With March comes Daylight Savings, rainy showers and midterms. For graduating seniors, a new realization has been setting in: college will be over sooner than we think. Many staff members of The Pace Press are currently anticipating this daunting and exciting endeavor by spending an endless amount of time applying to jobs, studying for the LSAT and browsing graduate schools. 

Sometimes it’s beneficial to take a look back in time to the songs that we listened to growing up – no matter how much they make you cringe. Take a step back in time with The Pace Press in this month’s playlist.

“Turn Me On” – David Guetta (feat. Nicki Minaj)

Would it be a nostalgia playlist without mentioning the chokehold that David Guetta had over the radio in 2012? The producer’s album “Nothing But the Beat” saw quite a few Billboard charts, making his music unavoidable. Nicki Minaj is no stranger to the charts, either, making this an inevitably successful pair. Guetta is still working with multiple artists to this day, his most recent release being a remix of Coi Leray’s “Players.” 

“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk (feat. Pharell Williams and Nile Rodgers)

Daft Punk is one of the most popular acts in electronic music, let alone the art form in general. “Get Lucky” comes from the Grammy award-winning album “Random Access Memories.” The French duo made music together for nearly three decades, ending their run in 2021. Despite this, their critically acclaimed album has a 10-year anniversary reissue coming out on May 12, containing several unreleased tracks. Fans of the duo are anxiously awaiting its release after their indefinite hiatus was announced.

“Good Time” – Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen

Owl City, the artist behind the hit-turned-meme “Fireflies,” was also prominent throughout the early 2010s. Best known for “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen has since received a comeback with her new album “The Loneliest Time.” Regardless of their ups and downs in the industry, both Owl City and Jepsen continue to receive an immense amount of streams. Their 2012 song “Good Time” was extremely catchy, which made the earworm appear at every pool party that summer.

“Back in Time” – Pitbull

This list would also be incomplete without Pitbull, the Latin pop artist from Miami, Florida. Not only is the song itself applicable to the playlist’s theme, but it also was on everyone’s iPod Nano at the time of its popularity. Mr. Worldwide is a legend in his own right, mixing genres and styles by working with country and pop artists. Pitbull is still making music to this day; his most recent single “Mami” was released on March 3, 2023.

“Let’s Go” – Calvin Harris (feat. Ne-Yo)

Similarly to David Guetta, Calvin Harris is another dance genre specialist. While he is more widely known for his song “This Is What You Came For” featuring Rihanna, “Let’s Go” was another popular song during this time. Ne-Yo, the featured artist on this song, has nine albums and has been featured in many television shows and movies. This duo created yet another pop hit that dominated the charts in the early 2010s. 

“Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Ray Dalton)

Nearly everyone has an opinion on the Washington-based duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Regardless of how you feel now, this song was impossible to miss while it played over the intercom in every grocery store and doctor’s office. Its snappy beat is memorable, making it fair to say that they were persistent in their familiar tunes, as shown in “Thrift Shop” and “White Walls.” If this wasn’t played at your middle school dance while everyone was awkwardly fist-bumping and making a dance circle, you are lying.

“Clarity” – Zedd (feat. Foxes)

Zedd, like some others on this list, was a competitor in EDM and dance. I vividly remember showing up to the Hot 99.5 Jingle Ball 2015 event (mainly for Shawn Mendes, 5 Seconds of Summer and Demi Lovato, among others – an iconic lineup), and when Zedd took the stage, he performed “Clarity,” shining lights across the audience during his DJ set. Since then, his music is still being played in multiple venues and even trending on TikTok. He releases singles every now and then, his collaboration with Maren Morris and BEAUZ, “Make You Say,” being the most recent. 

“Don’t You Worry Child” – Swedish House Mafia (feat. John Martin) 

Swedish House Mafia, a three-person group from Stockholm, Sweden, has headlined festivals, released a documentary and gone on multiple tours. They are known for being many artists’ inspirations, including Calvin Harris. If you’re a fan of house or dance music, chances are that you have quite a few songs from this group in your playlist already. If not, you’ll definitely remember this track from your adolescence.

“Safe and Sound” – Capital Cities

The Los Angeles duo Capital Cities have been making music for over a decade now, with their most popular song to date being “Safe and Sound.” The group was formed with the intent to make commercial jingles, eventually deciding to make their own album. This motive led to the release of the successful single, a bouncy tune with an emphasis on electronic influence. Their most recent single, “TOGETHER,” came out last year on Sept. 30.

“I Love It” – Icona Pop (feat. Charli XCX)

If you’re anything like me, you had “I Love It” blaring in your ears as you rode the bus to school in the morning. This repetitive-yet-beloved single became an anthem for angsty, pop-loving teenagers. Icona Pop, another Swedish group in the mix, received their initial fame from this song. Charli XCX is known for being in many different facets of music, ranging from bubblegum pop in “Boom Clap” to her experimental album “how i’m feeling now.” Both of these artists are still releasing music, having their cake and eating it too.