Songs My Neighbors Are Sick of Hearing
art courtesy of Denali Naylor ‘25
by Penelope Johnson ‘25
When I find a song I like, I make everyone else like it too. I’ll play it on repeat until its lyrics become permanently etched into my brain. That being said, my lovely (and tolerant) neighbors have been subjected to hearing a few select songs constantly. Thin dorm walls are truly no match for my laptop speakers on full blast. What follows is a justification of my love for these beloved songs (and their constant presence across all my playlists).
“Crush” by Ethel Cain
After a day of trudging through Massachusetts slush, I often find myself retreating into Ethel Cain’s Southern dreamscape of dusty pews and corner store cigarettes. Cain, persona of Hayden Anhedönia, recounts the story of a dangerous love affair. This tale of toxicity begins slowly with Cain’s description of her gun-slinging beau. Eventually the song erupts into an explosively layered bridge as she accepts her fate and proclaims “come and get you some”. Production dies down by the end, where Cain ends with the proverb “good men die too so I’d rather be with you.” True love at its finest, folks. Cain’s a woman who knows what she wants – and she’ll sing it to you while smoking in front of Jesus. I feel it’s my mission to rescue Cain’s music from niche Spotify playlists and place it into the hands of everyone who lives next to me.
Please note: “Crush” features explicit content that may not be suitable for some listeners, or for play on-air at WZLY. We include it here for listeners to check out at their own discretion.
“Karma” by Arlie
This song scores a solid ten on the Penelope Screamability Index (a very official measure backed by science). It also boasts the honor of being added to my sister’s “drums that make me pee my pants” playlist. Lead singer Nathaniel Banks’ full-on screams paired with crunchy vocal production appropriately express this tale of a crash-and-burn love affair. The chorus alone is enough to make even the most stone-faced STEM major cry - especially if they listen to the lyrics. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to chalk up all our relationship problems to bad karma?
“Counting Sheep” by Myles Cameron
I’ve been a longtime fan of Cameron’s storytelling. He’s perhaps the only person to successfully find elements of joy in a suburban setting. “Counting Sheep,” set in white suburbia, is a story about the perseverance of Black love. Accordingly Cameron represents himself and his lover as “black sheep”. His effortless vocals fit smoothly over minimalistic production that lends the track a dreamy feel. Cameron’s Instagram release post about the song said “hope it makes you feel something”. Mission accomplished, Myles.
“Cardigan” by Taylor Swift
Like many others during quarantine, I traveled the folklore pipeline all the way down until I became completely engrossed with Taylor Swift. I listened to a whopping 13,000 minutes of her music last year, and “Cardigan” likely accounted for a solid thousand of those. My love for this saga of teen malaise was renewed after hearing the isolated background vocals during the song’s bridge. I have thus been known to blast this song on full volume and harmonize with Swift as she croons “you drew scars around my scars/but now I’m bleeding.” It’s all fun and games until it’s 3 PM on a Tuesday and someone yells through those thin dorm walls, “your singing sounds great!” I bet they remember the time before I moved in “All Too Well.”
“Menswear” by the 1975
I’m an absolute sucker for songs with a good buildup. Even if It takes almost two full minutes to reach the first verse of this gem from the 2013 album The 1975, the wait is worth it. During this time the beat is methodically layered piece by piece. Finally, at the 1:45 mark, the beat drops away briefly before slamming back in accompanied by full-force vocals and drums. The verse feels at once overwhelming and deserved. Its chaos is fitting for the story of a disastrous wedding party. Not much music from the Tumblr grunge era of the early aughts has held up, but this track remains a favorite of mine to this day. Apologies to any neighbors of mine trying to bury their memories of middle school.
“C’mon Baby, Cry” by Orville Peck
A gay cowboy taking on toxic masculinity is my idea of a good listen. Orville Pecks’ Johnny Cash-esque tone and suped-up lyrics produce a campy escape that somehow manages to feel tangible. As a burnt out college student, I don’t necessarily require encouragement to cry, but it’s nice to have some nevertheless. My mom raised me on country music (think Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson). So I personally cannot stand the cishet white men who’ve run country music for years now (Morgan Wallen, I’m talking about you). Stars like Peck give me hope for the genre in years to come – and are finally making country music fun again.
