Easter break is always a conflicting time for most students. On one hand, we finally get to take some time off and catch up on lectures and worksheets, while enjoying the change of weather. On the other hand, this signifies the arrival of our end of year exams and the endless amount of revision associated with it. I’m someone who always needs to have my headphones on in order to focus on my work. I love the feeling of sitting in a coffee shop while putting on a pair of ANC headphones and listening to my tunes. Even if there are people rushing about around me, a good tune will allow me to focus on my work easily. Therefore, here are a few tunes that I really enjoy, which I hope will be able to help you focus on your revision as well! I will do my best to give a range of different recommendations so you can find the style of music that suits you the most!
1) Ceilings – Lizzy McAlphine
I first discovered Lizzy through one of my favourite artists – Jacob Collier. Jacob’s music focuses a lot on complex harmonies and is always so refreshing, and I learned to appreciate it a lot following my involvement in A Cappella music. The both of them collaborated together to create ‘erase me’, and that was when I was awestruck by Lizzy’s beautiful songwriting and voice.
Ceilings stands out so much to me because even though Lizzy composes music with heavy backings as well, Ceilings focuses entirely on Lizzy’s vocals while she sings along with an acoustic guitar. It emphasizes the beauty of her voice so much, and every time I listen to it, I am instantly the main character in a movie trailer. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys acoustic music!
2) Afterglow – Ed Sheeran
Even though most people might already know this song, I still feel like it deserves so much more recognition! This song brings back loads of memories of hearing Ed in his earlier albums, where his songs had a mixture of country and pop in them. It is surprising that a mellow and chill song like Afterglow works so well even with the usage of vocal synths. The depth of his voice allows the listeners to feel soothed, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who appreciates some of Ed’s earlier tunes such as ‘The A Team’ and ‘Lego House’.
3) Go – Boys Like Girls
Some of you might have heard of this band before, and the song ‘Love Drunk’ or ‘Two is Better Than One’ might struck some memory. Having used to be obsessed with their songs, I still find myself going back (see what I did there?) to this track from time to time. This song differs from their usual rock approach as well, but what I appreciate most about this song is the lyrics associated with it.
Get up and go,
Take a chance and be strong,
Or you could spend your whole life holding on.
Every time I listen to this track, I’m reminded of how much there is to explore in this life, and how everything will eventually fall into the right place.
4) Zen Mode – Torin Borrowdale
Some people might appreciate more instrumental music while studying in order to focus. This song comes from the soundtrack of Alto’s Adventure, and even though I have not played the game before, I’m glad I accidentally stumbled upon this song. The instruments used throughout this song produces a really calming padding effect, and really brings out the feel of being inside an adventure RPG game. The song also builds up with the assistance of a string quartet, bringing the audience to distant adventures. For someone who doesn’t normally listen to instrumental music, I am able to appreciate this fully and I hope you can too!
I hope you guys enjoyed the songs listed above, and all the best for your exams! If you enjoyed the songs listed above, feel free to add my study playlist on Spotify, linked here!
