A sign enscribed with the phrase "What are you listening to?" is held in front of Mizzou's columns on Friday, Sept. 24.
Headphones are an essential to most MU students as they hop from building to building throughout the day.
Campus sidewalks are flooded with students moving and grooving to the beat of their music. So, here is what some students listened to on campus on Sept. 24 when approached at random:
MU freshmen Paige Simpson and Erin Shawhan pose for a photo together at the steps of Jesse Hall.Paige Simpson
Song: “Doves In the Wind” / SZA
Location: Steps of Jesse Hall
Freshman Paige Simpson jams out with contemporary R&B artist SZA when relaxing on campus.
“It has such a good, spunky little beat to it,” Simpson said. “It’s not super hardcore, but it’s enough to be like, ‘I got a pep in my step, am looking cute, am going to class and having a good time.’”
Simpson describes the song as a female empowerment anthem: the musical embodiment of taking oneself back. She has been a fan since 2017, when the Ctrl album was released, and is one of SZA’s 37 million monthly listeners. SZA’s most popular songs on Spotify are “Kiss Me More (feat. SZA),” “Good Days” and “All the Stars (feat. SZA).”
Erin Shawhan
Song: “Just for me” / PinkPantheress
Location: On steps of Jesse Hall
Twenty-year-old artist PinkPantheress’ song “Just For Me” has been on repeat for freshman Erin Shawhan. The upbeat pop single produced by Mura Masa released Aug. 13, and was described as “a 2-step daydream as light as a feather” in Fader magazine.
“I found her on TikTok, she’s been pretty popular recently, but doesn’t have many songs out,” Shawhan said. “I think her music is relaxing, but also upbeat.”
Shawhan connects more to the music simply because of the beat, and less because of the lyrics. She describes it as a “vibe” and listens to it while she walks on campus or studies. Other popular songs of PinkPantheress include “Pain,” “Break it Off” and “Passion.”
Junior Ari Ellis sits at the steps of Jesse Hall on Sept. 24 in the mid-afternoon.Ari Ellis
Song: “My Song” / H.E.R.
Location: On steps of Jesse Hall
The main rule of junior Ari Ellis’ 14-hour playlist titled, “Black Women,” is that only female African American singers are featured.
“No black men, white men, white women — just Black women,” Ellis said. “If you listen to the playlist, you’re gonna hear a lot of different vibes on the playlist.”
The playlist was born a week ago, after Ellis watched a TikTok video about African American country artists and why people should listen to their work. This inspired him to not only listen to country music by African American women, but create a playlist that primarily features music by African American women. A song on that playlist is H.E.R.’s 2018 single, “My Song,” among artists such as Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Ari Lennox and more.
Freshman Kloe Miller and campus visitor Kole Paxton sit alongside one another while holding a sign on Sept. 24.Kloe Miller
Song: “TALES OF DOMINICA” / Lil Nas X
Location: Next to Brady Fountain
“TALES OF DOMINICA” by Lil Nas X has caught freshman Kloe Miller’s attention. Lil Nas X’s new album, “MONTERO,” was released on Sept. 17. Miller has found herself obsessing over the album since its release, and does so when walking through campus.
“It’s as if I am walking through ‘Alice in Wonderland,’” Miller said. “[As] if I was walking there and just a bunch of weird stuff was happening around me.”
Miller typically does not listen to a specific genre, but rather compiles her music from random sources and experiences. On Spotify, the most popular songs from the new album are “INDUSTRY BABY (feat. Jack Harlow),” “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” and “THATS WHAT I WANT.”
Kole Paxton
Song: “Toxicity” / System Of A Down
Location: Next to Brady Fountain
Before hanging out on a campus bench, visitor Kole Paxton threw it back to 2001 when he listened to System Of A Down’s 2001 album, “Toxicity.” The last song he listened to was “Toxicity” which has an extremely unique, but lively sound.
“It’s just so sporadic and just fun to sing along to,” Paxton said. “It brings me joy.”
Paxton typically listens to metal and indie music. Two of his favorite artists include Five Finger Death Punch and Cavetown. System Of A Down’s popular songs include “Chop Suey!,” “B.Y.O.B.” and “Aerials.”
On Sept. 24, junior Cole Miller smiles outside of Ellis Library after a KOMU gathering.Cole Miller
Song: “Willie The Pimp” / Frank Zappa
Location: Outside Ellis Library
Junior Cole Miller rocks with American musician Frank Zappa as he strolls through campus.
“I really like Frank Zappa, he’s just a lot of fun to listen to,” Miller said. “He does really crazy guitar stuff and the song is just long and about him — it’s cool stuff.”
“Willie The Pimp” is from the 1969 album, “Hot Rats.” Frank Zappa is a composer, guitarist, and singer from the 1960s to 1990s who created rock music. Popular songs include “Bobby Brown Goes Down,” “Uncle Remus” and “Watermelon In Easter Hay.”
Junior Claire Eiler strikes a pose outside of Ellis Library on Sept. 24.Claire Eiler
Song: “Bloody Ripper” / King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Location: Outside Ellis Library
“You’re just a monkey with your claws in my back / I said it, and you heard / That murky bottle’s cutting me some slack.”
Junior Claire Eiler sings on campus as she passes Ellis Library. The band is one of her favorites, and she has been a fan for three years because of their catchy music and the occasional innuendos embedded in them.
“It sounds really fun, it’s really cool and I like to think he’s talking about eating someone,” Eiler said. “It makes me feel real bouncy.”
The band began as a group of friends who enjoyed playing music together and eventually became what we now know as, “King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.” They are an alternative/indie band that officially formed in 2010. According to Spotify, their popular songs include “Work This Time,” “Shanghai” and “Interior People.”
Catie Cobble smiles for a photo at Lowry Mall on Friday, Sept. 24.Catie Cobble
Song: “Clouds” / One Direction
Location: Crosswalk outside the Missouri Student Union
Freshman Catie Cobble has been an avid One Direction fan since 2011, and still gives justice to her “Directioner” roots today.
“The song just came on shuffle, I have always listened to One Direction,” Cobble said. “I feel as if I have grown up with them, they just make such good music.”
One Direction is a boy band that got its start from the seventh season of the reality TV show, “The X Factor” in 2010. They quickly rose to fame when the boy band became official. The band broke up in 2015, and members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan focused on their individual careers. Popular songs include “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Story of My Life” and “Night Changes.”
“The song makes me feel very energetic and pumped up,” Cobble said. “It starts off with a loud bang and you just jump right into it.”
Edited by Shannon Worley | sworley@themaneater.com