Hello everyone and welcome to the final (!) installment of The Record Room, my monthly diary-adjacent column in which I get to the bottom of a question I’ve never heard of anyone actually having: what songs, albums, artists, and genres are the KO community listening to?
You read that right, we’re getting a little objective today, since, for my last article ever with the KO News, I’d like to be realistic. Yet, while the true basis of The Record Room’s principle question is…being debated, and while I like to poke fun at the assumedly low viewings I get with this column, I am immensely grateful for it. I’ve learned a lot over the roughly two years that I’ve been keeping up with The Record Room—not just who’s listening to what music—and I am incredibly appreciative of the readers, editors, and staff that have made it possible. So, I thank you, whoever may be reading this now, and, without further ado, let’s dive into this last installment of The Record Room.
Now that all of the sappy gratitude is out of the way, I can continue being ruthlessly honest about situations that I put myself in. Tonight’s big story? Procrastination. So, as I sit in my Philadelphia hotel room, writing this article amid the US Squash High School Nationals tournament, I can’t help but work with what I’ve got. Thus, for this month’s issue, I asked all of my varsity girls squash teammates: what is your go-to squash hype song? In a similar vein to last month’s basketball playlist article, I compiled my responses, took a listen, and, of course, inserted my unentitled opinion, leaving us with the following reviews.
As the true conductor of our hype train, I knew senior No. 3 Captain Annabelle Jacobs would have a good pick for me. She recommended the song “Pepas” by Puerto Rican singer Farruko. The song has an electronic dance beat, containing those strong rhythms and prominent beats that I praised in my last issue. These instrumentals are perfect for a traditional hype song; they bring the energy and so do the lyrics, with translated phrases like “Live your life” and “Enjoy this moment.” Overall, this song is a great, effective hype track that I’m not upset to hear on our team playlist.
Next, I went to ask the team’s No.1 player, eighth-grader Sophia Lazor. As she dominated the Class D New England Prep School Girls Championships earlier this month and continues to crush opponents in the postseason, I just needed to know what she listens to to get in the zone. Sophia’s top pick was the track “The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem, a classic hip-hop song that uses a catchy, energetic beat and thoughtful lyricism to deliver on its theme of individuality and self-confidence. Altogether, Sophia offers a strong pick for an effective hype song.
Following the No. 1 is, of course, the No. 2, so it only felt right to get a suggestion from freshman Ava Marseglia next. Ava (very enthusiastically, might I add) gave me her pick of “Plain Jane” by A$AP Ferg. Like traditional rap, the song features a constant, strong percussional beat with tonal synths that guide the rhythm and lyrics. While the lines don’t quite spread the most positive or uplifting messages, the cadence of their delivery makes for a catchy tune that definitely serves its purpose of getting the team energized.
Next up was our No. 4 player, junior Ilianna Brett with the suggestion “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” by Beyoncé. What the last song lacked in lyrical positivity, Ilianna’s suggestion makes up for it, with lyrics like “You can’t get no higher than this” and nods to Beyoncé herself being admired and “in demand.” Additionally, “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” bases itself on an electronic-pop track with spirited percussions and Beyoncé’s signature harmonic backing vocals that tie the instrumentals and lyrics together. In my opinion, Ilianna’s pick for the best hype song is one of the strongest in the running.
My next interviewee involved in my extensive hype song research was junior No. 6 Hannah Malkin, who very confidently offered the song “Party” by Chris Brown, Usher, and Gucci Mane. This 2017 hit was released in the prime era of hype music, as dozens of hip-hop tracks with scandalous lyrics, including “Party,” were boosted into the top charts by already-too-energetic, over-adventurous middle schoolers. While that time in musical history was certainly one that we as a society may need to reconsider, I can’t deny that Hannah’s suggestion fits the mold of lyrical confidence, enthusiastic ad-libs, and upbeat instrumental tracks that we’re looking for in these hype songs.
Last but not least, our No. 7 player, sophomore Alyssa Tousignant, wrapped up my investigation with a hype song that is unlike the others I’d seen and heard so far. Alyssa confirmed that her go-to hype song throughout the squash season was the timeless “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. While it doesn’t fall under the hip-hop or rap genre that we’ve seen in each of the previous suggestions, “Don’t Stop Believin” still offers strong percussion beats and uplifting lyrical themes, while also introducing more impressive sustained vocals and, of course, an awe-inspiring guitar solo.
When I first heard Journey’s flagship title—sometime at least 10 years ago now—that guitar solo was one of the coolest things I had ever heard. (I also concurrently thought that liking non-pop music would make me edgy and different). But still, now over a decade later, I still appreciate the immense instrumental talent that the group surfaced with the song’s initial release back in the 1980s. Of course, “Don’t Stop Believin’” offers immediate positive messaging through its title alone, so for that, and the lively instrumentals, I’m in total agreement with Alyssa’s hype song pick. So, with Alyssa’s final song reviewed, that’ll do it for this article and this column series. Again, I am very grateful to anyone who has read this far into this issue, or any other for that matter. If you have any suggestions for future articles, don’t email me, I won’t look into it. If you do, maybe start your own Record Room…just don’t call it that.
