Academy Mixtape 2019

One medium that holds true across borders, cultures and divides is music. No matter where or when we live, music provides a soundtrack to our experiences, both profound and mundane, helping us to celebrate, grieve, vent, get by, and bond with one another. It helps us to understand who we are, fostering self-reflection and curating memories. And this focus on soulful interaction and generative introspection make music a potentially valuable contributor in the project of relationship building.

The Salzburg Global Media Academy Mixtape was curated by the students to reflect their personal experiences prior to, during, and possibly long after attending the academy.

Listen to the playlist here: 2019 [re]build mixtape

What follows are the reflections of the students who selected the songs for this mixtape.

Nicole — Xavier Rudd — Follow the Sun
I started surfing in the summer holidays from the age of 17, when I got to University I took surfing more seriously and have taken every opportunity to get to the waves. The immersion of the water, the sensory experience, the calming nature of being in the ocean has an incredibly beneficial impact on my mind, body and soul and is now one of the key parts of my life.

I’ve always loved this song, because it is beautiful and delicate, but last summer on my trip to Portugal we listened to this song a lot and it took on a new meaning. I felt a little daunted about my second year of university and I still felt the pressure of the year just gone — but 6 weeks surfing and taking in nature and life and working out what I wanted as a person allowed me to enter my second year clear-headed and calm. When I listen to this song I feel inspired and at peace. This song sums that up perfectly and these lyrics hold huge significance to me:

“When you feel life coming down on you

Like a heavy weight

When you feel this crazy society

Adding to the strain

Take a stroll to the nearest waters

And remember your place

Many moons have risen and fallen long, long before you came”

Remember your place. Know who you are, breathe, be calm and act with patience, care and kindness.

I hope this song brings you joy.

Ayah — Aerosmith — Don’t Want to Miss a Thing
This song represents the people who have come into my life, and who have walked away from me. It’s about the people that at some point helped me, and at another hurt me and left. It’s about love and longing for someone. It’s about being vulnerable, because of your experiences with people. It’s also about those moments, and memories that you hold onto. “I don’t want to miss one smile,” and I don’t want to miss any moment in my life thinking of bad things. Enjoy the moment and live in it. Living in the past causes depression, living in the future causes anxiety, so the best is to try and live in the present and enjoy your journey.

Emily — Cast of Hamilton: An American Musical — My Shot
Hamilton: An American Musical really did change my life. From its epic monolith of a lyric and songbook (46 total!) to its impact on the world of musical theater, revitalizing theater-goers and introducing so many new fans to the world of theater, Hamilton met me at a time in my life when I really needed something to sink my teeth into. I also hadn’t been paying close attention to the musical theater world in recent years, so this was my re-entry into that universe. My grandfather, Roberto, was really sick and eventually succumbed to his illnesses when I started listening to Hamilton. The themes of immigrants rising up and the desire to leave a lasting legacy for your family reminded me of my grandpa and all he gave up to come to America and pursue opportunities for his children and their children. This song, in particular, is just so incredibly high-energy and written so impeccably — it took Miranda the longest to complete throughout the course of making the musical. I could say so much more, but I’ll save that for when we connect in person and you can really experience my enthusiasm!

Aya — Happy — Pharrell Williams
This song is one of the best songs for me, since it contains a huge amount of positivity, it uplifts my mood, it makes me believe that happiness is the most important thing in our lives, this song is a masterpiece because it helps me change my mind when I’m down, and it teaches me how to stay positive as well.

Kristen — 30,000 Feet — Ben Rector
Ben Rector has been one of my favorite musicians for a few years now. His lyrics are inspired by the everyday and tend to tell stories. His uplifting beats find beauty in seemingly boring and mundane life occurrences.

“30,000 Feet” starts off with a conversation between the singer and a stranger on a plane. The man seems to remind the singer that although life may not be perfect, “looking down from 30,000 feet, life’s been good to (him).” The song is about taking a moment to reflect on the bigger picture.

Planes are the perfect metaphor for this song because air travel is associated with the hustle and bustle of business men as well as small minor conveniences like stuffy seats and bad food. When you really think about it though, air travel is an incredible invention we often forget to marvel at. The use of the phrase “30,000 feet” takes a dual meaning in this song as the man literally looks out the plane window from the sky and looks at his life from distance. I love listening to this song because it makes me step back to re-evaluate the things I’m grateful for in my own life.

