As I have been ever so trudging through midterm season, the only thing that has been keeping me grounded, focused, and calm is music. When I was on the verge of absolutely losing my mind, the second I put on any of the following songs, my worries faded away, and my blood pressure began to settle. Here is a mini-playlist of the songs that got me through midterms.

comethru by Jeremy Zucker Released in 2018, this song is a timeless hit. Beginning with a simple acoustic guitar, and a snapping beat in the background paired with Zucker’s raspy yet soothing and emotional voice, the song is a reflection of Zucker’s summer after graduating college and him contemplating how to balance his new life. The chorus “Now I’m shaking, drinking all this coffee. These last few weeks have been exhausting” specifically relate exactly to how I was feeling during this stressful time in my life.

I Love You 3000 by Stephanie PoetriI was initially drawn to this song because of the title and lyric’s relation to Avengers: Endgame. Poetri’s silky voice runs across the sweet acoustic guitar strums in the background to create a hypnotizing and alleviating tune. The song goes through the anticipation of a proposal and the narrator’s thoughts coursing through their brain. The double meaning between the references to the movie while simultaneously telling a story about the narrator awaiting a proposal creates a thrilling and fictional story all here to entertain and distract me when I want to zone out and take a break from everyday life.

9 and Three Quarters (Run Away) by TOMORROW X TOGETHER “9 and Three Quarters,” or “Run Away,” is the title track of TXT’s first full-length album, The Dream Chapter: Magic released on October 21, 2019. Run Away tells the story of an escape with a magical twist. With the group’s mystical voices streaming together to create a complex story full of emotion and exquisite harmony, I feel as though every time I listen to this song it is the first time I am hearing it. With its soul-stirring lyrics and idiosyncratic instrumentals, this song is definitely unique and I find myself playing it on repeat so I can transport myself into the transcendental world depicted through the song and in the song’s music video.

Make It Right by BTS feat. Lauv “Make It Right” was originally co-written by BTS and Ed Sheeran. This version appears on the group’s mini-album Map of the Soul: Persona that was released in April of this year. However, this version with Lauv was released on October 18, 2019. I was already a big fan of this song before the version with Lauv was released, but now I am drawn to the song even more. Lauv fits into the song like a dream, and truly makes it sound like it could be his own song while also mashing perfectly with the BTS members especially with his ad-libs throughout the song. With its swift and groovy instrumentals, this tune definitely helps me to mellow out during stressful times.

Sims by Lauv Ever since I heard Lauv’ s verse in “Make It Right” I have been digging through his discography to find more masterpieces. “Sims” is off of Lauv’s album, ~how i’m feeling~ which came out earlier in 2019. From the first line, “I wish that you and I lived in The Sims…” and backed by a relaxing yet retro instrumental, the listener is immediately transported into another world. From the lyrics, to the melody, to the hallucinogenic instrumentals, when I listen to this song, all of my midterm-relate worries fade away.