‘So call me maybe…’: your Freshers anthems

Freshers is always one of the most exciting 2 weeks of a student’s time at university. Living away from home with new people that you’ve never met with the complete freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want with whoever you want. Freshers week will be something you’ll remember for the rest of your lives, and often it’ll be remembered with a soundtrack alongside it. That’s why here at The Edge we’ve compiled a list of our contributors’ ‘Freshers Anthems’; the one song that sums up their Freshers week for them.

There is no doubt that in September 2011, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ was the anthem of Freshers’. It was a blisteringly warm week, and like the heat, it was impossible to get away from One Direction. It was the song which Surge were blasting out as I arrived in Glen Eyre for the first time, it was the song which every DJ would play two or three times a night, and it was the song that flurries of inebriated first years (myself included) stumbled back from The Cube singing in the early hours of the morning. It was One Direction’s first single, and little did anybody really know about their impending rise to global super-stardom, and other infectiously sing-along-able hits. Love them or hate them, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ is a breezy, bouncy, and carefree pop classic.

What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
Howell Davies, Deputy Editor

Some may question Reem’s credibility as a song, but it nevertheless became my anthem for Freshers. It happened completely by accident as no self-respecting DJ would play this (unless they’re at the Sugar Hut, of course). My housemate and I were playing music videos on Youtube and this was one of the recommended suggestions after one of them had finished. Coming from Essex myself, I had already heard of it even though I’m not a fan of TOWIE, and my housemate wanted to hear it. We both laughed at how rubbish it was, but unfortunately it turned out to be quite catchy and it got stuck in both of our heads. We then proceeded to use it throughout the year to get ready in the morning for lectures, with one of us playing in our rooms whilst we danced about, making sure we were fully awake!

Reem – Joey Essex
Danielle Eddington, Writer

Cue the first night of freshers. Sweaty palms, slurred speech and not quite remembering everyone’s names, cities of origin or course. Uni was never going to be a totally smooth transition and the ‘getting to know each other’ stuff that carries on through to the Freshers Ball only gradually got less daunting.

Until… I had my first double vodka and coke of the night and then second and third. My anxiety disappeared and all I could recollect was “Hey, I can be the answer”, a line from Azealia Banks’ ‘212‘. Now this became my song of Freshers 2012 as where ever I went it became synonymous with letting go of all anxiety about coming to a new place where you don’t know anyone and then dancing, albeit embarrassingly, with my new halls mates and finally enjoying ourselves. All in all, there was truly no greater ice breaker than the screaming chorus of 212. Furthermore, nothing solidified the friendships I have sustained since Freshers more than some group ‘slut dropping’ to said song.

212 – Azealia Banks
Gen Heron, writer

‘Gangnam Style’ was the glue that bonded us together throughout our first nights, no matter where we were or what we were getting up to, when the catchy Korean song blasted out of the speakers, all of us Freshers congregated on the dance floor to groove along to Gangnam! The unique dance moves appeared to become a temporary element of Freshers courtship behaviour; each time it was played new couples formed, now quite literally stuck together.

Gangnam Style – Psy
Emily Webb, Writer. Taken from Nostalgia: Freshers 2012

It will come as no surprise to anybody that knows me that my Freshers anthem is ‘Call Me Maybe‘. What started off as an ironic liking of the song, turned into a full-blown love affair, including me regularly standing up for Queen Carly when non-believers called her a one hit wonder and playing it twice within 20 minutes on my radio show. It reminds me of leaving clubs in Freshers week with my new friends as we were so angry they wouldn’t play our request of the track, and singing it loudly (and out of key) in boring lectures. I have nothing but good memories of this track, and arguably, this silly pop song is how I bonded with some of my best friends at university.