One of the few things in life that brings me joy is music. I love almost all kinds of music — well, no one has sold me on metal and screamo — and I love receiving recommendations. More than half of my Spotify library are songs people have told me to listen to.
Through this series, I hope to add some of the songs I love into playlists, but my main goal is to offer a perspective into why I love a song and why I hope other people can love it too. And if you already know the song, maybe you’ll see it differently.
A quick disclaimer before I start: I am by no means a music critic. While I have a lot of experience with music and instrumentation, that doesn’t mean I’m an expert — though I am an expert at knowing how music makes me feel, so take that as you will.
This week’s Song Spotlight is “Overnight” by Maggie Rogers. You might know Rogers from songs such as “Light On” and “Alaska” — both of which have been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify. Rogers, whose music lies somewhere in the pop folk realm, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist last year.
I got introduced to “Overnight” by a friend last January while we were driving in our sleepy suburban hometown, and I knew I liked it immediately. The beat kicked in about ten seconds in and caught my attention. I couldn’t necessarily figure out what lyrics she was singing — her diction isn’t always super crisp — but the second she sang “people change overnight” in the chorus, I was adding the song onto my own playlist.
A big part of my taste in music is personal timing — finding a song that resonates with what’s happening in my life. “Overnight” is no exception. This song came into my life after a particularly tough first semester of college, when everything was changing and I was struggling to keep up with those changes. When I Googled the lyrics later that night, I felt like “Overnight” entered my consciousness when I truly needed it.
I understood that it’s okay to take time adapting to a new situation, and it’s okay to struggle even when everyone tells you you shouldn’t. It was the song that allowed me to reflect on my first semester of college and confidently stride into the next one.
A year later, this song is still in my daily rotation, but it has a different meaning now. It’s a reminder that we truly never know what’s around the corner. “Overnight” is the song form of a fresh start while maintaining some connection to your past, whose memories find their way into your mind every now and then. It’s the perfect song to start off the semester.
