As AP tests, college decisions, SATs, sports and music events, and more loom ahead, our lives can feel especially rushed and stressful in this season. As we enter May, take a minute to change up your playlist with some songs to get you excited about your future, starting off with “Changes” by Charlie Puth.
“Changes” by Charlie Puth
Written in 2025 as the first installment to his album Whatever’s Clever!, “Changes” is about recognizing the shifting dynamics in your life. With lyrics like “everything is changing, and I don’t know why” and “sometimes the wind blows in different new directions and lessons are happening,” Puth acknowledges our collective tendency to shy away from the imminent changes in our lives, while encouraging us to remain hopeful about what they could signify. Some changes are positive; for example, in his music video, Puth reveals that he and his wife are expecting a child.
“Riptide” by TWOPILOTS
While this song was originally written by Vance Joy in 2013, my personal favorite cover was performed by the band TWOPILOTS. The female singer (whose elusive voice I have yet to identity!) captivates her audience as she tells the sweet and beautiful story of meeting a person who allows her to reach into a deeper part of herself, even at times she least expected it. All of the fears you originally had about love, life, and the future “come unstuck” as you meet people who pull you out of your shell and see the beauty and potential in you.
“Glowing Review” by Maisie Peters
“Glowing Review” encapsulates the idea that, even among the crazy transformations in our lives, there are always people to whom we steadfastly hold and see our future with. Peters writes “no more defenses, no more defenses” to signify that she is dropping her shield and opening herself up. No matter the directions life takes her, she still says, “baby, nothing much has changed, I guess your buzz cut has grown, but I’m still the girl with the blush, giving a glowing review”.
“Another Day of Sun” by the La La Land Cast
This sunny and hopeful song is the opening to the Oscar-winning film La La Land. As aspiring actors, the characters who sing this song have daily uncertainty regarding their employment, their future, and their desired moment of stardom. The lyrics that best encapsulate this message are “without a nickel to my name, hopped a bus, here I came, could be brave or just insane, we’ll have to see.” This uncertainty can be unsettling, yes, but it can also be freeing. An unclear future offers you the chance to make mistakes to figure out what you love and who you want to become.
“One Foot in Front of the Other” by Griff
This song represents the hardship of continuing on with life after experiencing adversity. Especially in the context of human relationships, it can be immensely difficult to recover from being emotionally hurt by a partner or friend. She sings, “I didn’t think I’d get back up, yeah, I didn’t think I’d be ok” to represent her emotional state at the lowest point in her life, but her resilience shines through as she sings, “I’m coming for you babe, oh, it takes a minute.” Griff encourages us to take time to heal—to reach out and move forward together instead of to forget and move on alone.
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