Artist: Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera

I first heard this song on the radio in second grade, around seven years ago. I remember sitting in the back seat and hearing Adam Levine singing, “I got the moooooves like jagger.” I found the song so catchy that I took a peek in the front of the car to see what song was blessing my ears. Looking back at the lyrics, I have realized they aren’t the most appropriate for a seven-year-old, but seven-year-old Nadia paid no attention to them and only to his iconic line. I remember my sister playing this song out loud the day after because I did not want to get up for school. I vividly remember waking up to that song, bopping my head to the music, and having the best morning of my life. I, unfortunately, don’t listen to this song anymore, and I can’t even remember the last time I listened to it. This song will hold a special place in my heart, though.

Artist: Backstreet Boys

 I first remember hearing this song when I was looking for songs to add to my non-K-pop playlist around a year ago. After giving it a listen, I became obsessed, and I was not able to stop listening to this song. This was my top song on Spotify for a good 2-3 months. This song specifically sticks in my memory because one, the lyrics are really easy to memorize, and two, the melody is reallyyy catchy. Also, there’s something about this song that I love, and it’s most likely the melody. This song has to be, for sure, one of the best and most iconic songs from the 90s. If this song doesn’t make the top 100 most iconic songs of the '90s, then I will be very surprised. I remember showing my mom this song and asking her if she ever remembered hearing it when she was young. As soon as it played, she told me she had, and I had never felt so happy before. I was happy that I was able to find a song that she recognized from her prime time. 

Artist: Bad Bunny, Prince Royce, J Balvin, and others

Whenever I hear this song play, it reminds me of when my sister and I would watch this YouTuber every night before going to bed. Before I got obsessed with K-pop, I used to listen to Reggaeton all the time. My sister and I used to listen to the same artists, so we would connect easily over music topics. When I was younger, I used to play music and dance crazily in front of my sister and mom, and I didn’t let anyone else watch. This song was one of the songs I would dance to, and my sister and mom would always crack up whenever they saw me dance to this. In one of the lyrics of this song, it says “Tu sientes conmigo.” The translation is “You sit with me,” and when this part would come on, I would lie down on the floor and point my finger, telling them to sit with me, because I saw that YouTuber that I mentioned earlier do that in one of his videos. This song for sure brings back many memories, and I’m happy that it was this song other any other. 

Artist: Stray Kids

The way this song gets me moving is no joke. Whenever I play this song, I feel like I can achieve the unthinkable. If you were to give me ten tasks to complete while this song plays on repeat, best believe I would finish those tasks in less than an hour. Something about this song gets me moving and productive, and I absolutely love it. There are only three songs that get me moving like this: the song I am writing about, “Fighting” by BSS ft. Lee Young Ji, and “CALL CALL CALL!” by Seventeen, but those songs are for another day. I listen to this song whenever I’m feeling productive and whenever I feel like getting things done. I remember listening to this song on Christmas Day and getting so many things done. I had my AirPods in, and literally no one was able to distract me from the things I wanted to get done. My dad had to yell at me to get my attention because I was so locked in. If anyone ever plays this song out loud, I am locking in on something and not letting anyone distract me.

Artist: Seventeen

Well, well, well, our first Seventeen song. Whenever this song plays, it never fails to make me emotional, and it always makes me reflect on everything that has happened in my life. If I’m in a good mood and I hear this song playing, it immediately brings my mood down, and it gets me thinking about life. When I first listened to this song, I was like, “Woah, this song is so emotional, why am I tearing up?” I was tearing up before I even knew the actual meaning of the song, and this was the first time I had ever teared up to a song. The song is about getting through the hard times of life with music and with the people who care about us. The lyrics make me particularly emotional because, after I read the translation of the song, it has always held a special place in my heart. After all, I have never related to a song like this before, and I’m grateful that this song is a Seventeen song because Seventeen means so much to me. I have gotten to know them for the past two years, and I am grateful for every moment I have had with them.

