For everyone settling back into the nightmare that we call “the school grind,” I’m here to help––well kind of. If you’re like me, your day-to-day mood depends on two things: a good day at Dunkin’ and a good Spotify shuffle. I can’t always promise you good Dunkin’, but I can guarantee you a good playlist. Here’s what I have been listening to this month.

 Most of the time, the music I listen to is a reflection of the current season and my level of stress. September was definitely all over the place for me. Coming straight from my summer tanning playlist, there was absolutely no consistency in what I listened to through the rest of September, but here we go!

Two words: Holly Humberstone. When I tell you I’m obsessed, I mean that I’ve listened to all of her songs on repeat about 4,000 times. I wish that that was an exaggeration. Humberstone is a 22-year-old alternative singer who writes her songs from her bedroom in a small town called Grantham in England. Her songs are amazing and beyond relatable. Humberstone always explains this as the reason as to why her and her music stand out, and I couldn’t agree more. Her entire album Falling Asleep at the Wheel is incredible. However, if an entire album recommendation sounds too overwhelming, you should definitely start by listening to her songs “Falling Asleep at the Wheel,” “The Walls Are Way Too Thin,” “Overkill,” and “Sleep Tight.” They are all so good.

Along with my obsession with Humberstone, my annual Fleetwood Mac phase decided to resurface this September. For those of you who don’t know who they are, which I hope applies to none of you, Fleetwood Mac is a rock band, most famously known in the 70’s. The band has been on and off ever since. Over the month, I became really curious about the band, mainly lead singer Stevie Nicks, and the stories behind their songs. Many of the band members dated and their songs are huge reflections of their relationships, for instance one of their most famous songs, “Go Your Own Way” was written after Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had an intense break up. This month, the band’s song “Save Me,” with band member Christie McVie on lead vocals, had a fair share on my mom’s Apple Carplay. I love McVie––I think she has such an amazing voice and I wish she produced more songs for the band–– “Save Me” is just one of her songs that I happen to absolutely adore. You should definitely listen to it. Of course the other classics, including “Dreams,” “Everywhere,” “Gypsy,” and “Seven Wonders,” are a must-hear if you have not yet heard them. 

Noah Cyrus has always been such an intriguing artist for me. Her new album, The Hardest Part, dropped on September 16th and it is amazing. As I am with most albums, my favorite individual songs are always changing, but so far “Mr. Percocet,” “Ready to Go,” and “I Burned LA Down” are what I have been enjoying the most. Cyrus has such an authentic aesthetic to her writing and production. She has done an amazing job with this album, and I hope you are able to enjoy it as much as I did this month. 

Lastly, I will share the random songs that have made their way into my playlist this month.

•  “Ritual Reunion” by Little Dragon
• “Do You Wanna Dance” by Coyle Girelli
• “Hunnybee” by Unkown Mortal Orchestra
• “Cancel Your Plans” by Mallorry Merk
• “Hotel” by Montell Fish
• “Maggot Brain” by Funkadelic

I guess this is as September as it gets. Hopefully, you have at least taken out your headphones by now and are ready to listen to your new favorite songs. I promise you will not regret it.