Weekend Tunes

For little more than a while, my inner music lover has not been presented with an opportunity to showcase her beloved tracks, instead focusing on the hard-going matters relating to school, conformism, etc. Yet, on this beautiful July Sunday afternoon, LikeATeen is making the most of a chance to reveal her music loves and, most importantly of all, relax.

Of course, it isn't always easy to kick your shoes off (including the 'high heels' which everybody at school has an opinion on) and melt into the warm embrace of relaxation during the week, especially when your mind is still somewhat stuck in a classroom. Therefore, my music-listening needs are often sacrificed in favour of completing homework and generally lazing around the house before I resume my weekday routine the following morning. It is a cycle which I sometimes find difficult to break because it isn't necessarily my calling to break away from it, but the prospect of enjoying the weekend melts my determined persona like an ice cream as I slip further away from the general stresses of attending school.

And you know what? I would never have gotten through the transition from home-schooling to attending secondary school without listening to music or indeed engaging in my preferred activities; like the two litres of water which doctors are constantly banging on about, music is essential to life and literally keeps me sane at the times when I crave it most. Each lyric and beat are as indulgent as a bar of high-quality chocolate - isn't music the most pleasurable thing on this planet? I love it and, like all teenagers, I'm sure that you have your favourite singers and bands, too.

Isn't music often what defines us as teenagers, and will continue to do so for generations to come? Just one song is enough to take us back to a moment in time which eternally exists at the back of our minds, and it represents who we were at that stage within our lives. Music can often be easily dismissed because modern day tracks are not deemed as great as 'the classics' from the 60s, 70s, 80s and even the 90s, but I disagree; with a fondness for both classic and modern songs, I'm open to all music regardless of its era, because its release date is insignificant compared to the lyrics, vocals and beat.

Equipped with a music-sharing service such as Spotify (albeit I deleted the program to make room for my Sims 2: Apartment Life game several months ago), I can access thousands of songs without paying a penny or indeed rummaging through tons of CDs in a shop. Some might argue that a tradition of visiting a music shop is being lost as digital downloads take over the world (or so iTunes does), but as long as the appreciation for fine music continues to exist, isn't that what matters the most?

Sorry if I seem to be getting caught up in an extra-long essay (which should be strictly reserved for English assignments) about music, but my enthusiasm is truly making the most of its moment to shine. Get your headphones/ear plugs out of a draw, switch on your phone or near decade-old Walkman, and listen to the songs which send your heart soaring beyond a clear summer sky. Music is one of life's greatest joys, and everybody has the right to discover it for themselves!

1) Foster the People - Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)



2) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege



3) Haim - Falling



4) The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?



5) The Smiths - This Charming Man



6) Moby - Lift Me Up