24 Songs For The 24-Year-Old

A year until a quarter of my life sets in, but I've already felt quarter life crisis. Not everyone makes it as far as 24, but some don't really think it's a big feat. But if you get a chance to live for more than 2 decades (and more!), it's definitely a feat.

For my birthday, I've listed 24 songs with lyrics. Also, it's 2018... Don't judge me for listening to One Direction. (For better experience, listen to the playlist while reading this post!)

1. "Here's To Never Growing Up" by Avril Lavigne

Say, won't you say "forever"
Stay, if you stay forever
Hey, we can stay forever young

As a millennial 24-year-old, I'm still confused with adulthood. I know, I've been legally an adult for 6 years! But I still don't know what I'm doing. I feel like I'm just making shit up as I go, because I don't follow youth-targeted news sources's tips on adulting. Hah!

2. "The Sunshine Of Your Youth" by Cheerleader

Now that you're older
Are you dreaming of the sunshine of your youth?
You know that it's useless looking back
There's no redemption there for you
You're making a promise to yourself
You'll put those habits on the shelf
Can you make a promise
To be honest with yourself?

There are things that I wish I did when I was younger. I feel like I've wasted time not knowing what I want early on. I've only decided what I want to really do at the age of 23, which for some is "too late". But I need to stop comparing myself to others, because they're taking another direction from the one I'm traveling on.

3. "Rollercoaster" by Bleachers

Now I'm running and I can't stop anywhere I go
I think about it everyday and night I can't let go

Since I'm talking about roads, here's how I feel about the one I'm taking: I'm moving forward with my current work-life situation, but sometimes I find myself thinking too much of it. It's kind of hard to relax, sometimes.

4. "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" by The Clash

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know

If I stay, lots of what-if's plague my head. If I go, my heart rate is insane and I feel like fainting any moment. Seems like I can't win, right? But I always have to choose one. If it means I have to get out of my comfort zone, so be it.

5. "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
I'm getting older too

Change is both a wonderful and a scary thing... And as I draw closer to completing the first quarter of my life, I'm super overwhelmed. This song, however, is pretty calming

6. "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends

The "summer" part of my life meant no bills, taxes, and filing of resignations. But that's kind of done now, isn't it? Sometimes I just want to sleep through my duties and pretend they vanish in my dreams. But then, I wake up and cry me a river.

7. "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds

As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
When you walk away
Or will you walk away?

What would people remember me for? Peer pressure made me want to fit in so much. But the more I blended in, the 

8. "Night Changes" by One Direction

We’re only getting older, baby
And I’ve been thinking about it lately
Does it ever drive you crazy
Just how fast the night changes?

Direct to the point. Every night I sleep (or don't sleep on) passes by quickly, I get more anxious about getting older. Yeah that's normal, but that existential dread seeping in my mind gets bigger.

9. "Marry The Night" by Lady Gaga

I'm gonna marry the night
I'm not gonna cry anymore
I'm gonna marry the night
Leave nothing on these streets to explore

But you know what, screw worrying. That ain't what life is about.

10. "Carpe Diem" by Green Day

Ain't it beautiful, so unusual
Life's a gas and it's running out
Living a cliche, gonna seize the day
Bottle rockets that celebrate
Celebrate, celebrate

One of my English teachers, Sir Julius, taught me the phrase "Carpe diem". He'd greet us with that instead of "good morning" or "good afternoon." When I learned it meant "seize the day", I thought, damn that was a phrase that got me thinking. 

11. "Welcome To The Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance

Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part
I won't explain or say I'm sorry
I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scars

Everyone of us has gone through some struggles that made us stronger. I've had my share of challenges. When I experienced them, I'd always felt like it was the end of the world. But every time, I'm always relieved, amazed, and surprised with how I get over it because it always passes. Sounds cliché, but time does heal the shittiest situations.

12. "Kanye" by The Chainsmokers

One day I'll stand with a crown on my head
Like a God yeah, like a God
With every step, no, I won't second guess what I want

People often call Yeezy-sama egotistic. However, his talent and confidence back it up. No wonder why he got the career, the fame, and fellow genius Kim Kardashian. If I could have Kanye's confidence without giving a single shit about haters.

