In this piece, I’ll be exploring a headbanging playlist of mine that really gets you bobbing your head to the beat, no matter where you are. These songs have been so powerful that sometimes, I think of these songs in class and play them in my mind, distracting me from whatever the professor is lecturing us on. However, outside of the classroom, this playlist will be a great accompaniment to anything high-energy that you’re doing or adding energy to anything boring.
The first song is a classic and I couldn’t imagine a hype playlist without it: “Thunderstruck,” by AC/DC. This song has been a staple of headbangers since its release. Some people may feel it’s often overplayed, and I can understand that, but nothing can truly take away from the pure energy of this song. The screaming vocals and rocking guitar pump energy into every beat, which will surely make you jump out of your seat in the hypothetical sense.
The second song as well as the next few are more recent: “Isis,” by Joyner Lucas and Logic, who previously had beef with each other. However, they settled this beef by producing an incredible song about ADHD and feuds. The entire song has these rapid, middle-eastern strings going in the background the entire time. Combined these with bass beats and the duo’s rapid lyrics add to the feeling of quickness of the whole song, which makes the song feel all the more hyper and exciting.
The third song, “Mona Lisa,” by Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar, is amazing for its backing and lyricism. Not only does the song tell a story of robbery from the perspectives of the robber and victim, but every word goes perfectly with the rhythm. These two rap so closely to the rhythm that it’s like there’s no wasted time in telling this story and delivering this music to you. Every beat has a piano chord in the background, adding to layers of the background and allowing you to bop your head to every single sound cue.
“Homicide,” by Logic and Eminem, is the fourth song in the playlist. This song is unique for the astounding speed at which the two rap. Every beat seems to be subdivided at least twice that seems they’re rapping at least four syllables a beat. The song is already fast as it is, so the fact they’re able to rap this much this fast is incredible. When you think about this song in class, you don’t have to breathe with you’re mentally rapping it, so you can just think of the entire song with ease. The song is so intense that I feel like lyrically killing my enemies as they do in the song, but I really wish they cut out the end part where they do some joking ad-libs. All the hype built up to that point is just ruined, so you should skip to the next song as fast as possible when you reach the true end of the song.
The final song is “Pump It,” by The Black Eyed Peas, since I don’t want 80% of the playlist to be modern rap. Just for the “Miserlou” guitar riff alone, this song is a headbanger, but The Black Eyed Peas add their own flair to this classic with their rap and additional backings. The chorus encourages you to “pump it (louder)” and “blast your stereo,” and that’s exactly what I feel like doing with the energy this song gives. These calls to action are complemented by “Miserlou” continuously blaring in the background, bringing great energy with its surf-rock guitar and trumpet. Fergie’s part somewhat kills the energy because of her softer voice and the slower tempo, but apart from that, I can definitely see myself distracted by this song in class.
Overall, this playlist serves to break up the monotony that comes with being a student. I enjoy listening to music that I’m really paying attention to; today, there’s too much rap that’s just a trap beat subdivided in two overlayed with mumbling about drugs, money, and women. In other words, I’m really not interested in background music that just acts as a distraction. I want to really feel the music I’m listening to; for this playlist specifically, I wanna feel the hype and give me the energy I need to get through my daily tasks.
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