When it comes to genre, we at Varsity know no bounds. Some of us have a few specialities from a writing standpoint, but above all, us audiophiles love to experiment with both evolving sounds and more traditional categories. However, there’s a practicality consideration here: when you’re juggling more than a few favourite genres, how exactly do you listen to them all? TikTok has of course borne one answer: the so-called polyJAMourous playlist trend, an endearingly cringey name coined by Swedish TikToker @fellbrink for when playlists unabashedly shift from metal to motown, disco to Disney or K-pop to country. It’s a fun practice (you best believe I’ll be making that exact playlist combo ASAP), but sometimes you don’t want the genre whiplash, and that’s okay.

Instead, I’d like to posit an alternative, especially suited to the new student. When you first think of Cambridge, your mind either jumps to the academic rigour, or perhaps the renowned collegiate or society-centric traditions. The boring life stuff gets painfully forgotten. Knowing how to manage time academically or even being able to cook is one thing, but independence brings on the realisation that you have to deal with even more routine tasks every day. However, if you have eclectic tastes or just want to vary the energy levels in your streaming habits throughout the day, pairing genres with parts of your routine could make your life easier, and enhance your listening experience too.

“Pairing genres with parts of your routine could make your life easier”

Personally, my morning routine is one of the least musical parts of my day. However, I must confess that, if I’m having a really hard time waking up, my resolution is country. There’s nothing like a bit of Shania Twain to start my day right; the sass of ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ is the epitome of “I just got out on the right side of bed.” If you’re seeking more excitement, though, look no further than Carrie Underwood’s ‘Church Bells’, a dramatic tale of love, loss and drastic but nonetheless thrilling revenge.

More commonly, music underpins many of our journeys between contact hours. There’s a range of ways of classifying this – you could have options for going to site versus returning home, or perhaps tap into separate vibes for lectures compared to supervisions. However, the most natural distinction in my eyes is the pace. Did you give yourself only fifteen minutes to get to Sidgewick from this city centre? Alternatively, did you manage a slow, hot girl walk in the morning but now find yourself running back home to get ready for a formal that you forgot about?

“For the panic walk that verges on a jog, hyperpop is the obvious answer”

For the panic walk that verges on a jog, hyperpop is the obvious answer. It’s hard to be late anywhere when strutting to the thumping beats of SOPHIE’s ‘VYZEE’ or A.G. Cook and Hannah Diamond’s ‘Drop FM’. The synths are satisfactorily grating in places, a much needed wake-up after whatever drowsiness left you running this late in the first place. And yet, in spite of this harshness, this music makes you feel powerful, like you yourself are the ‘IT girl’ JADE sings of.

On those days where I do manage to be a little more organised, though, something soulful – though still lightly infused with energy – is the answer. WILLOW’s ‘The 1st’ feels especially appropriate for early Michaelmas; as the colder nights draw in, ‘Warm Honey’ carries a cosy romanticism in more than just the name. There’s a rich timbre to the verses, juxtaposed with the gentle falsetto airs of the chorus. Tracks from Solange’s A Seat At The Table have also provided comfort on many a chilly stroll, whether I’m having a mini existential crisis post-essay (‘Cranes in the Sky’) or, as it often turns out, I’m just a bit ‘Weary’.

“Something extremely cathartic about furiously chopping vegetables to Lambrini Girls’ ‘Company Culture’”

One of the harder new routines that comes with independent living is cooking. I often find my kitchen playlists leaning towards punk: there’s something extremely cathartic about furiously chopping vegetables to Lambrini Girls’ ‘Company Culture,’ a track driven by forceful shredding of chords, beating of drums and Phoebe Lunny’s screamed verses on misogyny in the workplace. I must admit that I’m also a better listener when I’m doing something with my hands, and the urgency in Bob Vylan’s work has landed with me most when I’ve listened to it whilst multitasking in the kitchen. And Vylan writes lyrics that are vitally deserving of this full attention: ‘We Live Here,’ for example, recounts their experiences of racism in necessarily shocking honesty, while ‘Hunger Games’ explores the tangible impacts of the cost of living and provides a call to action to those suffering under this crisis.

There’s plenty of room for experimentation when it comes to listening habits, and perhaps my choice to stream hyperpop first thing in the morning or heavy rock during an evening activity may seem heathen-like for some. Even if I don’t inspire people to wake up to the dulcet tones of ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me’), I hope to inspire such playfulness. Here at Varsity, we’ve debated the notion of genre time and time again, and there are indeed flaws in such categorisation. Nonetheless, it’s hard to deny the power that different styles have to transform your mood, pace and attitude as you pass through even the most monotonous parts of daily life.