Freshers’ Week is a real roller coaster of emotions and music is there for you every step of the way. So we’ve put together a playlist of songs that our writers guarantee will get you through the week, in the good times and the bad.
Freedom: Green Day – ‘Jesus of Suburbia’
Calling all former emos! University is the time to prove once and for all that it isn’t just a phase and to live your best life with new found independence. Living alone can be daunting to a lot of people, especially if you aren’t from a city, but it’s also an opportunity to start a new life in a new place. This is the ultimate throwback to remind you of your angsty teenage years and how much you wished you had the freedom and individuality you do now. Even if you weren’t the edgiest of teenagers, this song will still have you celebrating your escape from small towns and school uniforms.
Green Day’s ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ is available via Reprise.
Sad Times: Paramore – ‘We Are Broken’
The move to uni can bring about a vast range of emotions; sadness and tears being a prominent one post-freshers-fever. As deadlines begin to pile up, home finally crosses your mind and you’ve spent the past three days crying over the absolute state of your kitchen, why not tune those tears to the sound of Paramore? ‘We Are Broken’ from their 2007 album RIOT! being the perfect track.
With classic Paramore pop rock/emo heavy instrumental, and a chorus begging “give us life again” to return to being “whole”, it’s hard not to let the tears flow. The song also strikes a chord with life pre-uni and adulthood when asking to “return our innocence”. Alternatively, ‘When It Rains’, ‘Now’, ‘Pressure’ and of course ‘Misery Business’ also make for great sad-bops.
Paramore’s ‘We Are Broken’ is available via Atlantic Records.
Heartbreak: The Front Bottoms – ‘Wolfman’
This one is for those suffering from a broken heart or just want a cheeky crying sesh. Wolfman by The Front Bottoms is a song that makes me cry even on a good day. With lyrics like “I misspelled every word perfectly, every mistake made was purposely” alluding to drunk texting, which lets be honest we have all done from time to time (and will most likely do during freshers).
The second verse perfectly captures heartbreak especially as university is a time for discovering yourself and sometimes that means letting people you love go, this is expressed in quote “I was a birdcage and you were meant to fly”. The final lines of the song “nothing matters, the importance of nothing” is almost uplifting for this track, you will go on an emotional roller coaster and hopefully come out the other side feeling a little refreshed.
The Front Bottom’s ‘Wolfman’ is available via Bar None Records.
Confidence: Lizzo – ‘Good As Hell’
Freshers can be a daunting time – a new city, new friends, a new way of life – everything has changed. Sometimes you need that little self-confidence pick-me-up to get you through the day. Lizzo, the queen of self empowerment and positivity, gives such a well-needed reminder of how to do so. If you ever feel like you’ve gained so much weight from ordering McDelivery to halls every night for the past week and need reminding that you are good enough no matter how big you feel. Or even a little boost to keep you going through the 9am start. The best song to do this though is ‘Good As Hell’, as it stays with you all day (and not in an annoying can’t get it out of your head way either) and perks you up even through the toughest of times.
Lizzo’s ‘Good As Hell’ is available via Nice Life/Atlantic.
Nostalgia: Neck Deep – ‘Can’t Kick Up The Roots’
Pop-Punk, that hometown pizza fanatic emo genre. Neck Deep are arguably the UK’s figurehead in the ever expanding alt genre and have an eclectic spew of pop-punk anthems dating back to 2013. In their sophomore album, ‘Life’s Not Out To Get You’ the huge single ‘Can’t Kick Up The Roots’ rocketed the Welsh boys into popularity. The song brings out the patriotism towards your hometown – even if it is a bit of a dump. Lyrics like “It can be grim and send you West from time to time, yeah, this place is such a shipwreck, but this shipwreck, it is mine” make you reminisce about even the grotty and distasteful parts of your hometown and longing for a visit back home.
The song continues with “The sound of my youth echoes out through these empty streets” bringing pure nostalgia of your childhood, pranking neighbours, riding £50 Argos BMX’s down empty cul-de-sacs and running home when you hear your mum shout “Dinner!” leaving you feeling pretty bummed that those days are far behind us now.
‘Can’t Kick Up The Roots’ is the perfect companion for when you feel like you need to reminisce about the place we call home and wouldn’t mind feeling a lil bit nostalgic about our childhood dumps.
Neck Deep’s ‘Can’t Kick Up The Roots’ is available via Hopeless Records.