Youssef — The Show Must Go On — Queen
Queen is one of my favorite bands and it was very hard to choose only one song that shows my love for this band. I ended up choosing this song because it’s the last song Freddie Mercury recorded before he passed away. This song demonstrates how Freddie Mercury never give up and kept performing and doing what he loved despite approaching his death bed due to his battle with AIDS. This song is very inspirational and every time I listen to it I get reminded that I should not give up and that I should keep doing what I love to do.

Youssef — Creep — Radiohead
Even though most of their songs are very dark, Radiohead is my all-time favorite band. Creep is not an exception to their dark themed music, but I relate to the lyrics very much. In my opinion this song is a masterpiece because it was made for outcasts like me. Growing up, I was raised in a very strict and religious household and I was very different than the people around me so I never felt like I belonged anywhere. However, when I stumbled upon this song, I immediately fell in love with it and I found it to be very relatable. This song reassured me that people like me do exist and it made my life so much easier.

Nic — Broad Shoulders — Taylor Bennett
This piano festered track from hip-hop artist, Taylor Bennet, features a pleasant melody and an emotional back and forth with none other than his own brother, Chance the Rapper. The siblings trade verses about the importance of advice as you grow in life, and with it, your relationship to those advice givers as you travel on your path to success. Taylor speaks more from the perspective as someone receiving advice, whereas Chance speaks more towards giving advice. It is difficult for me to listen to this song without thinking of my own little brother, Jack, as he begins transitioning into the incredible young adult he is today.

As he turns 15, I worry about the influences he faces in his adolescence, whether it be friends or even family. I worry because I spent the majority of my own formative years taking care of him, making him dinner, and ensuring he got to and from school most days. In consideration of the relationship I have with my little brother, I relate a lot to Chance the Rapper’s verse on analyzing his own relationship with his brother Taylor. In his first lines, Chance says, “I’ve been too quick with the advice / I just wanna be right like a dad right?”. His reflection on his own ability to give advice is something I relate to, and upon my first listen of this song challenged my beliefs. The line refers to his own father figure role with Taylor, and how he had to be giving advice on things and leading the way when he didn’t always know the answer. In a similar vein as an older brother, you feel the need to provide an all-knowing role model in the life of your younger sibling, if only to give them comfort in times you know they need it.

Lara — What Goes Around / Comes Around — Justin Timberlake
This song holds a lot of nostalgia from my childhood. It is about a former lover trying to reconnect with Timberlake after cheating on him, with powerful lyrics and emotional tone to convey the depth of his pain and anger towards her. Though the message is about the intense pain of betrayal, the song itself uses a slower tempo and consistent rhythms, making it sound more calm, almost like a lullaby to me.

My mother used to play this song constantly when it came out in 2006, and one of my most vivid memories with her from my childhood was singing it in the car together after a long night of running errands (even though I had no idea what the song meant at the time.). We had just moved to Dallas, TX and my father was 2,243 miles away (3,610 kilometers) while waiting for his immigration documents to process. So for one year, it was just my stay-at-home mother and I in our little house on Mockingbird Lane. My mom was learning to take care of me by herself, and I know now how much stress that year put her under. But after picking me up from school and buying groceries and this and that, we sang along with Justin Timberlake and in that moment, everything was so happy for little me. We even told my dad about it on the Skype call when we got home.

Thinking about it, the memory is particularly poignant to me now. Nearing two years since my parents’ divorce, my mother is still learning every day how to take care of herself. As an adult, I now see and understand the stress that she’s under trying to live alone, even though she hides it as best as she can.

This childhood memory holds great significance to me now because it helps me to remember that my mother will be ok. Even if she struggles so much now, she has managed her life as a mother alone before and can do it again. It teaches me that resilience is possible even in what can seem to be the most desperate of times.

Samantha — Fear — Kendrick
In this storytelling based song Kendrick goes through 3 major stages of fear in his life; at the age of 7, 17, and 27. At the age of 7 he experiences and sees fear in his household. His mother is on government help and he sees she fearful of having that taken away and he is experiencing fear from his mother threatening to hit him in hopes to get him to behave. He then goes to the age of 17 and the fears of being a black young man and being killed by gangs or the police. He also expresses fear of being incarcerated at 17 and that being the end of his life. The last age he brings up is 27 where he expresses fear of not financing his money good and fear of being judged by the community and fearful of leaving a bad reputation.