Artist: Vicente Fernandez

This song reminds me of my mom because this was the song that my dad sang to her at their wedding. I remember seeing photos of my mom having a huge smile on her face, while my dad was standing there with his mouth wide open, singing his heart out to her. This song means a lot to my mom, as it was sung to her on the day of her wedding. My mom means a lot to me as she’s always been there for me, and she’s always supported me since day one. I can talk to her whenever I want, and I can be myself around her without worrying about meeting standards and being good enough for her. Whenever I need help with something, I can go to her and she will for sure give me the best advice she can give me. Whenever she sees me doing something a bit stupid, she will tell me what I did wrong and she will drive me in the right direction. Though sometimes her corrections are VERY annoying, I know that they can benefit me in the future, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her.

Artist: Alejandro Fernandez ft. Christina Aguilera

I know for a fact that if I told my dad that I dedicated this song to him, he would be so happy and grateful. Whenever it’s his turn on the aux, he always plays this song and never skips it. He’s played it so much that I can sing along to some of the lyrics if I want to. He’s always liked Alejandro Fernandez ever since I can remember. Whenever this song plays, I always think of him and what he’s done for my family and me. He’s such a man full of love and humility, and I couldn’t love him more. Though sometimes we do argue with each other, and sometimes I don’t like that I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall, I know that we somehow will end up forgetting about the argument, and we will go back to loving each other like nothing happened. I am very grateful for the man that God gave me as a father, and I couldn’t be happier with his decision. 

Artist: TWICE

This is a song for two of my best friends. I’m not sure if they consider me a best friend, but I know I do. The reason why I dedicated this song to them is literally in the title: They make me feel special, and they make me feel loved. This song conveys a message of feeling loved and valued by someone, and the lyrics express gratitude towards that person. These two gals mean so much to me, I love them so much, and I could not have asked for a better pair of friends. Whenever they see that I’m not feeling my best, they always check up on me, and they support me no matter what. We are all able to be ourselves around each other, and I feel like that is very important to have in any friendship, being able to be yourself without being judged for it. In every friendship, arguments and disagreements are bound to happen, and we have gotten through all of that to have the friendship we have today. I am so grateful that God gave me such amazing friends, and I truly could not have asked for any other friends like these two.

Artist: Seventeen

Okay, get ready to be here for a bit because this one is gonna be a long one. “Ash” is currently one of my favorite Seventeen songs, and you should definitely give it a listen. I have been a fan of Seventeen for about two years now, and I have never felt so grateful before. I have never felt so grateful to have encountered such a group of thirteen men. Literally, everything about them makes me love them, and my love for them grows 100 times every single day. I would consider myself to be in the top ten percent of their fandom. But, comparing myself to the fans worldwide, I would say I’m in the top twenty percent. I was lucky enough to have seen them live last November, and it was an experience I will forever be grateful for. I got to listen to their music live, and now whenever I listen to the songs from the setlist, it brings me back to the time I had the night of my life. Seeing them have fun on stage brought a huge smile to my face, and I have never felt so happy with a group before. To me, Seventeen isn’t just a boy group, they are a group of people I can rely on to bring a smile to my face, a group of people I can cry with, a group of people that I care about so much, I forgot what life was like before them. I have never felt so emotionally attached to a group, and I know I keep saying this, but I have never felt so grateful for anyone like this, and I am so happy that God brought these amazing people into my life and gave my life a little bit of jazz with them. 

Artist: Bruno Mars

The person I chose for this section is my sister. As the song says, and its title, I know I can count on her in almost every situation that I’m in, and I know she will give me the best advice that she can. My sister means a lot to me as like my mom (and dad), I can be myself around her and we always end up cracking up whenever I do something dumb. I can talk to her about things that I wouldn’t tell my mom, and depending on the thing, she’ll either judge me, but I won’t take it personally, or she’ll give me advice. For example, when I told her about the guy I like, she started laughing at me and asked if my mom knew. I said no, and she was like “girl.” Then her next question was, “Is he Asian?” and I started laughing because if you know me, almost every single guy I’ve liked has been Asian. So when I told her he that he isn’t, she was very surprised, and when I showed her, she approved of the guy. Anyways, my point is that I love her and I’m very grateful for her. 

