The Girlypop playlist: Made by four best friends featuring all female artists

It’s a surreal blessing living with your best friends; I wake up every morning to the smell of coffee with laughter seeping through the cracks in my door, and I come home to a debrief on our patio that’s followed by a crowded kitchen of three girls making dinner at 11:00 at night.

Our college years are brief, and we know that. I’ve learned a new love language through friendships with the women in my life. The time I have now is unlike any other, and it’s something every girl dreams of— a sleepover every night.

Because we have all worked on this specific soundtrack to our lives, I find it appropriate to honor the three women who have interlocked arms with me since the day we met. Here are three songs that personify the remarkable people that they are.

“Make Your Own Kind of Music” - Cass Elliot (1969)

My best friend, Olivia Dean, is an irreplaceable firework that makes it known when she enters a room and quickly captures it. She taught me the foundations of girlhood at a young age, and because she’s an individual who can’t help but be exactly who she is, Elliot’s song beautifully explains her key to life: always beat to the sound of your own drum.

The late Cass Elliot carried the persona of an all-American girl who relishes in the simplicities of life and places importance on living in the moment. The Mamas & the Papas singer herself was a charismatic and hilarious entertainer, someone with a powerful voice that you can’t help but notice. Dean exudes all of these aspects and more; she’s the type of person you only meet once in your life and someone you’ll never forget.

Not only does Dean embody this particular pop/folk song, but she is also a close comparison to the powerhouse legend that is Cass Elliot. A woman who perseveres no matter the cost, has priceless humor, and most importantly is unapologetically herself.

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“It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody” - Weyes Blood (2022)

Another woman that I’ve shared such a fierce friendship with is Olivia Willard. She’s an introspective and incredibly devout philosopher of life; someone who seeks to understand the complexities of herself and the people around her.

Weyes Blood, also known as Natalie Mering, is another folk-pop artist who dives into difficult topics we often overlook. In this song, Mering describes the panic that lies in the world around us, one that can often silo us into ourselves until we become lost in a pattern of existential dread. As the track progresses, Mering convinces listeners to ground themselves in their humanity to weather the chaos that this world continues to produce.

Such an intricate and delicate song belongs to Willard because she seeks to understand the depths of what makes us human and provides a safe haven for those who experience hardships they can’t quite put into words. She is the guiding light amidst the uncertainty and disorder in the world.

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“Supersad” - Suki Waterhouse (2024)

The final track represents the free-spirited and sunshine-embodied friend of mine, Izzy Wruck. Don’t let the name of the song fool you. Suki Waterhouse provides listeners with an upbeat ballad that immediately brings you to your feet, and that’s exactly what Wruck does. She takes you by the hand and pulls you to the dance floor whether you ask for it or not.

“Supersad” is a track that focuses on the mundane frustrations we deal with every day and throwing all of that aside to have some fun. Achieving this mindset is no easy feat, and Wruck somehow accomplishes it while encompassing everything pure in this world.

Waterhouse reiterates over and over again the importance of being an optimist because clinging to the mental and physical clutter in our lives isn't worth sacrificing the happiness we deserve. Wruck is all of this and more: a fearless woman who will do everything in her power to spread joy to everyone around her.

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This playlist is more than just a collection of songs—it’s a soundtrack that honors the significance of sisterhood through the voices of new and familiar female voices that continue to bring us together.