Every year, Spotify and other music streaming services debrief listeners on their top songs to recap the year. While Northwood may not be a music streaming service, that doesn’t mean that we can’t give students the best songs to describe the 2020-21 school year.

“Hard Knock Life” from the movie “Annie”

“It’s been tough not being able to see any of my friends and having to wear a mask. Missing most of my freshman year was disappointing too because I still don’t know what a normal day of high school looks like.” — freshman Nikki Sanders

“Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa 

“In a couple of years from now, we’re all gonna be nostalgic about this year. Despite COVID-19 taking away these years of high school from us, in the end, we’re still gonna look back on it and remember the good parts of it.” — sophomore Uma Joshi

“The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars

“I feel the chorus perfectly captures what this year has been like for me because it’s been hard to do anything. There’s just been such a lack of excitement or motivation for anything that I’ve done this school year.” — junior Linda Zhong

“Thank U, Next” by Ariana Grande

“I’d like this school year to be over, but at the same time I’ve grown a lot. I’ve become more empathetic, responsible and developed better study and time management skills.” — junior Nithin Parthasarathy

“Wasteland Baby” by Hozier

“This year felt like the end of the world with a lot of different endings for a very weird situation. However, I have also had a lot of love and have been with people who make me feel okay even if it feels like the end of the world.” — senior May Essman

“Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles 

“Although we had a rocky 2020 that felt like darkness was constantly looming over it, 2021 is more invigorating, with sunlight coming in to bring better times that will uplift everyone’s spirits. It’s a hopeful song that reminds everyone to look towards a brighter future, which is something we all need to hear to have hope.” — junior Keya Gupta

One more sentence!