Have you ever been in urgent need to run away from reality? Considering a freeing jog to nowhere? Look no further, because today I’ll be giving you a comprehensive guide to overcoming the obstacles in your path, one step after another.
On a serious note, it’s difficult to be a college student right now, particularly in the constant chaos that is Washington, D.C. With the stranglehold loneliness, social anxiety, and disillusionment hold on us, it becomes easy to forget that other people are struggling with the same emotions. Even when each day seems to offer a new personal or societal challenge, we are not alone.
Music has a cathartic power, no matter which genre or subject matter. To feel seen, understood, and validated; that is what we seek in the human experience.
Mr. Rogers summarized this relationship in two sentences amazingly: “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.”
While this article is inherently silly, relying on others or things that comfort you is not a weakness. It’s simply human.
Anyway, let’s run away from those problems in a variety of ways. This article should be viewed as more of a list of superlatives than a true ranking. They all should work to escape reality.
*Disclaimer: I listen to a lot of hip-hop and classic rock. Therefore, this list will inherently favor them.*
- The Most Intense: “That Go!” by Young Stoner Life
I’m pretty sure this song generates electricity on its own. Featuring verses by Meek Mill, T-Shyne, and Young Thug, the quick tempo, energetic deliveries and unbelievable trap production combine to form a perfect motivator to run as fast as you literally can. I especially enjoy Young Thug’s delivery at the end. It just works so well.
Just ignore some of the more strange lyrics from Meek Mill. Please.
- The Most Calming: “A Face in the Crowd” by Tom Petty
I find this song incredibly comforting. Petty does an amazing job of creating a nostalgic feeling of a journey towards love through simple instrumental and lyrical progressions. Never naming who or what the song describes, the song’s reflection on how a relationship has evolved over time is almost universally applicable. I love the idea that a simple “face in the crowd” can turn into a person, place or moment that will make your life more meaningful. Escaping reality can mean appreciating parts of your life that have significantly changed its course, even when these parts stem from unlikely origins.
- The Most Underrated: “Flood The Block” by Benny the Butcher
Perhaps a song with 11 million streams is too high, but this song GOES. I don’t hear much about it online, so I’m going to count it. The combination of electric guitar production and the powerful lyrics is a perfect motivator to run faster and faster. I can attest that I have set multiple personal records in different distance races to this song. I originally discovered this song by experiencing it played over the famous clip of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, and it fit so well.
- The Most Likely to Feel Like You Have a Soundtrack: “Parking Lots” by Plums
If you’ve never listened to this one, you’ll be blown away. The guitar riff is incredible. The effects and chords in the production are somehow rainsoaked. The imagery is brief but powerful, making you nostalgic for memories you probably don’t even have. I can’t overstate how much my Spotify algorithm blessed me when it played this, then “Fever” by Inner Wave (a close second in this category) back-to-back during a long day in the library. I had to Google this to make sure it actually wasn’t in a soundtrack.
- The Most Thought-Provoking: Both “Kick, Push” and “Kick, Push II” by Lupe Fiasco
While these do not play back-to-back on the album, I would highly suggest listening to them in that order. “Kick, Push”, the lead single on “Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor”, is an inspiring story of a young skater who found his community through practicing his hobby and persevering despite societal barriers to skaters. The second part continues the story, explaining that the protagonist and his girlfriend skate to escape their rough upbringings. It’s motivating and sad to hear about the familial struggles of the young kids, but also thought-provoking. The two songs both share themes of escapism, but in different and interesting ways.
- The Most Toxic (or The Least Likely to Lead You to Send that Text): “Fly Shit Only” by Future
This song is quite honestly insane. There’s no better artist to lead you on a determined yet morally questionable path than Future. The sample is insane, the vocals are classic Future, and the lyrics well…maybe don’t live your life by them, but they are entertaining. Another elite pull if you’re mad at that one person in your life.
- The Most Sweet (but Also a Little Desperate): “All or Nothing At All” by Bobby Caldwell
Hear me out on this one. On paper, this is a fairly poor song to run to. But listening to the baseline, the loving lyrics and the hint of “I swear, you better be in love with me” sold me on this song. I would also consider this fairly classy, and would be a hilarious companion to the previous song. Up to you!
- The Most Likely to Make You Laugh Out Loud: “Range Brothers” by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar
This song is hilarious. Featuring verses from cousins Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, “Range Brothers” does a great job of giving a sonically interesting and some of the most ridiculous bars I’ve ever heard. It’s truly rare to hear vocals effects pitched in a way that Keem uses them, particularly in the first verse of the song. The Genius.com annotation says it all: “He needs a girlfrieeeEEEeeeEEEeeeEEEeeeEEEeeend(🐝🦟) 😂”. By the end of the track, Keem is rapping about anything and everything with strange Kendrick Lamar ad-libs on every line. Just listen to this one if you need a laugh.
- The Most Divorced Dad Energy: “I’ll Stick Around” by The Foo Fighters
I had to do some research for this one. Bryan Adams and Steely Dan put up a good fight, but at the end, “I’ll Stick Around” had the perfect lyrics, unbelievable guitar, and overall vibe for a dad rock running song. This is the option to choose if everything seems to be slipping away but you want to fight for your life.
- My Personal Pick: “Fly Away” by Lenny Kravitz
For most of this list, I have tried to pick even slightly niche songs because there’s no point in “putting you on” to songs you already know. However, “Fly Away” needed its flowers as kind of the intersecting point of all these categories. There’s a bit of intensity, cinematics, toxicity, dad energy, and humor to this song, and I think I would be remiss to leave it out. If you’re looking for a hip-hop option, “Two Words” by Kanye West has been a classic for me.
I hope this helps you to run away from those problems. If not, lodge a complaint with the artists and not myself please. Remember, processing is not a moment of sudden acceptance, but a step by step process, so maybe ten runs to all of these songs is the right choice. It’s up to you.
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Photo Credit: Matthew Lubin