only song from that musical that’s had that effect, “Seventeen” is another one that keeps popping up all over my stats. I can’t be mad about it though, because I still this its a brilliant song performed to perfection.

Fun fact, I watched Beetlejuice after having listened to the musical and I hated it. So I simply stuck to the music. “Say My Name” is so addictive that I listened to it on repeat without stopping. I love the witty back and forth between Lydia and Betelgeuse, not to mention the absolutely mental vocals at the end of the song.

“Defying Gravity” never fails to give me a visceral reaction because I sincerely get goosebumps at the end of this song every single time I listen to it. It doesn’t matter if I listen to it once after three months or if I listen to it seven times in a row, the goosebumps are there, Idina Menzel’s voice is simply that stunning.

I discovered SIX a few years back, and I immediately became absolutely fixated on this song. The lyrics delivering a lesson in history in a very witty and fun way is a big part of why I think it’s brilliant. The entire musical manages to do that, but something about this song in particular has always stuck out for me.

My most recent addition to this list of musical numbers is “The Phantom Of the Opera”. I adore how the two voices work together, and although I’m not particularly a fan of that type of show of skill, I can’t help but be hypnotised by those insane notes Christine hits at the end. The ominous vibe throughout is probably my favourite part of this number.

COMFORT CROWD: songs that make you feel calm

Usually, when I’m really stressed or overwhelmed I can’t deal with listening to music, but the one exception to the rule is—weirdly enough—Pierce The Veil.

“Besitos” and “Million Dollar Houses (The Painter) are my go-to of their songs but any from their first three albums work wonders. I’ve said it for years now that listening to Vic Fuentes screaming directly into my soul is therapeutic, and I stand by that statement.

ALWAYS REMEMBER US THIS WAY: songs that remind you of your childhood

My main memory of listening to music when I was really young is sitting in my dad’s car and listening to his CDs, so this is a compilation of songs we listened to while driving around and that have definitely influenced me and my taste:

This could very well any Red Hot Chili Peppers song—I’m pretty sure I memorised half their discography pretty early on from how much we listened to them—but I’m going with “Californication”. Despite it not necessarily being my favourite of theirs, I vividly also remember watching that music video repeatedly.

Pink Floyd is my dad’s favourite band ever, so they were on constant rotation throughout my childhood. Specifically, I loved—and still love—this song because of the choir of children and the eerie vibes.

I loved Gorillaz back when my dad played them and they’re probably the band I have continued to listen to more consistently. Also, it cannot be denied that “Feel Good Inc.” is an iconic song that continues to have one of the most instantly recognisable start and riff. When Demon Days was released, this song was played everywhere non-stop.

The Rolling Stones are, obviously, a living classic, but this song in particular became somewhat of an obsession to my younger self. I couldn’t have been older than 10 or 11, and for some reason this was playing nonstop in my brain for a few months so I, naturally, had to include it.

MOTIVATE: songs that simply motivate you

I’ve talked about Don Broco before in my recommending books based on songs posts, but funnily enough, “Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan” has never come up. The easiest way to explain how much I love this song is that I feel like this song tickles a special part of my brain every single time I listen to it. The first time the singer screams “Manchester Super Reds number one fan” in the song, I must turn up the volume to the max and I’m washed over with what can only be described as inner peace. I also love the lyrics a lot, a very big eff you to the haters.

Easily my favourite 5 Seconds of Summer song—which is saying a lot considering I adore this band. The bass is truly carrying this song, and it does it well. I’m always biased when it comes to a strong bass riff, even if it’s not necessarily extra complicated, so this song does it for me. It must be said that the vocals are also quite impressive. Overall, a high-intensity hit.

The drums going that hard from the get-go is enough to make me be in love with this song. Not to mention that this is the first song of the album—an absolute power move in my opinion. I know I sound dramatic, but I go absolutely insane whenever this songs comes on. Highly motivational from the sheer power it exudes.

OLD TOWN ROAD: retro songs you love

We now need to get serious for a moment to talk about this song. This year, I’ve listened to “Beetlebum” more times than I feel comfortable admitting. I can already tell it’s going to show up in my end of the year stats and I’m going to be flabbergasted when I see the number of replays. There is something about it that is hypnotising, that compels me to listen to this on repeat for hours on end—which I have done in multiple occasions.

This might very well be my favourite The Beatles song. I don’t know why but I find it to be equal parts happy and creepy. It’s simply a fantastic song. It’s a permanent fixture on my “dark academia” playlist—yes, I’m one of those people—and it puts me in a great mindset whenever it comes on.

I think the best way I can personally describe this song is “ethereal”, this song is otherworldly. This is quite possibly my most-played piece of classical music as I’ve done exorbitant amounts of work to this. Just like “Eleanor Rigby”, it’s part of my “dark academia” playlist, which has been replayed a lot.

I felt like I definitely needed to add a Queen song. Usually, I would’ve gone with “Bohemian Rhapsody” but lately I find myself listening to “Killer Queen” time and time again, so I opted for that. A brilliant song from a brilliant band.

CRY WITH YOU: favourite sad songs

Palaye Royale have a fair amount of depressing songs, but since “Dying In A Hot Tub” is my favourite song by them—sad or not—I had to mention it. It’s a simple yet effective song, that is, in my opinion, carried by the vocal performance.

