Music Challenge 2.0

 One post I made a few years ago was my 30-Day Music Challenge! It didn't actually take 30 days to write, though; the challenge is supposed to be done by sharing a song that fits the description every day for 30 days. However, I prefer to do them all in one place. I did it in March 2018, and while some of my answers are still good, I regret some of them. I just feel like I didn't explain the choices very well, or the choices themselves were bad. I wanted to do something quick for this week, and I thought this would be a good post to do.

This graphic is from thinkingmoon.com and it has the questions. However, I will be copying down the questions if it's hard for you to see!

1. A song you like with a color in the title

I first heard “Black Swan” by BTS when my English teacher showed me the art film with the song. I love that video because the dancing is absolutely incredible. I also love the theme of the song about losing your passions.

2. A song you like with a number in the title

For this one, I chose “3005” by Childish Gambino. I only know a couple of his songs, but I would still consider Childish Gambino to be one of my favorite artists. The songs I know from him are all incredibly diverse- how can “Redbone,” “Sober,” “Bonfire,” “This Is America,” and “3005” all be by the same artist? “3005” was the first song I heard from him, and it’s going to be a song I’ll always love. It just feels comfortable, like that friend you can always go back to when you’re sad.
3. A song that reminds you of summertime

“Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles has been my summer anthem this year, even though it came out last November. It just feels like a lazy day at the beach. Harry Styles is another one of my favorite artists, as I have yet to hear a song from him I’m not unconditionally in love with.
4. A song that reminds you of someone you'd rather forget

When I originally did this back in 2018, I chose "I Don't Fuck With You" by Big Sean, saying "This song reminds me of everyone who’s ever pissed me off. I listen to it when I’m angry and once I’m done, I feel like I’m on top of the world." I feel like this answer was way too generalized and I don't like it. Honestly, a much better answer would be "FDT" by YG and Nipsey Hussle, which of course, stands for "Fuck Donald Trump." I wish I didn't have to spend all of my days in fear of what that orange man-child is going to do next. I wish I could have the luxury of forgetting about the irreparable damage Trump has caused to my country. I mean, we’ve lost 200,000 people all because he intentionally downplayed the dangers of COVID-19. But I can’t, because our president is so dedicated to being an undignified piece of human garbage. Fuck Donald Trump.

5. A song that needs to be played LOUD
I chose "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" by My Chemical Romance for this one. I'm just now starting to get into My Chemical Romance after more or less ignoring them during my "emo phase" in exchange for Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco. They are great and I'm sorry I slept on them. 

6. A song that makes you want to dance

I physically cannot listen to “Fancy” by Twice without doing the iconic hand gesture. Sorry not sorry.

7. A song to drive to
“Miss Atomic Bomb” by The Killers is a really good song, I like it. I feel like it’s a “blazing down a Las Vegas highway on a summer night” kind of song. 

8. A song about drugs or alcohol
"SICKO MODE" by Travis Scott is mostly about how awesome Travis Scott and Drake are, but I chose it for this one because of the part where Drake says "I did half a Xan, thirteen hours till I land, had me out like a light." I don't listen to nearly as much hip hop as I did two years ago, but this song still gets me hyped. I just like how it has a bunch of different parts. 

9. A song that makes you happy
For this one, I'm choosing "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates. That song is easily one of my favorites from the 80s because it's so happy and energetic. 

10. A song that makes you sad
I’m not sure why, but “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane makes me either cry or want to cry. That song captures the wistful sadness of nostalgia so beautifully. It's one of my favorite songs ever written, but good God, does it make me emotional. 

11. A song that you never get tired of
I’ve heard it countless times but “Shut Up & Dance” by Walk the Moon will always have a special place in my heart. That song was so overplayed in 2015 and yet I still enjoy it every time I hear it. 

12. A song from your preteen years
I was technically already a teenager at this point, but reading this question, I can't help but think of my aforementioned "emo phase" when I was fourteen. When you think of your preteen years, you typically think of doing embarrassing things and being overemotional, and that's definitely how I'd describe my emo phase. The song that kickstarted that phase of my life was "The Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy. 

13. One of your favorite 70s songs
I didn’t actually hear “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra until earlier this year, when I heard it in a TikTok. (I know!) That song is serotonin in audio form. 

