By Jarryd Nissenbaum and Eli Braginsky
Pro Procrastinators
Do you ever find yourself frustrated, always listening to the same new songs over and over? Do you ever reminisce about the music of the good old days? You’re in luck! Starting this month, “Procrastinate Here” aficionados, Jarryd Nissenbaum and Eli Braginsky, will be joining forces to give you a trip down memory lane and deliver tracks that are sure to make you nostalgic.
- Iyaz – “Replay”
Even though “Shawty” has been quickly been replaced by “Bae,” Iyaz’s impossible-to-forget song, “Replay,” is sure to bring you back to the times when “Shawty” reigned supreme. Not only does this song remind us of when we first learned how to ride a bicycle, it also gets stuck in our head the instant we play it. This song is truly one of the best throwbacks out there and it fittingly starts off our list with a bang.
- Soulja Boy Tell’em – “Crank That” (Soulja Boy)
Remember how cool we all felt doing “the Soulja Boy” when this song was played at school dances? Little did we know, this number-one track was only the first of many mega-hits in Soulja Boy’s long and illustrious career as one of the biggest rappers in the world. The lyrically complex “Crank That” introduced the aspiring young rapper to the world, and his 2014 album Super Dope and 2015 album Loyalty put him on the level of MC’s like Biggie and Tupac, ensuring his place on the hip hop Mount Rushmore.
- Black Eyed Peas – “Meet Me Halfway”
An instant classic off the Peas’ transcendent album The E.N.D., “Meet Me Halfway” combined Fergie’s killer vocals, will.i.am’s mesmerising flow, and apl.de.ap’s impeccable producing to create a track that is sure to bring you back to the Nixon presidency and the Vietnam War. The Black Eyed Peas taught us valuable lessons about compromising, and in the process gave us a song that will be sung by generations to come.
- Beethoven – “9th Symphony (Ode to Joy)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVL7gLwzct0
Nothing brings back our childhood memories more than Beethoven’s recent hit, the 9th Symphony. Not only did we play this legendary tune on our recorders in music class, it was also first on our ipod shuffle playlists. Bumping to this amazing melody in the car at max volume is still guaranteed to get everyone in the car amped. Recommended times to play this: halftime of a hockey game, prior to a Kendrick Lamar concert, or really at any event in which you want to get the crowd going.
- Bruno Mars – Just the Way You Are
Almost a guarantee to be used during the final song of the night at a Bar Mitzvah party, Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” is the perfect mix between an upbeat song and a slow song. It’s perfect because it is just short enough to prevent awkward eye contact between two dance partners. Even outside of Bar Mitzvahs, it has an abundance of chill vibes that make it a great song to listen to when you want to relax.
- Shaggy – It Wasn’t Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g5Hz17C4is
In retrospect, it might be a little weird that we all sang along with a song about how “she caught us banging on the bathroom floor.” Even so, Shaggy’s catchy chorus and impossible-to-understand lyrics made this song an anthem of our childhoods, and no doubt lead to plenty of embarrassment for our parents.
Another One:
- Sean Kingston – Beautiful Girls
We feel a little guilty calling this one a throwback, but as hard as it it to believe, this Sean Kingston timeless classic is already almost 10 years old. The good vibes and catchy chorus of this reggae-pop hit ensure that it’s still a great choice for any occasion. “Beautiful Girls” is so good that Daniel Goldstein, the Music Director of Newton South’s a cappella group, The Newtones, considered including it in the group’s upcoming performance.
