Are you working in the wee hours of the night for an assignment due in the morning? Or just feeling down in the dumps? If you need some motivation, Digital Senior got it in the form of a carefully curated playlist. From Disney to good old’ Bon Jovi, we’re sure you’ll find something to boost your spirits.
1. Stone Mountain – St. Beauty
/I remember I was so afraid/
/Doubting myself in every way/
/Riding round and past my old house/
/I really see how far I came/
Sung with mellow voices, along with the addition of mesmerizing background vocals, the duo behind St Beauty sing about dream chasing, determination, and growth. It’s easy to drift into introspection with this song, named after a famous landmark in their hometown (Atlanta).
Like St. Beauty, you’ve come so far – give yourself due credit for what you’ve achieved!
2. Hall of Fame – The Script ft. will.i.am
/You can break rocks/
/You can be a master/
/Don’t wait for luck/
/Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself/
/Standing in the hall of fame/
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the hall of fame is open to those that work hard. As Danny O’Donoghue belts, “How you ever gonna know if you never even try?” Whatever you want to be, we hope this song gives you motivation to be the best there is!
3. Hercules – Sara Bareilles
/I’ve turned to petrified past life baggage/
/I want to disappear and just start over/
/So here we are/
/And I’ll breathe again/
Sara sings about reclaiming herself after experiencing a tough year (parting ways with her long-time band, for one) and the person that she’ll become, which we find very on point for those in uni. In this time of change and impending transition, this might just become your personal anthem.
4. Rise – Jonas Blue
/We’re gonna ri-ri-ri-ri-rise ’til we fall/
/They say we got no no no no future at all/
/They wanna ke-ke-keep us down but they can’t hold us down anymore/
/We’re gonna ri-ri-ri-ri-rise ’til we fall/
A legit earworm, this is a sng you’ll be happy to listen to till your ears fall off. What’s better is that, by the end, the message of “we gonna rise” will be etched in your mind.
5. This is Me – Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman OST)
/We are bursting through the barricades and/
/Reaching for the sun (we are warriors)/
/Yeah, that’s what we’ve become (yeah, that’s what we’ve become)/
The entire soundtrack of The Greatest Showman is gold, but this one sweeps them all. Close your eyes for maximum effect.
6. I’ll Make A Man Out of You
/Tranquil as a forest but on fire within/
/Once you find your center, you are sure to win/
We think this song really needs no explanation. We can hear you singing along already.
7. The Fighter – Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder
/If you fall pick yourself up off the floor (get up)/
/And when your bones can’t take no more/
/Just remember what you’re here for/
You’re here to finish your degree and graduate and prove any naysayers wrong. Good on you, fight on!
8. One Foot – Walk the Moon
/Cross my heart and hope to die/
/Taking this one step at a time/
/Got your back if you got mine/
/One foot in front of the other/
Sometimes, one foot in front of the other is the best you can do, but you can do it to a great song and a friend beside!
Anyway, no one said navigating the journey of life was easy. Respect.
9. Sticky Leaves – Linying (Cabo San remix)
/For every wreck I still believe
in the greatest life and the stickiest leaves/
Let Linying’s sweet voice take you away to serenity, reminding you that life still holds beauty within at the same time.
10. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
/Oh no, not I, I will survive/
It might be a breakup song, but I Will Survive is so applicable to everything and anything. You will survive hell week, yes you will.
11. Remember the Name – Fort Minor ft. Styles of Beyond
/This is ten percent luck/
/Twenty percent skill/
/Fifteen percent concentrated power of will/
We can’t think of a better song to rev your engines up. Finish that essay! Complete your run! No pain, no gain!
12. Change – ONE OK ROCK
/You know it’s not too late for us to make a change/
/You gotta listen to your heart what does it say?/
/No matter how much we might bend, we will not break/
/’Cause we got what it takes to stay/
This song is a personal jam. The melody has a hopeful tinge and the chorus a burst of power that we appreciate.
13. Yesterday – Imagine Dragons
/Here’s to my future/
/Here’s to my yesterday/
/Here’s to change/
/Oh, here’s to my yesterday/
Imagine Dragons might be better known for Radioactive and Demons, but we think this song deserves some love, too! Look to the future and toast yesterday a goodbye. Time waits for no one…
14. Don’t Forget Who You Are – Miles Kane
/Although we’re tongue-tied and breathless/
/We won’t let our worries dictate who we are/
/Throw out the old doubts/
/We won’t let our worries dictate who we are/
Remember that you’re more than your insecurities and worries!
15. It’s My Life – Bon Jovi
/Tomorrow’s getting harder, make no mistake/
/Luck ain’t enough/
/You’ve got to make your own breaks/
Are we revealing our age, already?? This song is old but the message, timeless. It’s your life, and it’s to you to shape it. Study hard, play hard!
16. Fight Song – Kurt Hugo Schneider and Benjamin Kheng ver.
/Starting right now I’ll be strong/
/I’ll play my fight song/
/And I don’t really care if nobody else believes/
/’Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me/
Our last song, originally sung by Rachel Platten, sings directly to one’s soul. If you’ve experienced a setback recently, know that you’re small, but mighty. Just take a deep breath and the time you need.
We wish you all the best, and would be happy to provide more playlists if you need them! Just drop us a note and we’ll do our best! (;