The reason I chose this song is because I have also experienced major fears in my life and I appreciated the storytelling aspect of this song and how well Kendrick laid out his fears and the reasons why. Although my fears are different from Kendricks I related with this song because when I was 8 years old my godfather was wrongfully arrested and then later deported. Growing up I was always fearful of “la migra” (ICE) but I never fully understood why, until my godfather was deported. From then on I feared having my parents taken from me. This experience fueled my fear for ICE and for police officers, I am still struggling with this fear. Another fear that I experienced was that of the unknown at the age of 15. My parents got divorced at 15 and although it was a good decision to end a toxic relationship I feared having to choose who to live with and I feared not being apart of my sisters lives when I chose to move with my dad. I was also fearful of the amount of hate I had bottled up because I did not know when the hate would disappear or if I was just going to explode one day. I am currently 21 and the fear I am facing today is fear of failing. I know failing is apart of life however, I fear failure because I know my parents have sacrificed so much and they struggle to this day to put me through college and still be able to raise my sisters. If I fail that means that I will be disappointing my parents and showing them that their sacrifices were for nothing. All of these experiences have helped with my development as a person and student. Having my godfather deported as such a young age and then recently having one my cousins deported really has pushed me into the field of Criminal Justice with a focus on social injustices in our communities.

Samantha — La Jura — Chicano Batman
this song is in Spanish so here are the lyrics translated to English (https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Chicano-Batman/La-Jura/translation/english). This song is another storytelling song that talks about police brutality and the corrupt use of power. Here Chicano Batman is questioning those in power about why they are attacking those who they are meant to protect and they question why they target those who are doing nothing but minding their business. There has been a lot of cases of police brutality in America that have caused outrage and caused for social change groups to form.

The reason I chose this song is because I am a supporter of the Black LIves Matter movement that started in 2013 after the murder of Trayvon Martin a 17 year old boy. The murderers of these young black men are getting no prison time and are not being held accountable for their actions. In Cleveland, Ohio Tamir Rice was killed for playing with a fake gun and the police officer that murdered him was just rehired in a different Ohio police department. I also believe that America needs to pursue Criminal Justice reform and prison reform in order to advance as a country. Seeing these stories and cases has pushed me to pursue a career in the Criminal Justice field and it has sparked my interest in becoming a defense attorney working in a non-profit.

Thomas — Ode to Joy — Ludwig Van Beethoven
My first choice, in my opinion, is the perfect anthem: rousing, unique, open and generous in spirit. Not a piece of music that expresses what makes “us” special vis a vis “them”, but rather one that integrates, unites and celebrates humanity. I grew up in the heart of Europe, where France, Switzerland and Germany meet. And I grew up with the idea and ideal of Europe, which remains an important part of my identity. It is an idea and ideal worth fighting for — where fighting means engaging, educating, convincing.

Diana — Les Yeux de La Maman — Kendji Girac
This song really affects me and gives me goosebumps. My mother carried me since day one, she’s my role model, my idol, she lifted me up when I needed her the most and her love has no boundaries. She believes in me and motivates me. Her love in unconditional and all what I want is to make her proud of me.

Lily — Love It If We Made It — 1975
I don’t listen to much of the 1975, but this is probably my favorite song of all time. It is such an explosive blend of every single emotion, compacted into four minutes. It came out last summer, and I remember blasting the song through my car speakers almost every day, screaming the lyrics with so many different friends of mine. Last summer was also the summer before I left for college, and the chorus, “I’d love it if we made it,” echoed my feelings of being terrified to lose all the love I had back home and desperation to maintain my friendships despite moving, paired with an almost resigned and accepting feeling about the realities of growing up. Even though these are rough emotions to deal with, the song is so incredibly upbeat in sound that you can’t help but feel a rush of joy when you listen to it. The lyrics juxtapose this happiness, however, as they sing about teenage recklessness and the horrible evils of this world (several lyrics actually quote Trump). Overall, this song is like an overcrowded, oversaturated image of the world with all it’s beauty and all it’s evils and this is precisely why I love it so much. Even though it was released a year ago, every time I hear it I play it at full volume and sing along to all the lyrics, awash in the pure joy of being alive and getting to feel all feelings, even the bad ones.

