I am a mod-podge of lyrics, so every time I sit down to write, I have a hard time not repeating the words flowing through my head right back to you. Currently, “Your Top 100 Songs 2025” is playing.
I am moved to write when a montage of my memories plays to “Supercut” by Lorde upon each listen or when I click the skip button because I will be sick to my stomach with nostalgia if I listen to “Sick” by Dominic Fike one more time.
“Normal Thing” by Gracie Abrams
I could save the best for last, but I don’t want to. I love this song wholeheartedly, and I can’t even put into words how perfect this is to listen to during senior year. The repetition of lyrics like “Had a good time, but I guess I’ll see ya” and “And you changed my life, but I guess I’ll see ya.” Additionally, “Oh, you’ll make me cry when it comes to an end” all perfectly encapsulate senior year. The sentiment of this ending is perfectly conveyed through the lyrics, the rising and falling production, and the major repetition of “I guess I’ll see ya.”
“Slipfast” by Role Model
I love this song. So much. The chorus is repetitive; simply put, Role Model wants to slip fast and get carried away. Other lyrics like “Oh my God, what I’d pay to just / Run away from this? / Let me pay for it later” also strike me as extremely relatable. Because, as a senior, I too just want to run away. Often. The lyrics are pretty literal, and the production is calming and sort of happy, even though the song isn’t necessarily happy.
“Flash” by Ryan Beatty
What stands out most about this song is the incorporation of dialogue throughout. I don’t know who is talking or what they’re talking about, as I could not find more information from Genius’s lyric page. However, it doesn’t take away from the song for me, but I also wouldn’t say it adds to it. Nonetheless, the lyrics are what make this such a perfectly encapsulating senior year song; Beatty sings, “Life flashes before my eyes / I’m not ready to say goodbye.” On top of that, the bridge has great senior-esque lyrics, too.
“The Middle of Starting Over” by Sabrina Carpenter
Especially as it’s December right now, this song really hits, though I’ll warn you, it’s a little cheesy. It was one of my favorites as a kid, if that’s a helpful frame of reference. College is definitely a way of starting over for some, and as it’s halfway through senior year, we really are in the middle of starting over. The vibe of this song is very happy-go-lucky, and the lyrics are very straightforward and upbeat, but I’ve connected this to my life right now, all the same.
“A World Alone” by Lorde
I don’t claim this song to be niche at all, but I think it deserves its spot on this list anyway. It’s not as talked about as examples from ABBA or “Night Changes” by One Direction, so it’s still slightly more specific. This song has a very celebratory tone, akin to that of graduating. I can see it going on my theoretical grad party playlist. The lyrics radiate youth; they’ve always made me visualize a bubble with your best friends inside and everyone else outside. Though I don’t know yet, that’s how I imagine graduating to be, a little bit, and it’s kind of what senior year feels like so far.
Classics/Other Honorable Mentions
I wanted to stray from being super repetitive with every other senior year playlist ever, so I left out some incredible choices that I would like to include here: “Night Changes” by One Direction, “You’re On Your Own, Kid” by Taylor Swift, “Thank You For The Music” by ABBA, “Scott Street” by Phoebe Bridgers, “Ribs” by Lorde, “Vienna” by Billy Joel, “Don’t Smile” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Supercut” by Lorde, and “How To Live” by Del Water Gap.