13. "Stronger" by Kanye West

N-now th-that that don't kill me
Can only make me stronger

Nietzsche said it, Daft Punk remixed it, and Kanye preached it. Going through shit has 

14. "Applause" by Lady Gaga

Live for the way you cheer and scream for me
The applause, applause, applause

We'd be lying if we say we didn't want external validation to some degree! I've done a lot, and I know I did well, but I appreciate those who recognize that.

15. "Tomorrow's Ours" by Lights Follow

Even if we're wrong we've got time to lose our way
And even if we fall we're still young enough to say
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow's ours

As someone who always felt time ran out easily, I love this song. As a lazy person, I love this song!!!

16. "Live While We're Young" by One Direction

And never, never, never stop for anyone
Tonight let's get some and live while we're young

Being young is only a chance you get once so why not make the most of it? 

17. "Crush" by David Archuleta

Do you catch a breath when I look at you?
Are you holding back like the way I do?
Cause I've tried and tried to walk away
But I know this crush ain't going away...

There's one person (or a couple of people, in my case LOL) who give us the special kind of butterflies in the stomach. The best part about these feelings is not having to commit at all. It's a fleeting feeling, but a really good one.

18. "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel
Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

I still say "I love you" to my family and friends... But when it comes to that one person, those three words... "They're not enough". I didn't go that far with one person yet, I think... But when the time comes, I think I need to say (and do) more than 1-4-3. (Side note: This is the song that best represents falling in love.)

19. "Immortals"

'Cause we could be immortals, immortals
Just not for long, for long
Live with me forever now
Pull the blackout curtains down
Just not for long, for long
We could be immortals

A lot of times, I pretty invincible! This happens when I'm productive or I achieved a big goal. But the higher the feeling, the lower the crash. Good things do happen, but they take a while.

20. "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk

We've come too far
To give up who we are
So let's raise the bar
And our cups to the stars

There is that one mistake that causes me to panic and do shit I'll regret right after. As someone with perfectionist tendencies and anxiety, I tend to react very negatively  towards one mishap. But should one mistake invalidate the good? Nah, fam.

21. "Live Your Beautiful Life" by Lights Follow

Live your life like it was running out
Be alive
We gotta scream it out
Be it then
And feel the rush again
You're not lost
No matter where you've been

It has been a while since I went to the beach. This song reminded me of it, and how chill life should be even if we're making it look like the opposite. The pressure to be successful and fit the definition of "happiness" can be tiring, so defining what brings us joy should be on our own terms.

22. Beautiful Now by Zedd, Jon Bellion

Let's live tonight like fireflies
And one by one light up the sky

God, I love this song. And that part, it's poetic as hell. Many people tend to be wet blankets these days even at the cost of others having fun. But if they're not hurting anyone with their happiness, what's the use?

23."Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap

So stay there
'Cause I'll be coming over
While our blood's still young
It's so young, it runs
Won't stop 'til it's over
Won't stop to surrender

By now you've noticed how much I'm clinging on to my youth and writing down lyrics about it... So I'll just tell you a story. I found this song through 500 Days of Summer. Upon seeing Zooey Deschanel, I thought how cute her hair was. I tried ironing my hair into her curls, getting her bangs... Now here I am, and you know what my hair looks like.

24. "Slow Down" by Lights Follow

When all this seems like it's OK
And all we feel is day to day, we're on replay
And all these dreams in life's way
I'll leave them up to people that we love
So slow down
We need to slow down

Honestly? I want to post the entire lyrics in this entry! Hearing this the first time was an experience. It's energetic, inspiring, and catchy! If I'm in one of my bad moods, this song is an instant booster. If you see me around the city with earphones on, chances are I'm bopping to this song as I walk along!

Last Thoughts

I thought it was going to be forever when I was 21. I don't know about you, but 22 felt pretty good. Nobody liked it when I was 23. But 24, I'll definitely enjoy it. The last 23 years of finding out what I was worth paid off... Here's to being 24!