It’s time to trade fun in the sun for textbooks, backpacks and clickers as students transition to back-to-school mode. Leaving behind a summer filled with Taylor Swift and Kanye West beef and Rihanna and Drake dominating the radio, who knows what this autumn’s music scene has in store.
As fall semester swiftly inches forward, consider listening to this sizzling back-to-school playlist — complete with some of the hottest tracks summer 2016 had to offer, along with a few throwback jams and a day-by-day guide of which songs to blare as you stroll to class this week.
1) Monday: Drake – “Controlla”
This song will help you retain your summer memories as you start your first week back. Drake inevitably took the mainstream music world by storm this summer when his album, Views, went triple platinum. “Controlla,” the album’s most popular, dancehall-inspired track, saw fans trading in their twerking tights for winding waistbands and solidified Drake as the king of summer.
2) Tuesday: Lady Antebellum – “Bartender”
With a new semester beginning, remind yourself that it’s OK to start the year off fresh and single by listening to this hot country tune. Lead singer Hillary Scott preaches what every heartbroken couple should do after a breakup: hit up the bartender until the memory of their estranged partner fades away.
Let’s save Tigerland outings for Thursday night, though.
3) Wednesday: Todrick Hall – “Wrong B*tch” (ft. Bob The Drag Queen)
Is your school work getting the best of you? Take a break and relax in the middle of the week with this track. Back in June, YouTube popstar Todrick Hall released his visual album, Straight Outta Oz, a Wizard of Oz-themed twist on his road to fame. “Wrong B*tch” boasts the perfect, new-age hip-hop flow while also alluding to police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement.
4) Thursday: The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
With its head-bopping, catchy opening, “Seven Nation Army” proves the perfect song to rock out to as Friday nears. Taking it all the way back to ’03, “Seven Nation Army” remains one of the most well-known rock songs of its time. The second you hear the iconic opening, you’ll find yourself in a rock and roll trance.
5) Friday: Chance the Rapper – “Angels” (ft. Saba)
End the week on a positive and uplifting note with Chance the Rapper’s cool flow. Although the independent artist turned the music world upside-down by refusing to sign to a record label, his tempo still sounds happy-go-lucky in his third mixtape, “Coloring Book.” One of the sunnier songs on the list, “Angels” is an upbeat and positive song — the perfect end to a Spotify-infused first week of class.
