Songs of the Summer: An IG Staff Playlist

By Imaginary Gardens Staff, Introduction by Emma G. Harrison, Editor-in-Chief

Ever need a taste of summer as school starts? From groovy beats to beachy vibes, IG’s “Songs of the Summer” playlist has you covered as you settle into the semester. 

Addison Chrivia, Managing Editor

“Check the Rhime” by A Tribe Called Quest

This summer I chilled to a lot of 90’s hip-hop, mostly A Tribe Called Quest. Their groovy beats and witty lyrics leave you in awe; I particularly enjoyed their album The Low End Theory. You might know them for their hit song “Can I Kick It?” I really just love their relaxed sound and the catchy rhythm that makes you wanna sing in your car.

Rebecka Jones, Staff Writer

“Surfin’” by Stray Kids

I started a new obsession this summer: K-pop! I’ve been exploring popular K-pop groups such as BTS and Stray Kids and got hooked on a lot of their songs, but I want to share one from Stray Kids that felt like summer: “Surfin’” is a beachy song sung by three members of Stray Kids, and it is a fun song to listen to while lying back and enjoying the sunshine. This song will transport you to a beautiful beach with soft sand, calm waves, and a fun game of volleyball.

John Medina, Staff Writer

“Yoshinoya” by Childish Gambino

Over the summer, I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Japan for an English course. Every time I visit a new city or country, I like to make a dedicated playlist so that I can look back at the songs I had on repeat during my trip. One artist I had a sudden rejuvenation with over the summer is Donald Glover, also known by his musical alias Childish Gambino. One of the songs added to my playlist is “Yoshinoya” from his most recently released album. Would you believe me if I said I actually tried the restaurant that the song is named after? Yoshinoya is a long-standing restaurant chain in Japan that has been serving rice and protein bowls since 1899. Yoshinoya, the song, is a rap cut from the new album, where Glover takes clear shots at another rapper who was in his own rap beef months prior: Drake. The title is a play on the meaning of “rap beef.” And while Glover mentions eating á l’oignon soup from Yoshinoya, I, on the other hand, got Cheese Beef Kalbi Donburi as well as crispy fried chicken. Definitely stop by if you get the chance; it’s really delicious.

Emma G. Harrison, Editor-in-Chief

“Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree

Picking just one song to talk about was quite the challenge since my summer was full of late-night jams and concerts, from a hometown gig to a full-on immersive, psychedelic performance. However, with all of my “Songs of the Summer” having memories attached to them, one stood out the most. It was a random Thursday night in Salzburg, Austria; my study abroad group was just a few days from heading back home (shout-out to TBR Global Studies), and two friends and I had just had the most perfect day walking around, seeing new sights, and eating the most amazing food. We ended the night by taking a long walk down the empty streets of Old Town Salzburg, winding up on a bench next to the Mozartplatz around midnight. We sat there laughing and reminiscing on the weeks past, fully sitting in the presence of our unspoken sadness that this was a fleeting moment. One of my friends began playing music; “Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree was one of the many songs we sang that night. This song will forever hold a tender place in my heart as it reminds me of that night when I knew we created a memory that will last a lifetime. 

Jackie Ayala, Social Media Editor

“Caress Me Down” by Sublime

You can’t have a summer playlist without Sublime! My summer was unfortunately spent indoors working every day; the very few times I got to go out and enjoy the summer heat, it was Sublime all day. From lying in the sun by the pool or driving too fast with the windows down, “Caress Me Down” was the best music to vibe to with my friends to forget about our work lives. So next summer, put your sunglasses on and just vibe to the groovy and carefree lyrics of this song.

Heather Lee Schroeder, Faculty Advisor

“Enough” by That Woman

The album Find Joy, the debut of That Woman, the solo project of Josephine Vander West, best known for her work on Oh Wonder, was on repeat all summer for me. The entire album offers a meditation on being a woman, a mother, a muse, and a creative. From the opening song “Space Time & Peace,” in which Vander West questions her role in the world, the listener is taken on a journey of self-discovery, but it’s in the final song of the album, “Enough,” that Vander West settles the question of whether she can be enough in a world that wants everything from women. When she sings, “The world conspires the day you surrender yourself to being yourself in all your glory in all your guts and fuck-ups and magic mistakes that made you exactly the way you woke up today: imperfect and uncompromising,” the listener knows she’s come to this knowledge through the hardest-walked path. She asks at the end of the song, “Or will you see that… everything you need is right here?” The listener knows the answer is, of course, yes. Yes indeed.

Trent Eades, Faculty Advisor

I chilled with some of my favorites – Leonard Cohen’s “First We Take Manhattan,” Snarky Puppy’s “Lingus (We Like It Here),” Tom Waits’ “Walking Matilda,” Lucinda Williams’ “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.” As you can see, I lean toward the evocative.

Ruby Caver, Graphic Designer

“Ventura Highway” by America, George Martin

If I were to describe my music taste, it would be a 70-year-old man. I love driving to some soft rock; it always brightens my day. I sometimes like to imagine myself as a cowboy riding into the sunset, and 70’s music really sets the entire mood, for sure. 

Anna Matsen Cantrell, Faculty Advisor

“Short Skirt/Long Jacket” by Cake

A worthy summer song, possessing both richly clever lyrics and a loaded beat one can contentedly bop their head to while taking a long, breezy drive. In addition to its engaging, crowd-sourced echoes, its brassy “na na na nas,” and its ever-elongating “lonnnnnnng” — Cake’s “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” further stands out for its brashly refined irony. That a song conflating a man’s physical lust with his financial greed remains so delightfully upbeat makes this innocent tune almost criminally catchy. Bottom line: who doesn’t dream of a bank-visit meet-cute where loaning one’s pen yields dating a hottie with “a mind like a diamond,” and “eyes that burn like cigarettes?” Most of all, though, I would count it a fortunate bonus indeed if the object of my interest habitually cut through red tape with a machete — making my life as easy as cake.

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