Day6 know how to write a good sad song, and this one is a special one for me. I was so grateful that they played it both times I’ve seen them live because singing it with them in a filled venue was a beautiful experience. This is a song you want to listen to in the dark with headphones on.

Radiohead are, in my opinion, the quintessential sad band, so I had to include one of their songs. I’ve lately been listening to this one in particular, and it’s sorta become a favourite. The vibes this gives are very creepy and eerie, which I adore.

I obviously had to sneak at least an MCR song in this post—and I didn’t want to include the same ones from my MCR-dedicated post—so I’m going with “The Ghost of You”. A sad song with an even sadder music video that fits this prompt to perfection.

I THINK I’M IN LOVE: your latest musical obsessions

I’ve been listening to quite a lot of Nirvana lately, and I’ve been loving it. I had never actually listened to their full records, instead only listening to a few of the songs, so it’s been great to listen to the entire albums.

On a similar note, I also listened to more of Rage Against The Machine. I could’ve easily also added them to the motivational songs prompt, because their music gets me pumped. The lyrics are incredible and the rest of the elements are just as good. I’m going with “Bulls On Parade” because that guitar riff is top notch.

Additionally, after watching the Sex Pistols’ show called Pistol, I kinda went down a rabbit hole of punk music, so I’ve been listening to lots of both new-to-me bands and bands I had already listened to. Here are some favourites:

Just like with Nirvana, I had only listened to some Sex Pistols songs, so finally listening to the entire Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols was a really fun time. “Anarchy In The UK” is a classic, but it’s been playing on my brain non-stop, so I have to choose it.

I’d never listened to Dead Kennedys but I adored this entire album to bits. This was definitely my favourite of the bunch on first listen. The energy boost I got from this album was insane, I’m definitely going to have it on replay for a while.

WRITER IN THE DARK: songs with your favourite lyrics

What can I say? Alex Turner is a lyrical genius. I was thinking whether I should opt for “Crying Lightning” or “505” but I simply couldn’t make up my mind. I’ve already talked about both of this songs in this post, but I just couldn’t not mention them here.

I also had no doubts that I needed to add a Day6 song for this prompt. I had a hard time deciding which one but I ended up opting for what is possibly their most brutal one. For this one, despite loving the studio version, I have to choose the guide over the final version, since Sungjin’s insane raw vocal skills make it all the more heart-wrenching.

I generally adore Stray Kids’ lyrics, but I wanted to talk about this song for different reasons. Firstly, because my favourite lyrics aren’t necessarily always super intricate or heartfelt, sometimes they are simply fun or interesting, and secondly because I think the way the lyrics and rhythm interact is really clever and makes for a brilliant song. It is definitely one of my favourite songs from them, which is saying a lot.

Ah, Pete Wentz, you insane lyricist. The amount of angst this song contains is unparalleled and in spite—or maybe because?—of it, it has remained at the top of my favourite Fall Out Boy songs.

SIGN OF THE TIMES: favourite songs from the current global music charts

I checked the global charts for this, and this are the songs from there that I’ve been enjoying recently:

MORE THAN MEMORY: songs you relate to specific memories

This song—and actually quite a few others—always reminds me of reading The Song of Achilles. I made a playlist that I listened to both times I reread the book, and now all those songs remind of it.

I vividly remember dancing to this song with my friend in her kitchen many many years ago. Actually, I have plenty of memories with her attached to Jonas Brothers songs, but this is one that I absolutely love.

I remember singing this passionately with a friend I no longer keep in contact with right before a history class in high school. We were veeeery passionate about our performance.

I listened to this entire album when I was abroad. I was in Glasgow with some friends and I remember running myself a bath at the airbnb we were staying in to listen to it. Let me tell you, it was a fantastic time.

SING: you just have to sing along to these songs

I’m that annoying—or passionate, however you want to see it—person that sings along to everything. When I’ve heard a song once, I’m ready to sing it. That being said, I absolutely adore singing along to fast and challenging songs. The more lyrics it has, the more fun I will have.

It took me a while to learn the full lyrics to “Satisfied” and to be able to say them all without biting my tongue, so now, every time I sing along to it, I feel a great sense of accomplishment.

I love singing along to any of Måneskin’s songs, as it makes me feel really good about my Italian skills. I’m choosing “Coraline” because it’s the only one I can remember the full lyrics for and it’s the song that really got me into them.

I WASN’T EXPECTING THAT: songs you didn’t expect to love, but did

I had listened to other The Birthday Party songs before expecting to like them and I didn’t, so I went into this one expecting the opposite. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit and realising that Nick Cave is always a hit or miss for me.

Did I judge this band based on their name? Yes, yes I did, but I ended up thinking this song was great, so that’s a lesson learnt I guess.

FAVOURITE RECORD: the albums you couldn’t live without

In no particular order, here are some of the albums that changed my brain chemistry forever:

I tag:

I’m writing this section a day later because I completely forgot to tag people, and I want to see your answers. So anyways, as always, you don’t have to do it if you don’t feel like it but I’d love to read your answers:

• Line @ First Line Reader
• Naemi @ A Book Owl’s Corner
• Lais @ The Bookish Skies
• Caro @ The Bookcheshire Cat

Have you listened to these songs? Do we share any favourites? What did you think of my answers?

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