Ryan and Watson are kinda the same person—and that’s really okay. They’re living in the same building for two years running, they have the same job title for the Voice (assistant news editor), and it isn’t unusual for them to spend consecutive 12-hour days studying together. Due to the pandemic, however, their 20-second commute down the hall is now 468 miles long. In the meantime, these killer beats will sustain their friendship/codependence until they meet again.
1. “The More Boys I Meet” – Carrie Underwood
Ryan Remmel (RR): Bam! Right out of the gate, this song establishes that we are both aggressively single, and it’s just such a mood.
Sarah Watson (SW): Yeah, people, stop asking us if we are dating—we are not. I don’t love starting off with a country song but at least it can only get better from here. The lyrics, I hate to admit, are iconic.
2. “Run Away With Me” – Carly Rae Jepsen
RR: I think you might offend Katie (the Voice managing editor/our boss) with that dig at country music, Watson. So, to shamelessly suck up to the world’s biggest Carly Rae stan, here’s the next bop.
3. “Run Away With Me” – San Fermin
SW: Carly Rae is good, but you know what would make this song better? A San Fermin cover. The band that made us friends our first week at Georgetown.
RR: Story time: I introduced Watson to this band (look them up, I dare you), and then we went to a concert of theirs and ended up at the monuments at 3 a.m.
SW: And also became very terrified in the pitch black outside the D.C. War Memorial. Such memories…
4. “Belong” – San Fermin
SW: When Ryan first introduced me to this song, I spent an hour crying on Lau 2 during the second week of school while we studied together. The lyrics are so meaningful, especially during this pandemic, because even when we are apart we know where we belong.
RR: We’re really not doing an awesome job at crushing these rumors about us dating, are we?
5. “Can’t Sleep (Wolves)” – WALK THE MOON
RR: Ah yes. An anthem for all those nights spent together. Spent studying together on Lau 2, that is.
SW: Thank you for clarifying that.
6. “Team” – Lorde
SW: This is dedicated to our Harbin community where we will soon both be RAs. We share so many of the same extracurriculars, basically live in each other’s rooms, and take on the world together. We are a team.
RR: Imagine if Lorde was your RA. Like, wouldn’t that be so cool?
SW: Damn. My new life goal is to be Lorde, but as an RA.
7. “Colors” – Halsey
RR: So… remember when we dyed our hair purple?
SW: I detest purple. Halsey is right, our personalities are very blue. We should dye our hair blue next time.
8. “All My Friends” – The Revivalists
SW: This beat is cute. It’s sexy. It’s hot.
RR: Like purple hair, amiright?
9. “Joy” – Bastille
SW: I personally enjoy the post-apocalyptic vibes and Britishness of Bastille. The lyrics “Oh Joy, when you call me,” are very relevant to our friendship. We call each other early in the morning, even on weekends, to make sure we are both awake and working.
RR: Story time, part two: Watson is British, and it comes out when you ask her to say yogurt yawgut, prestigious prestihgious, and American revolution treason.
10. “Umbrella” – Rihanna feat. JAY-Z
SW: This is to our mutual love of rain. It really is the best weather. This song is also in tribute to the night we got absolutely soaking wet playing catch at midnight during a thunderstorm on Harbin patio. I cannot think of this song without picturing Tom Holland lip syncing.
RR: Do you think they can tell that we’re freshmen yet? Have we mentioned Harbin enough??
11. “Killer Whales” – Smallpools
RR: And now, one killer beat about some killer whales! To be honest, I’m still not totally sure I understand what this song is about, but that doesn’t stop us from rocking out to it anyway.
SW: This song makes me so grateful for our friendship. Georgetown honestly would not be the same without you.
RR: You too! :D
