The Soundtrack of a Memory

Music has a way of keeping receipts of our memories. All it could take are the first few notes of a song to bring you back to a completely different version of yourself. Like Infrared, these memories exist just below the surface, hidden until something reveals them. Music has always shaped the way I experience life, preserving moments long after the details begin to fade. Throughout time, I realized that these songs mapped out the eras of my life, so I thought we'd dive into the soundtrack of my memories.

Songs that Raised Me

Wavin’ Flag - K’NAAN 

This is the first song I have a recollection of listening to. My dad would play it constantly, and I would always look out the window, pretending I was in a music video. If childhood innocence were a song, this would be it. This song was used during the 2010 World Cup, so I genuinely thought the world was a harmonious place that had no problems at all. 

Circus - Britney Spears

This song just proves that I was a diva from day one. This song is the embodiment of girlhood for me. Little me would play this over and over on her iPod because she felt so badass. This is also where I learned that I love to dance, because I try listening to this song without dancing. You can't!

DJ Got US Fallin’ In Love - USHER, Pitbull

This is the song that fully got me into rap. I remember taking a hip-hop class, and I was the youngest one there, and definitely the shyest. This was the song we danced to, and while I was in the back of the dance, I was having the most fun of my life. I believe this song was a staple in growing my confidence to where it is today.

Pump Up The Jam - Technotronic

My elementary P.E. teacher is probably the happiest guy in the world. He would play this song every day for our attempted warm-up. The smell of the hallways, the cheers of the cafeteria, and the fresh air of recess. These were the moments embedded in this song. 

An Awkward Age

Play Date - Melanie Martinez 

This song fully shaped the year 2019. Whether it was the Timothee Chalamet edit or random “povs,” this song impacted everyone this year. I think this song really embodies quarantine because when you really analyse the lyrics, it's like we manifested it into existence. This song is me lying in bed, skipping my Zoom meetings, and pretending to care about the 7th grade.

O Children - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

This song is when we were lying like starfish, trying to shift to another dimension because we all had too much time on our hands, or at least I did. Quarantine was such an odd experience that I have many songs from this era. I think most of us were spending too much time online and could've definitely used a detox.

Hallways, Headlights, and Headphones

Gold - 2hollis

I discovered this song in my senior year of high school. This was the start of my 2hollis obsession, as well as just an introduction to the genre. I was nominated for best dressed, and I felt like the most niche, cool person around, only to find out that I was headed to college at niche central, and in fact, everyone already listens to 2hollis. 

Texas Sun - Khrunangbin, Leon Bridges

Austin City Limits (ACL) is a music festival in Austin, Texas. It is one of my top five favorite places on Earth. Every year, my family buys the three-day pass, and once the lineup is released, we start listening. I curate a playlist with every artist going on it, and it's such an amazing way to discover new music. The last ACL I went to, Leon Bridges came, and I got to hear the best song ever played. This song brings me back to ACL every time I listen, and it continues to be one of my favorites.

Spinnin - Flatland Calvary 

You'd think since I'm from Texas, I would love country music, but I didn't actually start listening to country music consistently until high school. Flatland Calvary was the first country group I found that I truly loved. I saw this song live, and it truly embodies a perfect Texas summer day.

Off to College

Big Jet Plane - Angus & Julia Stone

Since I use music to document every aspect of my life, I obviously had a “moving to college” playlist. This song was constantly repeated, whether I was saying my goodbyes to my friends or sitting in the window seat of the plane. This song documents a huge change in my life, acting as a transition from my old life to my new one. I will forever cherish the comfort this song brought to me through my first year of college.

Shout - The Isley Brothers

THE song of the University of Oregon. I heard this song constantly from orientation to sitting at Unthank eating lunch. It really hit me, though, at one of our first home games. When the whole student section just put their phones down and connected for a moment. When this song plays, there's such a sense of unity between all of us, and that's why I included it on my list. 

Cool Kids - Echosmith

This song was such a staple in my childhood, and I recently rediscovered it while going into college. It's just one of those songs that makes you feel like the main character, whether you're nine or nineteen. I think rediscovering childhood songs as you grow up is such an incredible experience because you get to create new moments attached to these songs.

Damn I Love Miami - Pitbull, Lil Jon

While not a typical sentimental song, this song means a lot to me and my college experience. When I came to college, I knew I wanted to join a sorority, but I never expected to find such an amazing group of girls. I discovered this song at a formal event, and ever since then, it reminds me of this sisterhood. My sorority has truly changed who I am in the best way possible and given me big sisters, best friends, and a place to call home.

The Reason 

While we all have attachments to music and memory, I wanted to give a why. When music is played from a specific time, it triggers your autobiographical memories. The amygdala and the hippocampus are the centers of these memories. The amygdala focuses on threat processing, emotion, and specifically fear. The hippocampus is the site where most of your memories are made. These two parts of your temporal lobe help process and bind the music to your memories. 

Music has always been more to me than simply a way to fill silence. It stores our emotions, memories, and relationships that would have otherwise been forgotten. Looking back, I realized I could capture different moments using music. Some songs age with you, while others stay frozen in time. Long after the moments fade, the music is the proof that they once existed.