Artist: ENHYPEN

I chose this song because one, I didn’t want to choose a Seventeen song because there’s a good amount of Seventeen on here, and two, this song is very catchy, and the lyrics are very singable if you know at least a little bit of Korean. Even if you don’t, you can still sing along to the melody of it. I imagine my friends who also listen to ENHYPEN being in the car with me, singing along and singing our hearts out together. I imagine us either going to an Enha concert, or traveling somewhere like Disneyland, or going somewhere for a gals' night out. I can also imagine my friends who absolutely hate K-pop in the car with me, watching me sing my heart out because it was my turn on the aux, while they’re either looking at their phone or just watching me enjoy life. I imagine us traveling somewhere far, again, either Disneyland or San Diego. Or maybe even to the airport for a girls' trip. This song is for sure one that I wouldn’t skip, and I’d let it play out loud on full blast, forcing everyone to listen to this masterpiece.

Artist: Aaron Pierre, Tiffany Boone, Disney

Okay, so like I have been obsessed with this song ever since it came out, and literally no one can stop me from listening to it. I am currently listening to it on loop, and it’s been my top song for a good amount of time. I don’t know what about this song I love so much, it’s either the vocals, the lyrics, the background music, or everything altogether. I feel like I will share this song with others in the future because I have NEVER been obsessed with a song like this, and let alone a Disney song. I have already shared this song with multiple people, and they’ve either said that they already love the song, or that they don’t like the song, and they told me not to pmo. I honestly don’t care about what they say because I keep talking to them about the entire soundtrack for the movie. I know for sure that if I ever have kids, I will show them this song and force them to listen to it. It is an amazing song and I will forever be obsessed.

Artist: Seventeen

“Candy” by Seventeen is a particularly emotional song because it’s about love, and it talks about the bittersweet nature of emotional experiences. The whole song is so sad-sounding, so when I first gave it a listen, I prepared myself before so I wouldn’t break down into tears. Thankfully, the preparation worked, and I only shed a tear or two. I also remember crying to this song when my mom took out my splinter during the HH build. I was going through a lot of stress then, and listening to this song broke me down to tears. I actually have a photo, and I don’t know why I haven’t deleted it yet. ALSO, I was watching a video of the Seventeen vocal unit singing this song, and a member was missing because he had to fulfill his military service in Korea. I was literally about to start crying and bawling my eyes out, but my mom was home and I didn’t want her to see me cry. I often listen to this, and I remember having it on loop once. This song always gets me in my feels and is one that I will forever love. 

Artist: Miley Cyrus

Whenever this song plays, it reminds me of when the Hawktober Fest was over, and we all came out of the HH and started singing our hearts out to the song. I remember not even knowing half the lyrics, but I still sang along to what I knew because we were all happy that we had completed such a big accomplishment in our Leadership journey. We were all so happy and full of joy that afternoon. I don’t listen to this song a lot because it’s not my taste in music, and it’s not something I would listen to out of free will. From what I remember, I’ve only listened to this song once out of free will. This song does make me happy because it reminds me of every single time it’s been played here at the Leadership Program while we’re here making memories. This song is for sure one that I will have good memories of, and there couldn’t have been a better one.

Artist: Seventeen

“Kidult” by Seventeen is a song that talks about not being afraid to be a kid and living life to the fullest. I feel like this song is one that describes me well because I like living life, and I like having fun and not being afraid to be a kid. I’ve known this song for about a year now, and it’s one that I truly love. It’s been a song I’ve connected with for a couple of months now because ever since I looked at the English translation, it’s reminded me of how I’m not afraid to live life. I feel like we all shouldn’t be afraid to live life because we all only have one life, and we should live it to the fullest. This song is one that I will never get tired of and is one that will forever be iconic in my life.

