What are students listening to?

Joe Harned
Feature/Entertainment Editor

Excuse me, what song are you listening to right now? When students were asked this question, the responses ranged from 1910 to the pop hits of a week ago.

The most popular overall genre at Webster was rap, but Webster’s taste in rap varies. “Automatic ” by NBA Youngboy and Rich the Kid, and Turban by Yeat are two examples of more aggressive rap, both of which feature some of the most popular artists in the genre. The heavy bass and fast moving tempo of the songs are perfect for working out, and apparently make for great Physics study music.

“Home” by Wiki is a short but sweet underground song. It has a great sample loop and the well made lyrics flow so smoothly it’s hard to imagine another song could top it, besides “Shiva” by JID. This lofi-produced banger has the best lyrical performance of all the rap Webster was listening to, and the features add onto the great writing of the song.

“California Love” by 2Pac and “Flashing Lights” by Kanye West are both older, more nostalgic classics that are essential to the genre. West and Shakur are legends of the rap scene and have made some of the most iconic albums in rap history, such as “Graduation,” the album that “Flashing Lights” stars in.

Webster’s taste in pop is great. Although it may be overplayed on TikTok, “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy is beautifully sung and produced. “Guilty Conscience” by 070 Shake is a synth-drenched trip to the 80s with modern lyrics and production. Both of these songs have great main performances, and both artists are seeing a well deserved rise in popularity.

Rock is alive in Webster too. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ alt-rock hit “Can’t Stop” is a great introduction to the band, with the contrast between a sweet chorus and the more hard-rocking opening verse. “Lola” by The Kinks is a groovy classic of folk-rock, but the lyrics have not aged well into the 21st century. Could there be rock, though, without the Beatles? “Oh! Darling” off of “Abbey Road,” perhaps the greatest pop rock album ever, is an essential listen and has some of Paul McCartney’s most passionate singing.

Music taste can get unconventional, but it shows how wide the range of music is in the halls of Webster Groves High School. “The Firebird Suite – Finale” by Igor Stravinsky was made in 1910, but the pure ecstasy of this finale lives on today, making it one of classical music’s most triumphant works.

In addition to music, many students were listening to podcasts, musicals, or as one embarrassed underclassman put it, “just trying to block out the noise.”

Webster’s soundtrack is in safe hands; it is beautiful that so many styles of music are alive in the halls around us.

Joe Harned- Feature/Entertainment Editor This will be Joe Harned’s first year on ECHO Staff. He also made several contributions while taking journalism class his freshman year.

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