5 Fandom Friday: Songs that Have Changed My Life

Posted by tspofnutmeg on January 23, 2015 in Music, Opinion | Leave a comment

By: Meg Humphrey

 

While my music tastes aren’t very wide (I tend to listen to the same stuff over and over and I don’t particularly like to try new things), I do love it very much. Here are five songs (how can anyone pick just five?!) that have had major impact in my life.

“Paradox” by w-inds. W-inds. has been one of my favorite bands since I was 11. Their third single, Paradox is the first song of theirs I heard. Since then I’ve followed their extremely successful career through every single and album. Paradox isn’t my favorite song of theirs (it’s Shiki), but they’ve had music for me to listen to at every point of my life. They’re also the band that really got me into J-pop and learning to sing their songs really helped my Japanese pronunciation!

“Song for the Death Eaters” by Harry and the Potters. I have never failed to tear up during this song. It not only sums up the most beauitful messages of the Harry Potter series “We will fight ‘til you say bitter end / but we say better end,” but the song itself is inspiring for anyone who listens. It’s about friendship and never giving up. Who hasn’t needed that reminder?

“Remix (I Like the)” by New Kids on the Block. So this is a newer NKOTB song, but it’s kind of become my anthem. The music video really makes it because it’s not just about re-doing one’s image physically, it’s about having confidence in yourself and just doing what makes you feel good. For someone like me who has struggled with body acceptance, seeing the official video feature a larger woman who mentally changes is really inspiring.

“Find Your Grail” from Spamalot. This is another one of those songs that makes my chest swell and eyes a little watery. It’s about doing your best, finding purpose, and picking yourself up when you’ve lost hope. When I’m feeling frustrated or stuck, I like to put this song on to remind me to keep going.

“Zero to Hero” from Hercules. I’m going to point out that “Meg Humphrey” perfectly replaces “Hercules” in this song. So I often sing it to myself, about myself, with a few changes to the words to make them applicable to me. It’s both a celebration of me being awesome as well as a reminder that hey, even if I’m not there right now, I’m going to get there someday.

As you can tell, I’m all about personal motivation!