Spring Break playlist

So maybe you’re planning a trip to the beach or maybe you’re just trying to get through midterms alive. No matter who you are or where you’re going, we all need a few tunes to get us to and get us through spring break

1. “Va Va Voom” – Nicki Minaj (Pink Friday…Roman Reloaded): There’s nothing like a poppy Nicki Minaj tune to kick off your break. “Va Va Voom” is great for pumping you up to push through the last page of your midterm paper or for rocking out once you’re finished with midterms.

2. “Are You Ready?” – Kate Miller-Heidke & Keir Nuttall (Liberty Bell): “Are You Ready?” is slightly off-beat but it’s a great beat. This song basically chronicles how much [effort it takes for girls to get ready for a night out,] goes into girls going out for a night but in a satirical, catchy way.

3. “It’s Time” – Imagine Dragons (Continued Silence EP): After all that time asking if you’re ready to go with Kate Miller-Heidke, it’s finally time to begin! Maybe it’s getting old for some of you, but it’s still a great upbeat song to sing along to with your pals.

4. “Bittersweet Donald” – The White Panda (Bambooyah! ½): Mac Miller and The White Panda both graced us with their presence at last year’s SUB Spring Show, and now The White Panda is bringing them together again. Even if you can’t stand Mac or The Verve, you have to admit, it’s a pretty great mash-up.

5. “Hey Ya!” – OutKast (The Way You Move): An absolute classic. You know all the words (if you don’t, what rock were you living under 10 years ago?), and sometimes you just need a reminder from Andre 3000 that it’s okay to shake it like a Polaroid picture.

6. “Up and Away (feat. June)” – Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (Up and Away (feat. June) – Single): I’ve been known to give rap a bad rap. I prefer rappers with clever lyrics to those who rap about the same ol’, same ol’, and “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” keeps it “fresh to death like I’m drowning in Febreze.” The puns in this brassy jam both can’t stop and won’t stop, and it’s just a fantastic tune.

7. “Bounce” – Calvin Harris & Kelis (18 Months): Calvin Harris has produced so many great spring break-worthy hits, it was hard to choose between them all. But this song shines because it’s both super-catchy and sung by Kelis, master song craftswoman of our middle school years [see: “Bossy” and “Milkshake”]. Considering I thought “Bossy” was actually Bouncy, this song is certainly appropriate.

8. “Island in the Sun” – Weezer (Weezer): A magnificently mellow 90’s tune, “Island in the Sun” is probably the world’s best song to just chill out to on a beach.

9. “Second Chance” – Peter Bjorn and John (Gimme Some): You may have heard this on a commercial for Sobe Lifewater (or maybe you didn’t), but this is the ultimate YOLO anthem (besides Drake’s “The Motto,” which actually coined the term). “You can’t, can’t count on a second chance” – spot on, so go out and grab your spring break by the reins.

10. “Just Haven’t Met You Yet” – Twisted Measure (And the Rest Is Twistory): Surprised? Come on, this is an Elon Spring Break playlist. You really didn’t think there wouldn’t be a nod to at least one of our fabulous a cappella groups, did you? It was tough to pick one from all of our great groups, but I just adore this cover and thought you might too.

11. “One Week” – Barenaked Ladies (Stunt): Spring break is only one week, and the Barenaked Ladies are here with their fast-paced lyrics to make it the best one week of your spring term. Try to keep up.

12. “Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz)” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Thrift Shop): My first task over spring break is heading to the Goodwill for some new clothes (to myself), thanks to Macklemore’s inspiration. Yeah, maybe “Thrift Shop” has been overdone, but then again, there’s a lot of truth behind looking fly when you’re rocking other people’s grandpa’s clothes. So jam out. No shame. Happy spring break.