The soundtrack of Blair

At all times of the day, in every classroom and hallway, dozens of songs play in students’ headphones and earbuds. Music is an indispensable facet of every culture and a huge part of the student culture within Blair. If you’ve found yourself searching for some new tunes or want to know more about your classmates’ tastes, listen up! Let’s dive into what Blazers are listening to these days.

“Pagan Poetry” by Björk

Freshman Naimah Ward’s favorite song is far from standard. “I like [Björk’s] singing and the instrumental in the back,” Ward says. The song begins mysteriously with a sequence of light, high notes, and a smooth, haunting voice. Ominous lyrics such as “a secret code carved” and “swirling black lilies, totally ripe” carry over the delicate melody. The song is unmistakably dark, but beautiful nonetheless. The song was released in 2001, making it nearly 24 years old.

“Nomad” by Σtella and Redinho

With a very different mood than Björk’s music, this alternative, indie song released in June of 2022 fits the season in which it first came out. Its twangy, laid-back beat caught sophomore Raj Awasthi’s attention upon discovering it this past weekend. “It’s relaxing,” he says. “It has a nice tune and it makes me feel nice and sleepy. It’s just a chill song.”

“Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley

Much unlike the previous two picks, junior Ainsley Schlegel has been listening to this fast-paced, upbeat, and iconic Elvis Presley song from 1956. “I like that it’s in Grease, the musical,” she says. “I’ve been listening to that recently and it’s kind of making me feel like I live in the 1950s or like I’m part of a different time. I feel like in a past life, I remember being a big Elvis Presley fan when I was young, so now I’m young again. I can feel it.”

“Actions” by ALIA LARA, 1Timothy, and Jayd’n Dominique

Jumping decades into the future, junior Milan Wilson deeply resonates with the religious themes shared in this calming R&B tune released in 2020. “It’s kind of like a gospel song but they made it our generation,” she says. “It’s praising God but at the same time it’s kind of like Summer Walker. It’s kind of happy and it makes me feel related to because it says, ‘you have to show your love through your actions and that’s a hard thing to do.’”

“Que Somos” by Rauw Alejandro, Lyanno, and Mathew

In yet another drastic switch in genre, sophomore Jay Javier-Mendoza enjoys this catchy reggaeton song from 2018 for its solid beat and the easy flow of Rauw Alejandro’s music. “Being a Latino man out there, you know, having that type of flow is nice to listen to,” he says. “When I listen to this song, it makes me feel a little confident. It makes me feel happy and excited and just gets the mood going.”

The diversity in music taste of Blair’s student body is impressive and no doubt representative of the school’s boundless diversity. Keep listening, Blazers!