“Track by Track” is a new series where students share their daily musical diets in a Spotify playlist.
Jared Hunter likes to start his days with Calvin Harris’ slick beats and see the hours through with Chance the Rapper’s uplifting lyrics.
For the SGA president and senior political science major, music is an integral part of the day. From walking to class to winding down, it’s everything from Fleetwood Mac to LANY to, his favorite, The 1975, that soundtrack Hunter’s life.
A few of Hunter’s “Track by Track” picks are tied up with different collegiate moments from his time at UA. Here’s what he said about his selected jams:
“Prayers Up” – Calvin Harris, Travis Scott, A-Trak
“It’s just a really groovy super upbeat song that I like to listen to, particularly when I walk to class. It’s a great way to get your day going, kind of to pick up your spirits if you’re feeling down or just something to get the weekend started. So it’s pretty versatile, but it always puts me in a good mood.”
“Rich Girl” – Daryl Hall & John Oates
“It’s such a classic to begin with. Everybody somewhat recognizes it. It’s a song you hear if you’re in Starbucks or wherever. And if it comes on you’ve definitely heard it before. It’s just another upbeat song that’s something I feel like is pretty intergenerational. Almost everyone really appreciates this song for its musical stylings, for the vocals and the lyrics. Just as a general good feeling song.”
“Ice Melts” – Drake, Young Thug
“When I was in Ann Arbor (Mich.) over the summer, it was the group of interns I was with, my close friend group, one of our favorite songs to listen to together. And when a couple of my friends here from the University came and visited me in Ann Arbor, they were like ‘Why do you like this song so much? Is it because it sounds like it’s saying Jared?’ In the song, one of the contributing artists screams, I think he’s saying ‘Jeffrey.’ But the way he says it, it sounds like he’s saying Jared. And that’s how the song starts off and he says it multiple times throughout the song. So people are like ‘Oh you just like it because it’s gassing you up.’ And I’m like ‘Uh, maybe so, maybe no.'”
“UGH!” – The 1975
“They’re probably my favorite band, and I’ve liked them ever since around 10th grade of high school. I’ve seen them maybe three times, so definitely a band I’ve stuck with throughout the years, even as they’ve kind of evolved and changed their musical stylings. They used to be a lot more alternative and their most recent album was more poppy. But that one song in particular reminds me of a very specific moment. It’s one of those songs where every time I hear it it takes me back to where I was in my collegiate career and in my life. It came out right before I was about to have a really big interview with [a consulting group], which I still think is hilarious because I’m a political science major and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was getting ready to fly out to L.A. and this song was released maybe three days before that. So it was kind of like my song going into it and that’s definitely what it reminds me of. That song kind of reminds me of adventure and new experiences. I had never been to the West Coast at that time so it was really cool to take on as something that reminds me of that trip.”
“Blessings” – Chance the Rapper
“His music is so positive and uplifting, but still very mainstream, likable and real. I really love the song ‘Blessings’ from his last album, because he not only uses his platform to speak about God but also interestingly splits the song in half, with him rapping one half and singing the other.”
