Sophie (Chanko) Dare

Three years seems like a lifetime ago, and I'm so glad I have these monthly playlists to take me back down memory lane. This one is particularly heavy-hitting, even though I'm not sure exactly why.

These are the songs I listened to during my very first drives back and forth to community college. I was all on my own, going to a new school as a new almost-adult, and nothing was familiar anymore. When I hear these songs, I can immediately recall the feeling of the cold fall morning air, and remember all the places I was driving while listening to music and thinking about what was new and exciting in my life.

Almost Famous – Noah Cyrus

https://open.spotify.com/track/5fbeWfU4fnLobWibtLTzdQ?si=PH7KxnRsTiqdqo9qj6TYcA

I was finishing up my stint of sad feelings about a guy who I had told I liked him, and I got friendzoned (again). He definitely didn't deserve any of my emotions or time looking back, but hey, it's a good song.

Dusk Till Dawn – ZAYN feat. Sia

https://open.spotify.com/track/1j4kHkkpqZRBwE0A4CN4Yv?si=Defrya_QQLipnPOOw2r2mg

This song is just plain great – great vocal performances, great melodies, and it conveys such a specific, moody set of emotions.

All My Friends – Hoodie Allen feat. State Champs

https://open.spotify.com/track/1LrKk1EwgHm91W0XTNXZvP?si=uGwae6kuT5CLCtl_eR4HYQ

What a time. The most unlikely combination – a collab between a rapper and my favorite pop-punk band – turned out to be an instant favorite between me and all of my other friends who are die-hard Champs fans. They play and sing the hook in between verses, and it's just a super fun, playful song.

Caroline – All Time Low

https://open.spotify.com/track/3zGjPxmQpPQUYbrQyincUX?si=JeLrxTiiRJ-7Hrh1Jl8StA

A B-side, bonus track from All Time Low's Future Hearts era, this is one of their typical cheeky, underhandedly explicit songs that makes me laugh.

The Last Of The Real Ones – Fall Out Boy

https://open.spotify.com/track/7cQMJ0wDqVS5iM0JIvP6Ay?si=caW8dNlzSHmMNQEiK_o5VA

This album was an awfully disappointing release from Fall Out Boy, but at least this song was good enough to stay on the playlist. It's super catchy and hearkens back to the Save Rock and Roll era of anthemic, smartly written FOB songs.

Wildest Dreams (Taylor Swift) / Blue Jeans (Lana Del Rey) – Cimorelli

https://open.spotify.com/track/1vUnSKPq5PBrKimfkgax7T?si=5fgVEZj6R5-Bi5ywllHC6w

This was one of the girls' cover videos from way back in 2015 that flew under the radar for me, but when I rediscovered this amazing mashup of these two songs that fit together perfectly, I could NOT stop relaying it.

Homemade Dynamite – Lorde, Khalid, Post Malone, and SZA

https://open.spotify.com/track/7rdUtXasA973gmrr2Xxh3E?si=6Y3f1jd7SVKgLC7CR5H7BA

Lorde is an amazing artist on her own. But combined with all of these huge hip-hop artists for a remix of one of her songs? Even better! All of the verses by different artists are so interesting, creative, and catchy. I couldn't stop singing along to this for weeks once it was on my playlist.

Weight Of The World – Jon Bellion

https://open.spotify.com/track/6dVcavGKwvUjk998frTljW?si=jjDgiEIyS_CSDNYl2xs1lA

This month was the very beginnings of my eventual love affair with Jon Bellion's music. I was blown away by the beauty of this song, with unexpected musical composition and great vocals (as usual) from Jon.

...Ready For It? – Taylor Swift

https://open.spotify.com/track/7zgqtptZvhf8GEmdsM2vp2?si=c_GGyKTBSzuYbumWP_9f-A

This was the follow-up single for Reputation, and after the ...uh... interesting Look What You Made Me Do, I was not happy with the direction Taylor was about to take with her music. However, I was surprised with how much this track grew on me, and I eventually learned to like it.

Africa (Toto) / Let Me Love You (Justin Bieber) – Cimorelli

https://open.spotify.com/track/0BuW61TETnBe2MxyxKuwWP?si=zindjs0xTY2ZawCMCcN7lQ

Oh man, now THIS one was a real obsession. It's just a cover of the iconic song by Toto, but it fits perfectly over the instrumental of Justin Bieber's pop hit, Let Me Love You. The new track just adds a whole new life to the song, and I loved it.

19 Seventy Sumthin' – Neck Deep

https://open.spotify.com/track/6mgexmUT7AbuOPumrScmsQ?si=dswvjPbrRKu5eJTo1vEo5Q

Neck Deep makes heavier pop punk music, great for making mosh pits at concerts and what have you. I loved this album from them, full of bangers, but this slower ballad really stole my heart. It's a sweet telling of the singer's mom & dad's love story – sentimental, sad, and hopeful.

Coil subscribers, keep scrolling for a link to my entire playlist from 2017!

Thanks for reading!

Continue reading with a Coil membership.