We all have been cooped up in our house trying to get through NTI, without getting to see our friends every day and having to cut many social and academic activities out of our schedule. This has been tough for many students; however, with Spotify and other music apps releasing yearly wraps at the beginning of December, I think we all realized that music has helped us cope throughout the year with this huge change in our lifestyle.

Personally, I listen to music when I do my homework, and I use it as a way to build my motivation and rejuvenate myself after a grueling day of NTI. Foundation Education found that for the most part music can help students study. Music can help students tune out distractions from the outside world and help them focus on their studying. Depending on the music, it can also help memorization. 

Additionally, music also helps to relieve stress. Harvard Health Publishing found that when students are stressed, music can lower their blood pressure and heart rate, thus lowering their stress.

 Music can also make you more creative. “New music challenges the brain in a way that old music doesn’t. It might not feel pleasurable at first, but that unfamiliarity forces the brain to struggle to understand the new sound,” quoted from John Hopkins Medicine. New music can be found in a different genre, different era or maybe just a new song that your friend recommends.

Even without the psychological benefits, listening to music is generally a pleasurable activity for many people and easy access through streaming apps makes it extremely popular.

After Spotify Wrapped came out and other music platforms released yearly wraps, RedEye asked students what their “song of the year” was, and then constructed a playlist. Happy New Year, and happy listening!

Songs of the year playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4imFj8sMs8fBpR8HOA6WHs?si=LNfEe9cmQMS7ifEYluAmHg