Artist: (G)I-DLE

Okay, this wasn’t the virtual year for us, but it was for sure an interesting year for me. I was figuring out who I was, and it was my first time dealing with (mild) friend drama. It wasn’t really drama, I was just afraid of being left out. I would usually be in my parents’ room listening to music because that’s where I did most of my work. After all, their bed is very comfortable and I’m able to lock on. Music helped me during the pandemic because it gave me something to be happy about during these tough times. “Queencard” by (G)I-DLE was my favorite song for a good half of 2021. It talks about self-confidence and loving your body, thick or thin, tall or short, etc. I was struggling with self-confidence in my sixth-grade year, and hearing this song was something I needed to help me have a better mentality about myself. And it helped a LOT. idk why abudllah is mid. hes a cool guy.

Artist: P1Harmony

A song that I would call my eighth-grade anthem is “SAD SONG” by P1Harmony. Even though the title of the song is called “sad song,” I promise you it is not a sad-sounding song at ALL. Instead, it is a very energetic song, and it is a song that will get you dancing. Even Sylvia likes this song, and she HATES K-pop. Anyways, let's get to the story. This song first came out in September of last year, and when I first heard it, I IMMEDIATELY became obsessed. It came out in September, and it ended up becoming my top song of the year. This song was one that I played no matter the occasion. It was one of the songs that helped me grind when I needed to get work done and completed. This song was one of those songs that I would NOT get tired of. Only until now has it become overplayed, but only because I actually overplayed it. I still love the song, and it is one that I will never get tired of.

Artist: Seventeen

In my seventh-grade year, I was still figuring out myself, and I was going through an awkward and bipolar phase. I would be shy one day, then another day I wasn’t, then the next day I was, then I wasn’t. I first heard this song in the summer of 2023. Ever since I listened to it, I have been OBSESSED, and it has been repeated ever since. This song helped me get through seventh grade because, to me personally, it’s a really empowering song. Though I don’t understand like half of what they’re saying, the English parts are what I like most. “I love my team, I love my crew” is a lyric in the song that I love because I do love my team and my crew, and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. When I heard this song live last November, I could not have been happier to hear the song that 1. Made me obsessed with Seventeen, and 2. The song that helped me get through seventh grade. 

Artist: girl in red

Out of all the songs that have been played in Leadership, this will be one that will forever remind me of my second family. I remember hearing this song playing when CO 2025 and CO 2026 received their bandanas. I remember standing there, waiting for the seventh graders to start falling onto the mattress. Everyone was singing along to the song, and me, being the girl who only listened to K-pop at the time, didn’t know the song. I remember everyone singing “You will be my girl, my girl, my girl, my girl” over and over until the artist eventually stopped saying that. When we were standing there watching the seventh grader fall onto the mattress, that was when I realized that these people will be the people who will forever support each other, no matter what. Being able to experience what Leadership is like is an experience that I will forever be grateful for and one that I will never forget. It is one that I will for sure share with my kids if I ever have any. I don’t plan on it, though. To the person reading this, thank you for being part of an experience that I will never forget and one that I will hold close to my heart. 

Artist: Stray Kids

Okay, last one. Going to high school is something that I thought was so far away, but it’s literally four months away at the time I’m typing this. “Grow Up” talks about the journey of growth, perseverance, and self-acceptance. My journey of growth has been a huge one, and I am still currently going through the journey. Perseverance is something that I will need in high school because transitioning to high school will be difficult, and growing up will be difficult. Becoming an adult will be difficult, but it is something that everyone will have to go through. This song is relevant to my future because, like I explained, I am still on my journey of growth, and perseverance is something that will be needed throughout my high school journey. I am very scared for what the future will look, but I tell myself that everything happens for a reason and I won’t let anything bring me down.