Music has always been a form of comfort for me and I personally cannot go one day without listening to it. As much as I love a good Mitski song with emotional lyrics that I can let out my feelings to, sometimes I need songs that I can smile and dance around my room to. My favorite songs to cheer me up can be separated into three sections: love songs, nostalgic songs and the band MUNA.

Although I have never been in love, hearing about love stories makes me happy because I love love. My favorite love song has to be from the album “Lover” by Taylor Swift–“Paper Rings.” This song never fails to make me smile. It’s a great pop song and a fun listen.

The next song is “Sofia” by Clairo. This song is pure perfection. The optimistic lyrics say, “I think we could do it if we tried,” and Clairo’s voice is angelic. The distorted guitar and background music makes it such an entertaining song to listen to, that tickles something in my brain. It’s also only three minutes long, making it great for a quick dance break.

Nostalgic music always makes me happy because it reminds me of good times. The first nostalgic song is “Changes” by David Bowie. This song is about accepting life and how the world is changing. I had never stopped to read the lyrics until writing this article, but I personally love the lyric “turn and face the strange.” This song reminds me of drives on the Pacific Coast Highway with my family as we all screamed, “Ch-ch-ch-changes.”

The next song is “Come on Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners. From my experience, it’s one of those songs that has everyone singing and running to the dance floor when it plays at the function. The bridge is such a great build up to an enjoyable time. This song personally reminds me of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” living room routine, where two of the characters had a coordinated dance they performed to this song at their Homecoming dance. 

Finally, I had to highlight my favorite band that always finds a way to make me smile–MUNA. MUNA is a band of three artists: Naomi McPherson, Katie Gavin and Josette Maskin. They make amazing pop music and through it, they advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.