Jun — El Mismo Sol — Alvaro Soler
I choose this song to represent my hope towards global vision. It is mandatory for Global Studies students to learn a foreign language besides Cantonese, Mandarin and English. I chose Spanish because it is the fourth most spoken language in the world that might lead me to communicate with more people around the globe. My original intent is the fulfill the graduation requirement but the culture is very attracting that I decided to continue learning Spanish. Bruce Lee once said “You know what I want to think of myself? As a human being. Because, I mean I don’t want to be like “As Confucius say,” but under the sky, under the heavens there is but one family. It just so happens man that people are different.” The title “The Same Sun” shares the same message, which I like a lot. As I travel and see more, racism and other forms of discrimination are still out there. Besides, one of the goal of the academy this year is also about fixing the social cohesion through media. I strongly believe our goals echoes with the words of Bruce Lee as well as the lyrics in El Mismo Sol that a world of embracing diversity and multiculturalism based on mutual respect is achievable.

The same sun

I’m telling you clearly, clearly

it is not unusual, unusual

so we can, (my) love.

A dwarf world, dwarf world

we are hand in hand

we only need love.

We can, (my) love.

I want this to be the world that answers

from the east to the west

and under the same sun.

Now we go

yes, we celebrate together

here we all are, under the same sun.

Draw out the bad, the bad

don’t say stop, stop

it’s worth it, my love. Worth it, my love.

There are no borders, borders

it will be what you want

what you want, (my) love.

We can, (my) love.

I want this to be the world that answers

from the east to the west

and under the same sun.

Now we go

yes, we celebrate together

here we all are, under the same sun

and under the same sun

and under the same sun.

I want the world, the world, the world

I want the world to unite, my love

I want the world, the world, the world

I want the world to unite, my love

To unite, my love

I want this to be the world that answers

from the east to the west

and under the same sun.

Now we go

Yes, we celebrate together

Here we all are, under the same sun

and under the same sun.

Now we go

Yes, we celebrate together

Here we all are, under the same sun

under the same sun.

(Lyrics translated from online)

Anna — Truth Hurts — Lizzo
This breakout hit by singer/rapper Lizzo is my current self-empowerment anthem. Upbeat, positive and inspiring, it gives me the most rejuvenating confidence boost and a great reminder of the strength within me anytime I need it. Though I’m more confident now than at any other point in my existence — something I chalk up to (thankfully) no longer being a teenager — I could still stand to be more self-assured in many areas of my life.

Like many other people my age, I’m at a precarious point in my existence. Whether I’m dealing with a major assignment or applying for a job, I frequently worry that I don’t have what it takes to succeed. When I do succeed, I find myself suffering from imposter syndrome. Though Lizzo’s song is about being strong and sure of yourself through a heartbreak, I’ve found that it applies to confidence in many other areas of life as well.

Lizzo, who struggles with depression and feelings of rejection from time to time, says she wrote the song to combat these feelings. As someone who also experiences very low lows every once in a while, I immensely appreciate the song’s message and all that Lizzo herself stands for (see: intersectional feminism, self-empowerment, body positivity.) Whether I’m suffering from bouts of anxiety or just plain feeling down, Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” reminds me of who I am, what I deserve and what I’m capable of. To me, this song is one of many that proves music can heal.

Luce — Girls/Girls/Boys — Panic at the Disco
This is an important song to me. It was the first time I felt recognition in the media. The song is about how girls can like boys and girls and I was blown away when I first listened to it. It pisses me off how little recognition there is in the media for LGBTQIA+ people, so when this song first came out I was very proud.

Julia — No Plan — Hozier
I’m not a religious person by any means, but I do enjoy engaging in intense religious/spiritual debates every now and again to hear some differing viewpoints about what others believe happens after death, what the purpose of life is, etc. Most of Hozier’s music has religious undertones woven into it, which I partially accredit to the natural melancholy tone of his voice but also to the heavily religious terminology he uses to describe romantic experiences. The song “No Plan” is inspired by various physicists findings and lectures, which detail the possibilities for the end of the world and the cosmic randomness that we should all end up here (earth) for this brief span of time. The song’s lyrics are incredibly poetic and existential and the takeaway (I think?) is a pretty beautiful yet simplistic message: Let’s enjoy it all while we’re here and not think too hard about the inevitable apocalypse.