14. A song that you would love played at your wedding
There are two songs I need to be played at my wedding. I want my first dance to be to “I See the Light” from Tangled, which I chose for my previous post, and then I want to walk down the aisle to “The Avatar’s Love” from Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm choosing the latter because I already chose the former, but both need to be played at my wedding. 

15. A song that is a cover by another artist
Another song I’ve only just heard? The amazing cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" Lorde did for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack. The original, by the band Tears for Fears, is also incredible. It sounds so freeing and uplifting, which is why Lorde's more sinister take on the 80s classic is so intriguing. Her version sounds like a villain song and I love it. Lorde is another artist I've also slept on for far too long. She's so talented. 

16. One of your favorite classical songs
When I was like, five, I’d listen to a lot of classical music, probably because of Little Einsteins, and I used to be really good at identifying composers. My tastes today are far less high-brow, and I’ve forgotten most of the names of the pieces, but my favorite classical work is The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. All the music from it just puts me in a happy Christmas mood. My favorite is probably "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". 
17. A song you would sing as a duet at karaoke

I feel like "Shallow" by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper would be really fun to do. Especially the "ah aaaah ah" part. I would sound absolutely terrible and it would be really fun. 

18. A song from the year you were born
I was born in 2002, so I chose “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton. The white girl anthem to end all white girl anthems.
19. A song that makes you think about life

I'm gonna choose "Love It If We Made It" by The 1975. The 1975 are one of my favorite bands and although this song came out in 2018, I'm just now getting into it because I'm slow. The lyrics to this song are a commentary on society, with Matty Healy throwing one zinger after another at you. It's one of those songs where I really need Lyrics Genius to truly appreciate everything that's going on because I'm an idiot. I like how, despite the lyrics being very pessimistic and talking about stuff like police brutality, the Syrian refugee crisis, and war, the tone of the song is ultimately optimistic and hopeful. The titular line of the song is also pretty optimistic- "Hey, we live in a shitty timeline, but wouldn't it be cool if we somehow survived?" Also, the song mentions that time Trump tweeted "Thank you Kanye, very cool!" I hate Trump and I know that every other one of his tweets is inane, but that was funny and I'm glad The 1975 forever immortalized it in their song. 

20. A song that has many meanings to you

This is gonna sound really odd, but I'm actually going to choose "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO for this one. Not because of anything in the lyrics, obviously. It's a dumb party song. But in addition to being a dumb party song, it reminds me of my time in the high school band. We played this song all four years of my high school band career, and it was one of my band's personal favorites. Whenever my band director would ask what song we wanted to play, this one kid would always scream "PARTY ROCK!" at the top of his lungs. We even had a choreographed dance break that we'd do during performances of this song, and the audience would get so excited. In conclusion, "Party Rock Anthem" is more than a stupid party song to me; it's emblematic of the best time of my life with some of the best people of my life. 

21. A favorite song with a person's name in the title
I wanted to pick "Drew Barrymore" by SZA for a few of the other options, but I chose other songs instead. I then realized that it also had a person's name in the title, so I was still able to include it. This song is still one of my all-time favorites for how sharp the lyrics are. SZA's lyrical style in this song is very blunt and straightforward, which makes it really easy for me to relate to. The song is called "Drew Barrymore" not because it mentions the actress by name, but because the feelings of insecurity SZA describes in this song are similar to 90s movies starring Drew Barrymore. I've never seen a 90s Drew Barrymore movie, but this song makes me want to watch them all. 

22. A song that moves you forward
“Youth” by Shawn Mendes and Khalid was written after the 2017 terrorist attack in Manchester. I never thought that Shawn Mendes would be capable of writing a Gen Z anthem, but I think the lyrics of this song are a fantastic mantra for my generation and what we stand for. This year, Gen Z has used social media sites like Twitter and TikTok to educate and peacefully protest for human rights and climate change. We are becoming old enough to realize our power, and we're going to use it. My favorite lyric in the song is "Pain, but I won't let it turn into hate/ no, I won't let it change me." That right there sums up the Gen Z mindset. We were born around 9/11 and we're reaching adulthood in the middle of a global pandemic and a racial uprising, but we will never stop fighting for what we believe in. "Youth" is a reminder that, no matter what hardships we go through, Gen Z will always have the power to change the world. I love my generation and I'm determined to fight the good fight. 

