Every school year, I go off into winter break with a sense of dread, knowing that come February and March, my life will become a constant cycle of homework and tests. As I have progressed through high school, however, I’ve found that a steady playlist helps me to get through the stress. Here are some of my favorites from my study playlist – some more on the mellow side while others upbeat – all meant to keep you awake and productive. 

“Beaches” by Beabadoobee

This song is very reminiscent of what I like about Beabadoobee as an artist; she is melodic and easy to listen to, her songs over in a moment yet somehow stuck in your head an hour later. This tune is no different, and while it’s definitely not heavy metal or rock, it’s upbeat and happy, keeping my spirits lifted as I complete tasks that may not be enjoyable otherwise. 

“Pain” by PinkPantheress 

I enjoy this song for how easy it is to have on in the background, something in my brain soothed by the beats and rhythm utilized within the track. The song heavily samples the 2000s song “Flowers” by Sweet Female Attitude, and uses repetition to create the base beat. “A lot of people haven’t really heard garage [music] that much before, and I think that for them, the sample is a very palatable way to ease into garage breakbeats,” Pantheress commented on Genius.

“Photo ID” by Remi Wolf & Dominic Fike

 This song is one on the list that is far more upbeat musically, and keeps me awake when I am studying the most boring topics. The pop and rap elements of the track are catchy and super easy to sing along to. The song also has a spot on this playlist because it reminds me of a very specific era of my school year, this past September as I did homework in the library at the University of Louisville. I distinctly remember feeling really happy as this track played and I felt the world bustle around me. 

“Dark Red” by Steve Lacy 

With a repetitive R&B beat, Steve Lacy’s “Dark Red” boosts my productivity on a level that few other songs can. While the song is catchy, it also has a lowkey quality that makes it easy to move into the background of the brain. Admittedly, I have probably listened to this song hundreds of times throughout my junior year, as I find myself needing to focus on one assignment or another at essentially every waking moment.  

“Softly” by Clairo

This song has a permanent place on my study playlist for the tone and harmonies that Clairo brings to the song. Paired with the constant beat, the melody flows really nicely and is incredibly easy to listen to. I also really enjoy the track for its message, the song being about liking a girl from afar and being really excited but not really knowing what to do about it. The inlaid messaging in her songs is something that keeps me going back to Clairo time and time again. “‘Softly’ and ‘Sofia’ are the sound of self-discovery. They’re not coming out anthems, but the nervous thrill of somebody figuring out their own sexuality,” Clairo commented in an interview with Triple J.