Our Editors' Top 5 Songs of 2021
Welcome to the strangest part of the year: that time between Christmas and the New Year where you feel the seasons changing and a fresh start right around the corner. For me, this time always brings up a deep sense of nostalgia; you’re reconnecting with childhood friends, sleeping in the bed you cried in after your first middle school breakup, and seeing your whole family morph and grow right before your eyes. It’s this time between Christmas and the New Year when you realize that life is changing, and you’re changing with it.
Thankfully, ingenious music platforms like Spotify are able to aid this sense of reflection by encapsulating our last year in music. Every year, I look forward to the grand reveal of my top artist, and it’s always fascinating to look back at what music I was listening to at certain points of the year. As the music editor, I was interested in not only my own 2021 Spotify Wrapped, but also the listening patterns of my fellow editors. Personally, I get to know a person more through what music they listen to, rather than their Instagram highlight reel. Regardless of how 2021 treated you, I hope you can listen to some of our editors’ top choices and maybe even relate to some of the moods of this year. After all, I once read somewhere that if a picture is worth a thousand words, then music is worth a million.
Scout O’Donnell • Music Editor
“'Cannons was definitely my breakthrough artist of 2021. I first heard “Fire for You” in the beginning of the year and then fell in love with their entire album, Shadows. While I did love Cannons’ music this year, Trevor Hall took the title of my Top Artist of 2021, which was completely unsurprising since I’ve had his latest album on repeat. Overall, my Top 5 Songs encapsulate the state of introspection I was in throughout the whole year.”
Kally compton • Editorial director
“I listened to “Hell N Back” so much. It just feels like a good song, and I would listen to it when I was waking up and getting ready in the morning or getting ready to go out at night. “The Morning” by The Weeknd is one of my all-time favorite songs; I love the beats so much and I know all the words. It makes sense that it’s on my list because The Weeknd has been my top artist for 4 years.”
Tessa Aldridge • Managing Editor
“I don’t know who didn’t have an Olivia Rodrigo song in their Top 5! They’re too good not to have on repeat. For the others, Tell Me About Tomorrow is my favorite album of all time. That’s why so many of the songs appeared on the Top 5. “I hope ur miserable until ur dead” is just the perfect song to jam out to when you’re quite angry. Definitely quite the mix of music!”
Lauren Smelker • Asst. Fashion Editor
“My Top 5 Songs are a mix of lowkey, make-you-want-to-cry songs, and upbeat music. I think my Top 5 Songs really reflect the emotions I’ve gone through this year. There’s been a lot of highs and lows that music has helped me through.”
For an immersive glimpse into our editors’ past year, here’s a complete playlist of our top songs. Which song do you relate to most? Leave a comment below!