Sumin Lee Contributor

Whether rocking out to ACDC on a road trip, listening to Doechii at the gym, or getting broken up with while Britney Spears plays in the background (all true events), music can often enhance our experiences in life (even through irony). That being said, music stands as one of the most powerful stimuli to cue and magnify key emotional moments. I would like to introduce you to five songs which pair with hyper-specific moments meant to help you make new memories in this new school year. 

“9 to 5” by Dolly Parton 

“Working 9 to 5?” Well, ain’t that the truth, except that as university students, we probably have a three-hour window between classes during the day. This uncomfortable amount of time, where you cannot be bothered to study but also feel guilty for doomscrolling, can be spent listening to one of Dolly Parton’s greatest hits. An energetic and high-spirited tune about a mundane life can help romanticize the commute to Robarts Library. 

“Walk This Way” by Aerosmith 

There is something so specific about the swagger you can feel walking to your first lecture with twenty minutes to spare, the warm fall sunlight glistening against your sunglasses, your colour-coded Google calendar yet to be bombarded with homework, readings, and quizzes. Aerosmith sings an anthem for your confident strut past Sidney Smith, and this version of you is still riding the high of summer break. For the first week of school, you are reborn as your consciousness has yet to realize that midterms exist and “Walk This Way” reflects that.  

“La Barca” by Luis Miguel 

Homesickness hits the hardest in the early moments of the school year as you head to bed every night and realize that you do not have a return ticket. Luis Miguel’s silky voice is the auditory equivalent of watching your home become smaller and smaller as you move away into your future. Aching for comfort and love? “La Barca” is the soundtrack for your brief moments of angst in bed when you miss your mom’s cooking. 

“Falling” by Jamiroquai 

There is a slight drizzle in the air. You have, of course, forgotten your umbrella, and you are wondering if your hair looks as crazy as you thought it did on your way out. Jamiroquai’s jazzy “Falling” is the perfect song to blast into your headphones to distract you from the fact that you woke up twenty minutes late and did not check the forecast before you left. However, do not feel discouraged! “Falling” is not a sad rain song. It’s more like a “stumbling-forward” one, meant to remind you that you are still catching your footing in the early fall back in university. 

“Mas que Nada” by Jorge Ben 

Everyone has that moment in the school year where they forget how to concentrate. Your brain just seems to wander every single time you look at your empty Google Doc. Jorge Ben’s “Mas que Nada” should be your first option for some good old Samba to get you back on that grind. It does not have bossa nova’s calming melody; instead, it makes your body want to get moving. “Mas que Nada” should help get those gears turning again as the colourful rhythm cuts through the greyness of your mind fog.