Here’s a smattering of music the editors of AMP like, compiled in the form of a Back to School playlist. Enjoy.

“Back to School” always gives me coming of age vibes. It’s a time about change — people moving in, moving out, finding and rearranging their places on campus. “You Know It” to me encapsulates the feeling of coming back from my hometown. There’s a sense of loss moving away from your family again, but it’s bittersweet knowing that I get to return to a place where some of my favorite people are. “You Signed Up For This” by the incredible Maisie Peters opens with what I feel best describes my college experience — “I am 20 and probably upset right now.” My other picks are, admittedly, much more vibes-based, but 2024 is a vibes-based year, and I choose to embrace that. “Moon Girl” by Ha Vay may not seem like a strong back-to-school choice, but it fits perfectly into the soundtrack to the iconic 11 P.M. aimless walk around campus that is fundamental to the first month back experience. Lastly, apropos of nothing even vaguely school-related, “8 now” by food house is on there for the same reason Xanned-out suburban moms ask to take a silly one during family photoshoots. 

Yours in caffeination, Ellie

When I think of the beginning of a new fall semester, I primarily get feelings of anticipation, both positive and negative. The positive, of course, comes from the excitement of taking on new opportunities and furthering my education, encountering new experiences on the way! The negative comes from remembering exhaustion that will in fact be present as all the hustle and bustle of the semester picks up with classes, events and, as always, midterms that come way sooner than we realize. So, I chose songs that fit the narrative of every kind of anticipation I’ll definitely be feeling in the whirlwind student life at UTD. Lyrically, there’s a theme of staying upbeat, while having that layer of melancholy and acknowledgement that challenges we face may be rewarding in the end, but will test us as they come. Still, I’m hopeful that we can always overcome such obstacles and ultimately accomplish our semester goals, and I hope these songs can help you carry on as they will certainly help me!

Sincerely, your equal-parts-cautious-and-optimistic assistant art director, Yiyi Ding 

My playlist picks are based entirely around what I’ve been listening to in the weeks before we return to class. To start, I had to slip in “Ghost” by Chon since there’s something about math rock that just gets me in the mood to do stuff, and usually that stuff is schoolwork. Alternatively, I picked “The Garden Goblin” by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard because I’m excited to see them play in a couple of months, but I also feel like a merry tune about a disgruntled goblin living in your backyard garden evokes an appropriate back-to-school vibe. Don’t ask me to justify this answer any further. Anyway, you can never go wrong with a Cheekface song and “Best Life” is no exception! I adore this song for many reasons, primarily because Greg Katz’s natural levels of neuroticism make me feel less self conscious about my own barely-in-check mental state. And finally, I love indie pop that takes heavy notes from funk and R&B — “Terrapin” by Clairo nails this perfectly. It’s a relaxing tune that’s equally appropriate for chilling or studying. Different as these song picks may be, I feel like they reflect my mental state going into this semester, goblins and ghosts included.

Emphatically yours, Mickey D.

The first song I picked is “Misery Meat” by Soddikken. It’s about cannibalism. Take that as you will, and welcome back, Losers.

What does it even mean to make a “Back to School” playlist? I don’t know for sure, but with a whole new batch of classes with which to disappoint my parents, I personally need something funky that reminds me of the fact that I couldn’t possibly be further from what my parents envisioned for me in life. Enter: “Yoshi’s Island” by Glass Beach, a pick that goes out to all my transfemmes on campus, but if you decide to look past all of the obviously trans elements, maybe it can apply to everyone else somehow, too (looking at you, “I Saw the TV Glow” critics). A little more accessible, though, is my next pick, “Space Girl” by Frances Forever. A lighthearted bop about spacey lesbians, it’s perfect for turning off your brain and kissing beautiful women, which is how I plan to survive this school year with my mental health intact. Finally, “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. One of my girlfriends sent it to me after Biden dropped out of the presidential race. Hopefully it helps you cope with…everything.

I write the horoscopes, Sasha Wuu

There’s a particular beauty to songs that reach into your brain to pick out all the words you can’t find on your own. “Quarter Life” and “Lucky” offer a particularly spectacular combination of call-outs and comfort, perfect to get started with a new semester that will undoubtedly make you question all of your life choices (putting myself on blast here). I would offer therapy, but this playlist is free. To recover from the toil of looking your emotions in the eye, let’s move into some more lightheaded songs. “My One” is a happier number that mixes sweet nothings with an upbeat melody, while “Talk” is a fun, sassy piece that can keep your summer going just a bit longer. Happy listening, and good luck on your new start! 

Yours emotionally rollercoastering, Sneha 

I don’t want to go Back To School, so let’s go Back To When I Was Younger instead, shall we? Here are three songs on my rotation that remind me of better, cooler days. Perfect for this back to school season where I wish I was a better, more cooler version of myself. We start off strong with Tek It, which is nothing but pure, good vibes. It’s a sweet end-of-summer song that WOULD have me feeling like I’m the main character of a coming of age movie, except TikTok ruined that for me when people started putting AI-generated anime voices over the song. Now, I just feel like Eren Jaeger.

Next up is Lemonade. Nothing screams “throwback summer night college party” more than this song, and I mean that literally. If Tek It has me singing along, Lemonade has me screaming the lyrics. It’s upbeat, catchy, and makes me feel like I’m wrapped in a warm haze. Going along with the theme of throwback party anthems, up next we have The Night Is Still Young. I don’t know about all of you baby freshmen, but oh boy, this takes me back to middle school. I’m always listening to throwbacks during the summer, but this song is more than that. It reminds me of better times, times when life was easier, and isn’t that the whole point of summer? 

Last up is My Type, which, despite its concerning lyrics (no seriously, what is up with that), is an absolute banger. It’s loud, it’s punchy, it’s catchy, and that’s all I want from my song of the summer. It’s also incredibly saxophone heavy, and songs with saxophones always feel so summery and brassy to me, perfect for this heat. Let’s say goodbye to summer with these flashback hits and welcome the new school year! We got this, comets!

With literally all of my love, Shreya Parimal

I kinda wanted to capture my mindset and vibes at the start of the semester. My first song, “Francis Forever” by Mitski, captures the wistful nostalgia of past days and relationships gone by, and the feeling of your life suddenly advancing and changing. And with a line like “and autumn comes when you’re not yet done with the summer passing by,” my pick becomes rather on-the-nose.

“Sunset” by The Internet and Yuna Zarai reflects my optimism. School is always rife with challenges and sometimes things just feel out of your hands, but everyday brings us a new opportunity to try and live a life we love. This is also the place where I’ve met some of my best friends, made amazing memories, and learned more about what it means to persist in the face of difficulty.

Finally, “TICTAC” by CAPSULE is just fun. I don’t even know what the fuck they’re saying in this song, but it doesn’t really matter to me. It’s just a vibe. Remember, the start of a new year or semester isn’t just doom and gloom — there’s also plenty of fun to look forward to.

Outro signature, Rayhan Younas