They say you can tell a lot about a person by their favorite song or the songs they play over and over again. I definitely believe their is some truth to this. When I listen to some of the songs I loved in my teen years, all I can think is “Wow, I was really angry and depressed about everything. And I was really suicidal too. Glad I made it through all that!” And the time, those songs held a lot of meaning to me because of all the anger and depression I was holding inside. Even when I listen to some of the songs I loved in my earlier 20s, all I can think is “Wow, you were still angry, definitely more depressed, and damn you really like listening to songs about heartbreak.” Once again, all of them had a lot of meaning to me because everything I was going through. And when my boyfriend and I were apart for the month and a half before I moved, I listened to a lot of songs about missing the one you love.

Now don’t get me wrong- I definitely believe songs we loved when we were younger can still have meaning to us later on in life. I will still rock out to Good Charlotte’s The Anthem (a song I have loved since I was 12), but that’s because it’s a catchy song! And yes, I will still occasionally listen to some boy bands I loved when I was younger because it gives me a big feeling of nostalgia… But truthfully when I listen to some of those songs I feel like I’m relieving someone else’s life because there’s a huge disconnect between ten-year-old Michelle and twenty-eight-year-old Michelle (older Michelle has quite the mouth on her and no longer puts up with anyone’s crap, but both will ALWAYS want to go Hogwarts).

But my point is that yes, I definitely believe a person’s favorite song or songs can say a lot about them. So I thought it would be fun to share 10 of my favorite songs that I feel best sum up who I am now. So here are my 10 songs in no particular order.

#1: Holding On To You by Twenty One Pilots

I make no secret of it- I am a proud member of the Skeleton Clique, I’m a Bandito, basically I just really love Twenty One Pilots! They are my favorite band and their music has helped me through so many hard times. This song is my absolute favorite song by them and I don’t think anything I say could give it the credit it deserves. So all I can say is listen to it if you aren’t familiar with it and let me know what you think about it! And definitely watch the music video. I swear it enhances the song because the black and white of it is really stunning and just makes everything so much more impactful.

#2: All I Want by Walk The Moon

Walk The Moon is another one of my favorite bands. Most people will know them from their super popular (and admittedly overplayed song) Shut Up and Dance. I had a hard time picking which Walk The Moon song to choose because there are two that I play constantly that I feel both represent a part of me. But in the end I chose to go with All I Want because I find a lot of inspiration in the lyrics. Honestly, this song has made me question what I want for myself and what I truly need to be happy. It also taught me to seek validation from myself first and from everyone else second. At the end of the day, I have only myself and my thoughts, so I need to be a sanctuary for myself so I can find inner peace and quiet. Its definitely been harder than I thought to achieve that, but I’m working toward it! So I highly recommend this song.

#3: Out of My Heart by BBMAK

This song is definitely rooted in major nostalgia for me. BBMAK was the first concert my mom ever took me to and was the first of many concerts we would attend together. But this song has always been a song that makes me feel better on a not so great day or turns a great day into an awesome day. I call this my “happy song” because it makes me happy and I hope if anyone takes the time to listen to it that it has the same affect on you.

#4: Lonely Dance by Set It Off

This is one of my anxiety songs. It’s not a depressing song, but one that I feel clearly expresses my anxiety and how it works. Some days I just need to be alone and do my own thing because the world gets to be too much. And it’s not a bad thing or something to worry about- We all need our peace and quiet some days. I just seem to need it more than other people!

#5: High Hopes by Panic! at the Disco

I would consider Brendon Urie to be one of my biggest influences. To see the growth he has had as an artist is inspiring to me and I aspire to have that same kind of creative growth as a writer. The first time I heard this song I almost cried. I heard it after a lot of change happened in my life and I decided that writing was it for me and that nothing else would make me happy. So I put all my hopes and focus into writing because I want that to be my career and I want to be successful at it. The lyrics of this song are so inspirational and if I ever have a moment where I feel like quitting, I listen to this song and it knocks that thought away. So if you ever need a song to keep you from giving up on your dreams, I highly recommend giving this a listen!

#6: Find You by Zedd featuring Matthew Koma and Miriam Bryant

I’ve never quite figured out what it is about this song that makes me love it so much. All I know is that every time I play it puts me in this mood somewhere between wanting to hop on a motorcycle and drive through a city until all the colors have blurred around me into one and doing yoga on a secluded beach at dusk. They are two very different scenes, but that’s where the song takes me. Maybe the reason I love it so much is that it gives me a sense of peace and lets me know that no matter how lost I get, somehow I’ll be found.

#7: StopRewind by NateWantsToBattle

This was another one where I had a hard choice choosing between two songs. Ultimately what made this one win out was the lyrics. Lyrically I feel this song makes more sense for me and where I am now. I’ve recently come to the realization that my worst enemy is me and that for so long I haven’t understood what people saw in me. But now I’m beginning to see more of what others see and I’m working on getting out of my own way. My thoughts can either destroy me or help me, it’s up to me to decide which one it will be. This song is just really awesome and I highly recommend it. And if anyone is curious what the other song was it’s called Take Me Anywhere and it’s a beautiful song.

#8: Dancing On Glass by St. Lucia

This is another one of my anxiety songs, but it’s an upbeat tune that has an 80s type of vibe to it. To me, this song represents what anxiety does to a person on the inside and how we’re constantly struggling with it. We keep fighting against it and we’re never going to stop until we break free from it and control it instead of letting it control us. The video makes the song seem like it’s about addiction, but I heard the song before I saw the video, so I’m stuck on the thought of it being about anxiety. But if you decide to give it a listen and you watch the video, let me know which you think it is or if you think it’s about both!

#9: Zero by Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons has a lot of really great songs, but this is the one that resonates with me the most. What hits me the most about this song is the line “Twenty-seven years and the end of my mind“. The reason is when I first heard this song I was twenty-seven and I felt like a zero. I felt like I was going nowhere and that my life was at this weird standstill and I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Even though I had a degree and had a few poems published, I felt like I had nothing to show for my twenty-seven years of the planet. And do you know how hard it is express these feelings to the people in your life who are constantly supporting you and saying they’re proud of you? It’s damn near impossible. And that’s exactly what this song talks about. Honestly, some days I still feel like I have nothing to show for my now twenty-eight years on this planet, but I’m getting better at working through those days.

#10: One Foot by Walk the Moon

Originally I had another song in this spot, but after looking at what songs I listen to the most, I realized this song absolutely had to have a place on this list! I really wanted to avoid duplicating bands, but I love this song so much that I had to make the exception! It’s been about a year and a half since I first heard this song and I still play it like crazy! For starters, the music video for this song is one of the most stunning music videos I’ve ever seen. Everything about it is visually appealing and every time I watch it, I just want to go out to the desert and do yoga under the stars while wearing a fringe vest! (Don’t ask why I’m wearing fringe in this vision, that’s not my normal taste at all. Also don’t ask em why I’m in the desert when I hate the heat). Honestly, this song is just a vibe that I totally go with. As someone who is getting more in touch with their spiritual side and allowing that to help guide me and my relationships, this song really touches on that for me. I also think the fact that my boyfriend listened to this song when we were apart so he felt connected to me also makes me love it even more than I did before. This song helps me feel connected to myself, my loved ones, and the Earth and makes me feel grounded and safe. It’s amazing how this song makes me feel so many positive emotions and that’s why I will always love it as much as I do!

So those are my 10 songs! This post turned out a lot longer than I thought it would! Tell me what 10 songs you would choose for your list and why. Have a great week everyone!