Everyone has those songs they love, listen to all the time, but would never admit to listening to. This may be because they’re outdated, too mainstream, or catered toward an audience they don’t identify with. However, even if these songs may trigger embarrassment, they can bring back memories, boost moods, and be enjoyed like all music. Take a look at students’ guilty pleasure songs, why they’re so guilty, and why students keep coming back to them.
“Hug Me” by Pharrell Williams and Trey Parker
“Hug Me” is senior Marlie McKenzie’s perfect hype song. “My friends and I will blast it when we go down to the beach,” she said. The upbeat instrumental, enthusiastic singing, and heavy-hitting drums give the track an infectious energy reminiscent of summertime. McKenzie believes it’s a guilty pleasure song because of its childish nature. “It’s from a kid’s movie, and people look down on that,” she said.
“I Love You Jesus (Trap Remix)” by Trisha Paytas
“It’s an interesting song, but it has such a good vibe, and I know all the lyrics,” senior Madeline McHugo said. By layering Trisha Paytas’ airy vocals over a hard trap beat, the song transforms the Christian hit into a club banger, creating a unique soundscape.
McHugo discovered this song with her friends in class while looking at the setlist for an upcoming concert. “I was like, ‘What is this song?’ So I looked up ‘I Love You Jesus’ and I saw that there was a trap remix and I was like, ‘We have to listen to this,’” she said.
Paytas’s controversial reputation is what makes this song guilty. “It’s literally Trisha Paytas, and she’s a little bit insane,” McHugo said.
“needy” by Ariana Grande
After hearing his mom play Ariana Grande’s “needy”, senior Devin Dursun quickly grew to love it. Featuring a minimal beat that highlights Grande’s feathery vocals, “needy” shines due to its simplicity. “It’s very euphoric, nostalgic, and cute,” Dursun said.
Due to Grande’s predominantly female audience, Dursun feels guilty listening to the song. “It’s not in the niche that I typically would listen to as a guy in my own position, but I still enjoy the song,” he said.
“Test Drive” by John Powell
Coming from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack, “Test Drive” is one of senior Lily Pellican’s favorite songs. The song’s cinematic atmosphere evokes one of Pellican’s favorite scenes from the movie. “They [Hiccup and Toothless] enter that one scene where they’re flying, and they have to cut corners,” she said. “The sun is off in the distance, setting very nicely, and he opens his arms. It’s like the Titanic but so much better, and the music just makes it so much more perfect.”
The song consists of only an instrumental. “It has no words, and it’s just an orchestra, so it’s kind of odd to be listening to, but John Powell did such a good job,” Pelican said.
“Unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfield
Junior Martin Cheung’s love for “Unwritten” is accompanied by a sense of nostalgia. “I listened to it a lot when I was on a trip with my family to Mexico, so it reminds me of that,” Cheung said. “It’s a very uplifting song, and it makes you feel happy.” The popular party song perfectly embodies this attitude, featuring an undeniably catchy chorus that gives off 2000’s energy.
Cheung doesn’t let its reputation stop him from enjoying the song. “It’s kind of a ‘white girl’ type of song, but I still think it’s really good. I’m not letting that stop me from listening,” he said.
“The Way” by Ariana Grande and Mac Miller
“The beat is really good. And the chemistry between them [Ariana Grande and Mac Miller], because they were dating at the time, is really good as well,” sophomore Yuval Briller said. Briller fell in love with the song as soon as he heard it on TikTok. With a cheerful, piano-heavy instrumental, the sweet track encapsulates Grande’s and Miller’s close relationship.
“A lot of people think that Ariana Grande is girly, but the song goes h*lla hard,” Briller said.
“Girls In Bikinis” by Poppy
Senior Katie Cueva first heard “Girls in Bikinis” when it was her girlfriend’s top played song in eighth grade. The track stays true to the title throughout, with its lyrics rarely straying from the main theme: girls in bikinis. “I like the imagery, I like the lyrics, and it’s upbeat and catchy,” Cueva said.
From the title alone, it’s self-explanatory why the song’s considered a guilty pleasure. “It’s about girls in bikinis,” she said.