Giles — Under Pressure — Queen & David Bowie
As much as “Something That I Want” is a reminder to get out there, get involved, and change up how you live your life, “Under Pressure” is the embodiment of that, calling out for a reevaluation of how we think about and treat both ourselves and others. While opening up is an important step in helping yourself, it is also a necessary part of helping others. When you are not alone in whatever it is you are dealing with, that comes with both a level of comfort and a fair bit of duty to help those who are also suffering. We are all under pressure from life and the different systems that surround and limit us, and its important to reach out and work with others to ease their pressure.

Lisa — Unwritten — Natasha Bedignfield
The song reminds me about how people make us feel — like we have to have everything, every part of our life already figured out at a particular point of life. We have to choose what college we’re going to go to really early, what subject we’re going to study — but we don’t even know much about life yet.

“I am unwritten
Can’t read my mind
I’m undefined”

That’s exactly how I felt 2 years ago. After graduating high school, I followed my passion sports by starting the bachelor’s degree program “Sport Science” at the University of Vienna. At that time, it felt as the right thing to do, although I didn’t know what I want to do in the future — and that is completely okay, because I know found my way. Others might not act that way — but it is about you and not the outsiders. It is you, who creates dreams and goals and maybe they become true. We need to remember that when one door closes, another opens. Living life to its fullest should be on top of every bucket list. We have to learn to let go, just let things happen, without planning them to the smallest detail. Further, we need to keep our eyes wide open for all upcoming possibilities in life. Each day is a blank page and it’s up to us to fill it.

Minnah — Drowning — Banks
This song is significant to me for a lot of reasons, but one of the first that comes to mind is it reminds me of the summer after I graduated from high school. I struggled with the loss of a friend, moving to a new city, and many existential crises about what I wanted to do once I got to college and how to leave my old life behind. This is one of the songs I listened to a lot during that summer, so it gives me perspective and allows me to reflect on how far I’ve come since then.

Camille — Good as Hell — Lizzo
This song makes me feel so good. It has a retro feel and is just overall upbeat, and about feeling confidence after a breakup. It emphasizes self-care and female friendships. My friends and I love listening to this song on warm days in the car — it puts us all in a great mood no matter what.

Lea — Hard Place — H.E.R.
And you know that I be head strong

But you know that you be dead wrong

Telling me to relax when I’m reacting

I don’t even know where to begin with this song — there are so many breathtaking elements. H.E.R.’s lower register starts the song in a way that makes me stop for a moment and take in the depth of every perfect note. It was tough to pick only one set of lyrics but I think this is a close favorite for me in this song. You can tell that every beat, every note, every lyric of this song was carefully crafted and guided into its final state. She also performed this live at the Grammy’s this year and it was probably one of the best live TV performances I have ever seen.

Sarah — Mamma Mia — Abba
This song is dear to my heart because it takes me back to beautiful memories spent with my family in London. My uncle is someone i look up too and someone who is very interesting to listen to. He introduced me to abba and made me love the movie mamma mia. This song became our song because i remember dancing with him on it on New Year’s Eve. The lyrics are fun as well, yet in this case the lyrics do not move me but the memory of it does.

Liza — Sign of the Times — Harry Styles
One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. My attachment to this song is further strengthened by the fact that a very dear person to me told me about it. Ever since, I have been finding strength in this heartbreaking but wonderful piece of art. I believe it is about coming to terms with the end of the beautiful things in your life, accepting that life is what it is. It teaches you a good lesson: that you need to stop running, you need to embrace the good and bad, and to try to see the silver lining and try to have the time of your life despite the heartbreaking moments on your way.

Liza — Not Afraid — Eminem
Eminem pretty much introduced me to the world of music. When I was growing up and facing this hard stage of life called puberty, 70% of the songs on my MP3 Player were Eminem’s, most of my drawings were of him, I had his posters all over my room, 8 Mile was on top of my personal movie ranking: in short, I was his biggest fan that had ever existed. My fandom is not that intense anymore. However, I still admire his talent, courageous lyrics, incredible sense of humour and wittiness successfully transferred into his songs. Not Afraid will forever be part of my childhood, and it will always be a form of a motivation when going through personal hardships, reminding me to stay brave and keep going.

Dima — Asfour — Oumeima El Khalil
This is when my love for Arabic music has all started. Growing up, this song had a different meaning because it reminds me of my father. My father used to sing it every night to put me to sleep. My father and I have a great relationship and I consider him a great inspirational figure. He always put us first, since he did everything he could to support and motivate us to do the best of our abilities. When I was 4 years old, I went to the concert to watch it live. Even till this day I listen constantly to this song. However, my prospective changed towards this song because I understood the real meaning behind this song. This song represented violence and abuse and not being given freedom.