23. A song you think everyone should listen to
I’m gonna choose “Freedom” by Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar. I really can't describe that song in any other way except for "powerful." It's a powerful anthem to Black struggles, particularly those faced by Black women, and a reminder that they are strong and can overcome anything. The song came out in 2016, but it's only grown more relevant with time. 
24. A song by a band you wish were still together

I'm surprised I haven't brought up that many kpop songs here, but I'm gonna go with "I Feel You" by the Wonder Girls. The Wonder Girls were one of the most iconic girl groups in kpop, and they had a legendary career, but right around the time they broke up in 2017, they were doing this 80s band concept. They were even playing their own instruments and everything! If the Wonder Girls were to come back and do this "band" concept again, it would be absolutely amazing. At the very least, can we have another girl group do a band concept?
25. A song by an artist no longer living

I'm going to choose another cover for this one. I first watched Glee around 2016, and since then, it's been one of my ultimate guilty pleasure shows; there are many flaws and straight-up awful things about it, but it has a few good qualities that make me want to watch it over and over again. One of those good qualities is the character of Santana Lopez, who started out as a bitchy cheerleader type but ended up having a really compelling arc dealing with her coming out as a lesbian. Santana was my favorite character, in large part due to Naya Rivera's sarcastic yet emotional portrayal of her. On July 8 of this year, Rivera drowned in a boating accident at the far too young age of 33. Many Glee fans, including myself, will forever remember her for helping countless LGBTQ+ people come to terms with their sexuality thanks to the character she played, as well as her immense talent. I had always considered the Glee cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" to be my absolute favorite Glee performance. Part of it was due to the arrangement featuring 2Cellos, but mostly, it was because of Naya's flawless vocal performance. She brought so much fire to that number and the intensity she shared with duet partner Grant Gustin was incredible. It breaks my heart knowing that the amazing voice behind that cover is no longer with us. May she Rest in Peace. 

26. A song that makes you want to fall in love

“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol is the “song” for the couple in a story I was working on, and it’s probably my favorite love song of all time. I can’t think of a more romantic lyric than “If I lay here, if I just lay here, will you lie with me and just forget the world?”

27. A song that breaks your heart
I could have chosen numerous Ariana Grande songs for this post, but I limited it to one. “ghostin” from the thank u, next album absolutely breaks my heart. This song is about her coping with the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, and her relationship with Pete Davidson falling apart. It’s easily the most personal song she’s ever released, and as somebody who’s been a fan of Ariana’s for a decade, it breaks my heart to see her in a situation that would inspire her to write this song. I hadn’t really heard it when I made my Top 20 Favorite Ariana Songs list, but if I had, I absolutely would have put it on the list. It’s beautiful.

28. A song by an artist with a voice you love
I know I’ve said Ariana’s my favorite vocalist out there before, and she does have an unbelievable voice, but I don’t know if I’d say she’s my absolute favorite now. She is my favorite artist, yes, and I love how she uses her voice in her music, but there are a few singers whose voices I like more. I’d say that based solely on vocals, Kelly Clarkson is probably my favorite singer. She’s incredibly versatile and can sing literally anything (just look at her Kelly-okes on her show!), and she’s so emotive in her singing. I think my favorite song by her is “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” and her voice is truly incredible there. That high note on “anymore” in the bridge is extraordinary.

29. A song that reminds you of your childhood

I remember when I was really little, like around four or five, I would watch country music videos all the time on CMT/GAC/whatever. One song and video that I really remember enjoying was "Teardrops on My Guitar" by Taylor Swift. It's just crazy to me that I actually knew of Taylor before she got super famous. I wasn't a diehard fan, because, again, I was five and didn't know much about anything, but I liked her songs! 

30. A song that reminds you of yourself

For the last song, I'm going to choose "Paradise" by Coldplay. This song is about a girl who dreams of escaping her mundane life and seeing the world. I grew up in (and still live in) a small, boring town in the Midwestern United States. I know it sounds cliche, but I really do feel like an outsider in my hometown. For starters, there are a lot of houses with Trump signs and, well, you saw the fourth song I chose. I just want to see the world, find myself, meet new people, all that stuff. I've loved the song "Paradise" for years, and although I don't listen to it half as much as I used to, it will always have a place in my heart and be a personal theme song to me.

Stellar