The Soundtrack of My Life

I just spent the past 2 hours watching Teen Vogue interviews of my favorite artists’ favorite songs instead of doing homework. Specifically, the interview with Dove Cameron made me so inspired to do the same. The way she was able to describe them so perfectly and go so deep on what made the songs so special made me question if I can do the same. This will be extremely raw and personal so don’t expect a beautifully written post because this will not be it. However, I hope whoever is reading this feels encouraged to also analyze what moves them. These are not the greatest songs of all time but they either describe a time in my life or remind me of a time in my life so with no further do, this is the soundtrack of my life. 

It's Alright, It's Okay- Ashley Tisdale

I decided to start with this one just to explain… When High School Musical came out, everyone loved Zac Efron so I had to like Lucas Grabeel (aka Ryan), everyone liked Vanessa Hudgens so I had to like Ashley Tisdale. After my acquired interest for Ashley Tisdale grew, she came out with this song and it was my jam for a solid minute. It wasn’t the typical Disney pop song but it was children-oriented enough to make me like it. What makes me love this song the most is that it reminds me of my childhood best friend. We used to let out whatever rage a 7-year old could have and curse whoever hurt our dear Ashley. This song brings so many happy memories that I can’t think of a better song to describe my childhood. 

Rehab- Amy Winehouse

Growing up, I listened to whatever my parents liked because a child is never in charge of the aux. My mom loved Amy Winehouse and played her in the car all the time. I remembered so vividly when Amy died because it was a literal heartbreak for my family. Little by little she became an icon in my life and the source of my inspiration.. If I could, I would choose every single song she ever made. However, for the sake of the rules I put to myself I choose Rehab. When I lived in Venezuela, I went to a music academy and they asked us to pick a song by any big artist for our revival themed recital. The first song that came to my mind was this one, no questions asked. She’s THE icon.  Clearly I didn’t relate to the song’s lyrics per say but you bet I sing it like I do. 

This song reminds me that sadness is also beautiful and that whenever you feel pain you can make it into art.
Rest in peace to such a talented soul; The world just wasn’t ready for you. 

Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen

My dad has always been a big Queen fan and like I mentioned before, I didn’t get the aux quite much so we skipped Floricienta and listened to his music all the time.

I remember the first time I heard this song. I was in the car with my dad going to Idontknowwhere. He put Bohemian Rhapsody and translated it to me while explaining the meaning behind every word. Me being the innocent child that I was, of course, I was traumatized (thank you dad). I had a weird fear of this song until I got a little older and heard it again and was completely mesmerized by it. I literally heard it three times to process it.  I remember I thought to myself that this was the best song ever made and haven’t changed my mind ever since. 

Una Cancion Que Te Enamore- Servando y Florentino

So this one is just a silly one and has the same meaning than Bohemian Rhapsody. It reminds me of long car rides with my mom singing to this song. It makes me very nostalgic of the old times when I had no worries whatsoever. The lyrics itself is also beautiful, nothing too deep but sometimes one has to understand that life is not that deep. Life can also be simple and fun. 

Best Friend- Rex Orange County 

This one is fairly recent and even though the lyrics doesn’t do much for me, this song embodies what I like in a song. I don’t know what it is exactly, I just know it has all I like in a song. I think it’s the fact the song is so contradictory. On one hand it's talking about being friend-zoned and the melody is extremely melancholic and honestly the sadder the song the more i like it (I swear I’m okay). The first verse just makes me feel so heavy and somehow in slow-motion. But suddenly, I'm out of that trip to hear trumpets. It becomes this happy, upbeat song you can’t help but sing to the top of your lungs. I like that it makes me feel so much in 4:22 minutes. 

This song is linked to so many good memories I just can’t skip it when it appears on my shuffle.My close friends are probably tired of me listening to this song but I can't help it.

Seasons of Love- RENT Soundtrack

I have been trying to put into words what this song makes me feel and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to. I’ll do my best. The lyrics makes me realize that love is indeed the most important thing in the world and it’s what moves us all. What better way to measure life than love? Is life even worth it if you don’t love? Love makes you laugh, love makes you cry, but most importantly, love teaches you the lessons that make you grow. 

There’s nothing that puts me in a better mood than musical theatre, specially RENT. If you know me personally, you know I love RENT way too much, it’s concerning. Out of all the songs I could possibly write about in a lifetime, this is the one everyone should listen to. I personally recommend the film version because Tracie Thoms’ voice WILL give you goosebumps. 

Hand of God- Jon Bellion

I wasn't going to include this song in here because it’s not one I listen to that often but the meaning definitely hit me back then.
Sometimes the line between good and bad are very blurred and as human beings we are obliged to draw our line depending on our values and morals. I grew up VERY christian. I went to catholic school where any thought of my own about religion was quickly repressed. When I moved to the US and switched to public school, I distanced myself from my religious practices, not because I didn’t feel that way anymore but because it wasn’t being forced to and my mind was in other things. As I grew up, I was exposed to many other beliefs and controversies regarding the christian church that I just didn’t know where I stood in the conversation since my previous and present perceptions were constantly at war with each other. This song talks about having faith; It doesn’t imply a specific God, it just tells you to trust the process of life. Humans are the epitome of mistakes but that’s what is unique about each of our experiences. We are all growing from our mistakes. You WILL fall but that doesn’t make you a bad person nor does it make you less deserving of love. 

I still don’t know where I stand in this topic but all I know is that I need to let go and trust that everything will fall back in place. I don’t consider myself a perfectionist but I definitely struggle when I make mistakes and question whether or not I am a good person. Listening to this song reminds that the universe is extremely big and I’m just a tiny, insignificant, microscopic dot in a much bigger picture and that’s the good thing. Everything has a solution and there is a good life for me too. If you listen after 3:21, there is something angelic that makes you think. I used to block any thought about religion because it was too complicated and I didn't want to deal with it. This song practically forced me to give it a thought. It had been a while since a song made me feel something meaningful and this one allowed to me feel scared but also okay with it.
I’m not trying by any means to put the religion thing up your throat, like I said, I don’t even know what I believe but this song is so much more than that. This song is hope and the world needs more of that.

This is probably the less cohesive soundtrack but that's my music taste and my life. These songs  might not be everyone’s cup of tea but they’re all extremely personal to me and somehow represent the path I've traveled to be the person I am today.

Ps: I’ll leave a couple of songs that did not make the cut but certainly deserve an honorable mention:

I Found You- Amber Run  (makes me feel like I need to gasp for fresh air and that's somehow a good thing?)

Bad, Bad, Bad- LANY (remind me of endless, young love)

Modern Jesus- Portugal. The Man (for 3:13 minutes I feel like I own the world)

New light- John Mayer (makes me feel high and weed can't even say that)

Who Says- John Mayer (dedicated to those trapped in the mouth of society)