Sylesh — 2nd Stage — Kids Alive
Used in the anime, Hungry Heart, this song that stands above them all; by leaps and bounds, at that. A truly beautiful piece of music that synthesizes and says it all, 2nd Stage is a song that I greatly love. Hopes, dreams, aspirations and the absolute devotion of a human soul into achieving those ends, pristine in its simplicity, purity and reverberating power. How Far I’ll Go comes from a place of intellectualised anguish, a place where emotions are triggered in the backdrop by thoughts of life and liberty. 2nd Stage is something that far transcends all that. It has accepted all those constraints, restrictions, and obstacles, and has the courage to reach beyond them to grasp that tantalizing future. It is grounded in reality but also in an indomitable spirit. It is a fierce declaration of intent, to reach that stage, with the announcement that the first step towards it has already been taken.

Sanchali — Part of Your World — Little Mermaid Soundtrack
Another song that had a considerable impact on my life was this song from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Growing up, I loved this movie so much that I watched it on repeat and would even make my sister play “mermaids” with me when we went to any swimming pool. I fell in love with Ariel’s story of wanting to be apart of another society. I related to Ariel through the idea that she was part of one world but wanted to be part of another. In a similar way, I always wanted to feel like I was fully Indian but never did because I couldn’t speak the language. Although Ariel is half fish and I am entirely human, Ariel’s song of longing to be a part of another world resonated with my desire to relate to my parents’ culture.

Jennie — Rewrite the Stars — Anne-Marie & James Arthur
‘What if we rewrite the stars?

Say you were made to be mine

Nothing could keep us apart

You’d be the one I was meant to find’

I have to say — this is definitely my favourite in a playlist of ‘The Greatest Showman’. It is worthy to note that a rich man and a poor girl desperately to be together, however, strong social oppression is meant to separate two of them. As a Romanist, I have broken down due to their strong desire to fall in love with each other against all odds. They were looking for the day to rewrite their fate, just like stars under the dark. In reality, it reminded me that there’ve always been tons of lethal social constraints and taboos we have never walked through. We were told to be disciplined and never look for the rationale behind them. However, the world needs changes. We are meant to rewrite our story and re-create a better one. Youngsters or new generation shall turn their light on, and begin to ignite our bright future.

Lydia — Silver Lining — Mt. Joy
This song has a line that represents one of my most important philosophies in life. “Tell the ones you love you love them” is a lyric that summarizes people’s unwillingness to reveal their emotions towards each other. Too often, people do not find the courage to express how much they care about someone until it is too late. I try to live by this line and tell the people in my life how much they mean to me.

Suman — Punjabi MC — Morni
I grew up heavily influenced by Rap, Hip-hop, RnB and Bhangra music. All of which gets your body moving. I chose this song because it one that my kids love, I play for any of my friends, and every now and then we have a dance party to this song. It has the Punjabi drum called a dhol. Which is essential to getting those shoulders moving and doing some bhangra moves. Listen to it and tell me that you didn’t want to get up and start dancing!

Suman — I Can Show You the World — Zayn and Zhavia (Aladdin Soundtrack)
“How could they remake a classic”? was my first thought. Then I found out Zayn is singing (I love his voice) “I can show you the world”. It is better than expected, it was beautifully sung by Zayn and Zhavia (Amazing voice, can you believe she is only 17???). My kids make me replay this song at least twice a day and none of us are sick of it. Not to mention this movie was awesome. This use to my favorite movie and song growing up. Now having kids of my own and they share the same love, I relived my 8-year-old self. My friends and I use to sing this song at the top of our lungs at recess (original version). (Fun Fact: I was Princess Jasmine for Halloween the following year).

Herman — Moment of Truth — Gangstarr
This track by Gangstarr always helps ground me when needed. Guru balances his unique tonal flow with clever wordplay resulting in a very layered and relatable message on believing in yourself. I usually credit this song as one of the first to trigger my love for hip-hop, especially old school. I had already been composing music well before hearing this song, but it was only after this song that I began writing my own lyrics and rhymes; this is where my moniker “Heckles The Tiger” originated.

