Students share their favorite songs and why they bring them joy
Ana Alofaki
Freshman majoring biology from Tonga
1. "Honest" by Kyndal Inskeep ft. the Song house
“I love the vibe of this song. I first heard it from TikTok.”
Fact: According to the Song House, this song wasn’t ready when it was released. One of the members, Tyler, was second-guessing everything and hoped that this song would touch those that needed it. Kyndal Inskeep, a rising pop songstress said, “That is why this song is so powerful because in all of its rawness, in all of its imperfections, it is perfect!”
Source: Instagram - @thesonghouseco
“This song puts words to the silent cries of our hearts and a melody to our circumstances.”
Source: bridgemusicmagazine.com
Siagnoa Tupai
Senior majoring in Anthropology from Samoa
2. "I ne’i galo ia oe" - in case you didn’t know (Samoan version) by AL J Luavalu
“I love all kinds of island music, particularly this one. It makes me feel more connected to home, not to say the lyrics are very meaningful.”
Cover singer, AL J Luavalu is from Australia
Fact: When the original singer, Brett Young and his co-writers, Trent and Tyler went to Mexico for a songwriter retreat, Trent shared a story about his childhood. His mom would always remind him how much she loves him. Brett said, “Wow, that’s such an everyday expression, an obvious thing, that I think is overlooked … And also, there’s that element of, nobody ever wants to lose a loved one -- I know that’s dark -- and then wish that they had said ‘I love you’ more.” This is when the song came into the picture.
Source: theboot.com
Jestina Kunie
Senior majoring in human resource from Malaysia
3. "Harleys in Hawaii" by Katy Perry
“This song is so good. I don’t usually listen to the lyrics when it comes to choosing songs. As long as the music is catchy, I’m loving it.”
Fact: “To be on the back of a motorcycle in Hawaii with the air blowing on your face, it's so beautiful,” said Katy. She was inspired to write the song while vacationing with her fiance, Orlando Bloom on Oahu relating it to Hawaiian culture. She wrote the song with her collaborators, one of whom is a famous singer-songwriter, Charlie Puth.
Source: songfacts.com
Sophie Dalby
Sophomore majoring in Business Marketing from California
4. "Fragments" by Jack Johnson
“This song just makes me feel calm and understood in a sense; that all of us are just that, fragmented, and not entirely whole.”
Fact: This song was written during the filming of a documentary about sea creatures being affected by pollution. Johnson said, “... Finding out about how so much plastic ends up in the ocean that it degrades and degrades into such tiny pieces that it becomes fish food and then ends up in our food system.” That thought stayed with him and said this song has deeper meaning than just the lyrics.
Source: songfacts.com
Lydia Clark
Sophomore majoring in social work from Nevada
5. "When You Say Nothing at All" by Alison Krauss & Union Station
“My mom used to sing this song to me as a child and now anytime I need a quick “pick me up,” I would listen to this song. Not only does it have personal meaning to me but the song has great general meaning. One of my favorite lines is “the smile on your face lets me know that you need me.” I think as humans we have such a need for relationships, whether that’s with family, friends, or a partner. We need to love and be loved! The world would be so much better if we could all just love as the Savior does!”
Fact: This song was covered by four different artists and it was made famous by Keith Whitley. The songwriters for this song struggled on the tune for this song for a while and the fact that they had not much to say and still it’s best struck them. It’s surely “a legendary song no matter who sings it.”
Source: wideopencountry.com
Melanie Benavidez
Junior majoring in social work from California
6. "These Walls" by Sam Kim (Korean/English)
“This song has a happy, energetic vibe that you can listen to while you walk to class on a beautiful, sunny day. It is impossible to feel sad when listening to such a feel-good song. Sam Kim’s perfect, angelic voice paired with the groovy chords on the guitar are a match made in heaven to put it simply.”
Fact: Sam Kim was born in Washington, U.S. and moved to South Korea at the age of 15. This song displays Sam Kim’s sweet and sincere heart for music and life.
Source: wikipedia/Round festival
Nefi Krisubanu
Sophomore majoring in social work from Indonesia
7. "My Way" by Frank Sinatra
"Regrets, I've had a few
"But then again too few to mention
"I did what I had to do
"I saw it through without exemption
"I planned each charted course
"Each careful step along the byway
"And more, much, much more
"I did it, I did it my way."
“This song always gives me comfort not to worry about anything we are doing. As long as we are ready to face the things that we have done or the decisions we have made, you are doing the life you wanted.”
Fact: Frank Sinatra recorded this song at the time when he almost retired. The songwriter, Paul Anka came across a French song, “Comme d’habitude” when he was in France and loved it. So, he bought the rights to the song and rewrote the lyrics. While it was a subject of controversy even for Sinatra, this “song became a phenomenon culturally.”
Source: npr/American Anthem
Raga Reginah Kau
Senior majoring in hospitality from Papua New Guinea
8. "Possibilities" by Freddie Stroma
“This is one of the many songs I like to listen to when I feel down.. ‘Don't say it doesn't fit before you try it on. There's too much to lose to be wrong. So many little possibilities in front of us.’ A song can be translated differently by individuals depending on what situation they are going through. Life is full of possibilities. They are just in front of us, and all we have to do is look a little more to find them.”
Fact: Freddie Stroma said he never did any singing at a professional level prior to the movie, "A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song." “We got to go into a studio and have our own ‘singles,’ which is pretty bizarre.” He added he can only see the character he played, Luke singing, not himself.
Source: pagesix.com