Songs that describe me

Akwafina- NYC Bitche$

Cyndi Lauper- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Tom Jones- She’s a Lady

Harry Belafonte Jr. – Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)

David Bowie & Mick Jagger – Dancing in the Street

Queen & David Bowie – Under Pressure

All American Rejects – Move Along

Imagine Dragons- Demons

Gavin DeGraw- I Don’t Want To Be

David Bowie- Underground

“NYC Bitche$” is paying homage to the fact that I was born and raised in New York City, seeing different people and the little things that come with the ‘New York experience.’ “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “She’s a Lady” show how I feel about being a female. When I hear the word ‘girls’, I think of children being silly and having fun being young with no crushing responsibilities. When I hear ‘lady’, I think of being mature and someone to lean on for support. I see those qualities in myself; enjoying my youth and just being lively, but at the same time act mature and headstrong.

“Jump in the Line” or “Shake, Senora” and “Dancing in the Street” are those upbeat songs that have good rhythm to dance to.  The lines “Senora’s dance has no title you jump in the saddle hold on to de bridle…” is how I dance. I like rocking to the music and jumping to the beat. I’m the type of person that likes to break out into a “dance” when I hear a song. In the lyrics of “Dancing in the Street” I absorbed it as dancing regardless of race or superficial reasons just get up and have a ball.

The way I organized this playlist was to show how I felt depression could be portrayed. The first five songs were/are me on the outside and the next five songs represent how I felt and still sometimes feel on the inside.  From middle school, up to the beginning of high school, I was really depressed to the extent that I was suicidal. I felt that school was too much; I couldn’t take having to struggle to get really high grades. I was a mess and I resented my mom for being so strict and hard on me. “Under Pressure” was how my life felt like. I had this weight on my shoulders that was REALLY unnecessary to place on a child. The lines of the song, “Pressure pushing down on me Pressing down on you, no man ask for” was exactly how it felt.

“Move Along” and “Demons” was me trying to get on with life and make it through school with crushing insecurities. I was still depressed, but I couldn’t bring myself to end it. Around the same time, my grandfather died and it hit me hard because my grandparents were the ones to raise my sister and me. I felt stuck and alone, now more than ever.

Second year of high school, when things got better I basically said “fuck everything I want to just live and be happy.” “I Don’t Want To Be” is to me, discovering yourself and being happy that you are you. “Underground” finalizes my views. How hard life can be, but you can most definitely get through it by reaching in deep and overcoming it with your own will.

I think this playlist really represents how I became who I am and how something so serious was an experience that showed me my inner demons and overcoming it made me that much more stronger and happier.