“Actions have reactions, don’t be quick to judge
You may not know the hardships people don’t speak of
It’s best to step back, and observe with couth
For we all must meet our moment of truth”

Maya — Follow Your Arror — Kacey Musgraves
My sister introduced me to this song, i like the lyrics because they showcase that no matter what you do people always make their own assumptions of you. The message in it is to always be yourself and not try too hard to live up to everyone’s expectations because most people will have criticisms about you either way.

Favorite lyrics:

If you can’t lose the weight

Then you’re just fat

But if you lose too much

Then you’re on crack

You’re damned if you do

And you’re damned if you don’t

So you might as well just do

Whatever you want

So

Kris — Qing Tian (Sunny Day) — Jay Chou
Jay Chou is a male singer plus songwriter from Taiwan who I have addicted for 10 years. The name of this song called “Qing Tian”, which means Sunny Day, was occupied most of the times when I was taking train back to my secondary school. Whenever I listen to this song, just listen to the first 20 seconds played by the guitar strings, the memories when I was a young teenager, a secondary school, an immature girl, an innocent girl ……would pop up in my mind. The lyrics about this song is mostly about a bashful love story in high school, a young boy is missing the girl whom he has broken up … a common story in love song. However, the scenes the lyrics portrayed are really beautiful: the day I skipped class for you, the day that flowers were blooming, the day I held your hand …all are scenes that are full of the youth.

I think everyone would have a unique song that represents the teen you. I think this song is greatly represented the times when I was a teen: hanging out with friends and laugh at a meaningless topic, singing karaoke every week, rushing back to home and turn on the computer and chat with friends via MSN (it has been shut down :( ).

I remember that day when I went to the concert of Jay Chou and first time listened to the live version of this song after many years later, tears dropped from my eyes because I really miss those good old times lol. Hope you enjoy this song!!

Jana — One Big Family — Maher Zain
I would say that this song touches the heart directly. It’s not about being related to your family by blood only, it’s wider than your biological family. Sometimes friends become home and family and thus this song can be dedicated to them as well. Moreover, when you feel that you’re homesick or haven’t seen your friends for a while, this is the best song that can get you goosebumps and memories. It also sheds light on the importance of family bonds and relations even if they are far away because distance is just a number.

Rainbow — June
Hong Kong’s anti-extradition bill protest starts from June. And this song expresses helplessness, sadness and yet hope which resonate with the movement. I cannot find the whole English translation of the lyrics but here are the first fews lyrics:

“Don’t hate that you are born in this sad generation. How can you be immortal?

Like the June sky, it will suddenly fly the frost, take it as a beautiful view and slowly taste it.”

Sarah — Don’t Stop Me Now — Queen
I chose this song because I think it encaptures the high energy person I am. The song is quick, and all over the place, which is sort of how I see myself. The lyrics “don’t stop me now / cause I’m having a good time having a good time” just remind me of my desire to constantly have fun if I’m able to. As I said in the last post, I am high energy and quirky person, so people sometimes are confused by the way I act. However, I am the way I am, and if people let me behave as myself they will find that while sometimes what I do might be a little out of the ordinary, it’s all to create more fun!

Sarah — Wannabe — The Spice Girls
This is kind of a more fun choice I went with, but I think this song is a big part of who I am. I know the lyrics by heart and feel so empowered listening to it even though I probably heard it for the first time when I was in diapers. The song is all about the importance of female friendships, and as a feminist, I love that, but I also just value my friendships regardless of gender. My friends are extremely important to me and people I would do anything for. I care about their happiness over everything, which I kind of relate to the chorus, “If you wannabe my lover / ya gotta get with my friends / make it last forever / friendship never ends.” That song is iconic and instilled a sense of loyalty towards the people I love above all else.

Anislie — Once Upon a December
This was the song I’d dance to all day in the living room when I was little. I’d pretend to make whole ballet routines for it, and my imagination would soar with visions of grand ballrooms, secret gardens, and dance halls that floated in the clouds. These memories re-center me in how to be childlike and delicate, which are two qualities I often forget to live with. As much as I aspire to keep growing and keep opening my mind, I think there is something to be learned from the honesty and imagination of a child and how to cross that into our own developed interactions. I think there’s a type of authenticity which children have and adults have lost among our desire to be seen as mature, respectable, and strong individuals. This song puts me back in the headspace of my little self and allows me to channel that little energy to be more authentic in my own daily interactions with others.