Music has the ability to define a moment and studying abroad is a defining moment of the college experience. Why not combine the two to create playlists to capture your time spent away from home, or even use one to get inspired to write your scholarship essay.
London
The Beatles, Spice Girls, Adele, Elton John...the list goes on and on. England is no stranger to musical talent, so it's the perfect place to inspire your travel playlist.
Nothing captures the giddy feeling of traveling abroad like an upbeat pop song, especially one made by artists from the country you're going to. Start your journey with the perfect plane song, "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles and put some spring in your step!
There's a lot that can happen from when the metaphorical sun rises on your study abroad trip to when it sets...metaphorically. It's up to you to decide what rhythm you'll step to in between, but the end of a journey is naturally sentimental. Close out your trip with the powerhouse vocals of Adele as she pours out her heart in a lovesick ballad about London itself called"Hometown Glory." We promise we won't tell anyone you cried a little.
Paris
There's more to Parisian music than accordions, the piano-like wind instrument as synonymous with the City of Light as the Eiffel Tower or mimes in striped shirts! Joe Dassin's song "Champs Elysees" is sure to put you in the mood to stroll down the streets of Paris in autumn as the leaves change colors and drift into the River Seine.
For every famous song about Paris, there are a million indistinguishable "cafe songs" that capture the feeling of being Parisian in a cafe, presumably in the company of a croissant and café. Spotify knows no shortage of these songs which come neatly packaged in playlists like Café de Paris, Paris Cafe Jazz, and French Cafe Radio.
Tokyo
Popstar The Weeknd is no stranger to the Land of the Rising Sun. In 2013, he filmed his "Belong to the World" video there and captured the futuristic (and sometimes dystopian) beauty of Tokyo.
If you want to go way back, add Kanye West's hit from 2007, "Stronger" to your playlist because it was also filmed in Tokyo. Although the visuals may look cheesy after all the development in visual effects over the 2010s, it's still really inspiring to see how Tokyo's image as being super-modern has impressed us throughout history.
Rome
What do you have in common with The King of Rock 'n Roll and Nat King Cole? An obsession with Rome that crosses genres and persists throughout the decades. Get inspired to say hello to Italy with these songs but don't forget to say "Arrivederci Roma!" before you leave.
Naturally, Rome's artistic heritage makes it a muse for many people, one of the reasons it is often featured as a destination for study abroad programs in the arts. We hope you're as inspired as we are and ready to walk up the Spanish Steps and find out what Toto was talking about.
Vienna
Some songs are famously misunderstood and Billy Joel's "Vienna Waits for You" hit is definitely one of them. Although he seems to mention the city directly, for Joel, Vienna is just a metaphor for a certain feeling that he relates to that place. In an interview, he said interview:
"This is what the song is really about: relax, look around and feel a little gratitude for the good things in your life. That's what Vienna represented to me."
So if you're looking for advice on how to spend your time, just remember to relax, take in your surroundings and be grateful for your time spent studying abroad in Vienna.
Berlin
If you ever want to put a finger on a city's musical pulse, check out their Top 50 Shazams. "Because You Move Me" by Tinlicker and Helsloot is the #3 song in the city, so what are you waiting for? Starting movin'!
Even if you're not a fan of wildly popular Berlin techno, most students still enjoy a visit to Deutschland which you can read about here.
Dublin
Whoever said rainy weather isn't something to appreciate should tell that to U2, the Irish band behind the world-famous hit "Beautiful Day."
The band's origins make the song all the more significant because it's the only song from an Irish artist to reach Rolling Stone's Top 100 songs! Now that's not to detract from the centuries-long history of Celtic music that resurfaces in the soundtracks of popular movies like Braveheart and the intro to the star-studded hit, "The Departed".
Seeing how different those two movies are should give you a hint to how rich the culture of Ireland is and why it might be a good place to spend a semester or two.
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