By Kyan Feser
Staff Writer
Editorial
In our last man on the street for 2025, The Johnsonian asked Winthrop students what albums they had on repeat
Spotify Wrapped is right around the corner, so we asked Winthrop students what albums made their semester.
It seems like fun took over, and many students got their groove on. Hudson Mize, an IMCO major, said Tyler the Creator’s “Don’t Tap the Glass” was a must-listen.
“You can dance to it pretty easily, and I was a delivery driver, so it would be something to hype me up.”
For Mark Bontempo, a graphic design major, Porter Robinson’s “SMILE” did the trick. Despite the emotionally heavy lyrics, “it’s a lot of fun, and kind of anthemic sounding,” Bontempo said.
“It’s got a lot of highs, a lot of lows, and I’ve always loved the contrast.”
Similarly, Henry Proctor, a choral education major, had Hozier’s “Unreal Unearth” in his top spot.
“It’s got a lot of contrasting styles. There’s a lot of ballad-type songs, but then there’s more typical, poppy-sounding songs,” he said.
Speaking of ballads, a lot of bluesy, soulful music made the rounds this year.
Jackson Stanton, a mass communications major, had ericcoa’s “DOA” as his winner. The blended genres made the perfect vibe, he said.
“It’s more like Brakence, if you know who Brakence is. It’s more like Indie R&B or soulful,”
Mikaila Alexander, a psychology major, got in her feels with Teddy Swim’s “I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy.”
“Something about it just resonates with my emotions. It has heartbreak, it has happiness, it really just helps whatever type of mood you’re in,” Alexander said.
Ayaris Dandin, a graphic design major, loved Brent Faiyaz’s “Sonder Sun.”
“It talks about how people need to communicate with each other if they want something to happen. It was really nice,” Dandin said.
Marcus Gonzales, a mass communications major, had Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak’s “Silksonic” in rotation, and for a very sentimental reason, he explained.
“One of my best buddies, we have the nickname Silksonic, and I saw him for the first time in four years. He’s living life in LA and he happened to be in town and we reconnected. It’s just my way of remembering my best friend, who I know I won’t have a lot of time to see. It reminds me of him.”
Just like Gonzales, a lot of students’ choices came from the heart, and Jess Caltagirone, a theatre education major, was no different.
“Wishbone” by Conan Grey was in her headphones, and songs like “Eleven Eleven” and “Nauseous” were top contenders, Caltagirone said.
“Nauesous is so sad but it makes me cry, it’s really good, and Eleven Eleven, it deals with superstitions and stuff, and I think those themes are interesting.”
Vincent Hazan, a mass communications major, loved the soundtrack to Superman 2025, he explained.
“Superman is my favorite superhero and I’ve been waiting for this move for about three years. Hearing John Williams, who’s my favorite composer and artist ever, hearing a rendition of his song kind of lifted emotions for me.”
Unfortunately for some, choosing their most-listened was no choice. Grace Fallon, a mass communications major, said her roommate’s obsession with My Chemical Romance sent “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge” into her charts.
“My roommate made me listen to My Chemical Romance over and over and over again, so it ended up being one of my most listened to albums,” she said.
However, Fallon also loved “The Stranger” by Billy Joel, and her feelings towards the album are something we can all learn from.
We always have music in our cars, headphones, and heads, but at the end of the day, we need to spend time with our own thoughts.
“Slow down, like slow down. It really hits home for me,” Fallon said.
