“Can't Stop The Feeling” by Justin Timberlake
You know what Mr. Timberlake, I do have a feeling inside my bones and it’s a deep-rooted hatred for this joyful pop hit from the movie Trolls. There’s something so aggravating about the repetitive chord progression that makes me want to tell the preachers on the corner of Yonge-Dundas Square that I am an atheist. This track is what I imagine plays as background music when the kids who studied for over 500 hours finish the exam in 30 minutes, while I’m still trying to figure out where to write my name and student number. PLEASE just let me stop this feeling, it's just too happy.

“Emotionless” by Drake
Let me preface by stating my immense bias. As a die-hard Drake fanboy, “Emotionless” is inarguably a sampling masterclass. It has bars for every emotion—an irony considering the title. From your typical resentment toward social media, to that extremely “relatable” moment when you realize you are both a multi-millionaire but also an absent father, this song describes all and every emotion. It’s a tune for when you are in your "lone-wolf" era, like when you finally make it to fourth-year and need to destroy your fellow classmates so your thesis pitch succeeds. It’s cold blooded, “Emotionless” if you will.

“Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé
When “Feeling Good” comes on, it makes you feel mischievous. It makes you successful. Like that moment when the evil character in a movie gets a big win. “Feeling Good” is the epitome of an underdog’s success song. Not necessarily for its lyrical content but because of the broadway style instrumentation and general tonality (due to the original version actually being written for a musical). This is the song to listen to when you're walking out of the Victoria Building after acing your midterm despite studying for an hour and attending half of the classes at best. It also fits the vibe of when you beat someone to the last study room at the Sheldon and Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre. Evil but of the highest stature.

“Emotionally Scarred” by Lil Baby
This is the ideal gym banger for business management students going through their third breakup of the semester. Two main elements make this a bop; moving on from your ex and striking it rich. In addition to a classic percussion beat, the flute sample is subtle but helps to bring some melody throughout the verses and Lil Baby’s heavily auto-tuned voice sits in a clean pocket and allows his flows to shine. Somehow, the lyrics spin flexing as a way to look out for your family and friends and honestly, I respect that. Unfortunately, “Emotionally Scarred” uses an almost identical musical tempo to every other Lil Baby song ever released, so this might not hit the same if you’re not used to his style. If you’re emotionally scarred, find some solace in Lil Baby’s bars.

“In My Feelings” by Drake
If I were to pick one song that could embody the youthful joy I was absorbed by in the summer of 2018, it would have to be “In My Feelings.” This song may have caused the United Arab Emirates to issue multiple fines and arrests for people jumping out of moving vehicles but if a song can’t make us participate in highway traffic violations, then what's the point?! Though almost half of the Scorpion album brought me to tears, this song is the only one that doesn’t embody the vibes of being “in my feels” at all. Nonetheless, “In My Feelings” must have a secret special ingredient that Drake used to make this nostalgic banger that will surely get the whole club jumping and texting their ex-whatever, no matter the year.

“So Emotional” by Whitney Houston
The type of 80s dance-rock that literally keeps me alive. Everytime I hear the familiar intro of finger snaps which transition into woodblock, drum beats and synth slide—outrageous. That’s all without mentioning vocal queen Whitney Houston’s angelic voice, which pleads to explain, “Ain't it shocking what love can do.” This is the purest main character track if I’ve ever heard one. It’s perfect when strolling through campus while pigeon-watching.