Songs have the power to pull us back in time. Musical notes are like nets tangled up with our past; a few familiar chords can dredge up moments long forgotten. In a way a piece of music is like a memory – condensed and focused on the emotional world and texture of a moment. So, what better way to capture the whole cosmos of a year at Cambridge in miniature than through music? Made up of eight songs all chosen by students at various stages of their time at university, this playlist is an eclectic time capsule of the 2024/25 Cambridge year. Press ‘play’, and enjoy a brief trip down memory lane.
Francis McCabe
Little Simz – ‘How Did You Get Here’
Putting the self-explanatory title aside, ‘How Did You Get Here’ is a song which manages to be highly personal in subject matter to the artist, but is still able to cross boundaries and become extremely personal to the listener. It takes my mind back to my past self, pre-Cambridge. It encourages me to take a moment to acknowledge how far I’ve come, whilst also reminding me to pay attention to the freneticism of Cambridge day-to-day life. The meaningful lyrics, paired back drums and soulful choral additions always remind me to step back, and that there’s more to life than the essay cycle.
Anjola Adesina
Weezer – ‘Island in the Sun’
Cambridge obviously isn’t an island, and it definitely isn’t always under the sun, but there is something about its insular nature that reminds me of the song. The Cambridge bubble is so real, and I really enjoy being in it when I’m here. But that means sometimes it feels weird when we have to go back to ‘real life’, similar to the feeling you get when you come back home from a holiday. Although, instead of feeling relaxed I generally feel more exhausted when I come back home from a term in Cambridge. The song has good vibes with some grittier moments in the middle, which pretty much sums up first year for me.
Daniel Kamaluddin
Lana Del Rey – ‘Let The Light In’ (ft. Father John Misty)
This song meant a lot to me, especially in Michaelmas. I often listened to ‘Let the Light In’ on loop, whether strolling along the Backs in the autumn sunset or across Parker’s Piece on a cold morning. My first year in this city has been so magical: seeing the aurora borealis from Castle Mound, staying up late chatting over tea and hot chocolate with friends, cycling to Grantchester. I love how Lana’s song captures the duality of the dreamy beauty and intensity of Cambridge life. She captures a sense of loss and grief for what has passed, while reminding us that bright things are around the corner.
Lucy Jude Grantham
Talking Heads – ‘Don’t Worry About the Government’
It’s a totally sarcastic and silly song. So danceable and perfect for marching down Trumpington Street when I’m running late for a lecture. It’s just an instant good mood song. Such a joy. All the energy. It’s impossible to have a bad day when it’s on!
Joe Evans
Paul Stephan, Bexblu and t.o – ‘Like That’
Like That is cold and I’ve replayed it countless times this year, but this song is definitely a stand out for me, sampling the J Dilla remix version of the Pharcyde’s “Y (be like that)”. As a big J Dilla fan, I remember first listening and recognising the sample and loving the way that Bexblu and t.o flipped it. The bounce, the sound and just general energy of this project definitely has an influence on the music I’ve made recently, especially on my new EP. As a producer I’m always excited to see whatever t.o and Bexblu come out with, as two producers who I see as heavyweights in the underground UK rap scene. So them working together, plus Paul Stephan’s grimey and in your face vocals, as well as sampling one of the greatest producers of all time in J Dilla, is just a recipe for a great song.
Daisy Cooper
Ugly – ‘First to Die’
Life really is worth living! With a new one from Cambridge hailing Ugly, I couldn’t be feeling more hopeful about everything. Ugly truly have been a band that has accompanied me through so many terms here, from the release of their folk EP ‘Twice around the Sun’, released just about this time last year. As of now, maybe I’m cheating a bit with the whole ‘song of the year’ title (as this only came out a few weeks ago), but rest assured the song was played at least six times on the car journey up to uni for Easter… The band’s sunny, tight melodies flourish on guitar and in their classic choral harmonies, ‘First to Die’ feels like a transition for Ugly. A total summer song, their lyrics meditate on trying your best even if something is doomed to not succeed. Madcap, rejuvenating and ever genre-bending, the return of Ugly can only bode well for this term!
Jamie Chong
Fleetwood Mac – ‘Landslide’
A finalist always has one foot on the next thing. There’s not many opportunities to slow down, a bittersweet sacrifice for Easter term’s glorious sun. On the train back from an interview, though, there’s nowhere to run. As the sun winked its last glimpses of light from behind the tall bodies of trees, Stevie Nicks croons, “Can I handle the seasons of my life?”. Three years whittled down to two months, my college children with their own children, I realised I was knee-deep in my last summer here. Sentimental, I know; but if Fleetwood Mac can get away with it, let me have this.
Polly Almond
Jacob Collier – ‘Dancing Queen’ (feat. Alita Moses), Live in Stockholm from Piano Ballads – Live From the Djesse World Tour 2022
The night before I came to Cambridge I was in my room at home, listening to the then brand new Jacob Collier album of live piano ballads. It’s full of musical tangents and self-indulgences, but I was feeling pretty dramatic at the time. About a month later I was sitting in a room with some people I barely knew, and the same album came on. They’re now my best friends. I’m graduating at the beginning of July (exam Gods willing), and although I couldn’t possibly have known how brilliant these three years of my life would be, when I heard that song for the first time, it felt like I might.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6F7RfDgH4CsZtvsCnIVusy?si=9d0d69cf1a014787
