Music is always around us, especially in high school. People in the hallways constantly have their earbuds in, forgoing social interaction in favor of their favorite song.

Every Wednesday, I’m going to be highlighting a different musician and their top 5 songs. (Of course, my opinion is subjective to my own personal preferences.) This week’s artist is Sasha Sloan, a 23 year old singer that tends to make slower, emotionally-charged EPs.

5. Runaway

“Runaway” is defeintely one of her slowest songs, and it tells more of a story as opposed to focusing on a catchy beat. She compares herself to someone who always runs away from love, using the analogy of speeding off in a black car. She ackowledges one of her biggest flaws in a relationship, but doesn’t present a solution or changed behavoir. In my opinion, it’s refreshing to have a song that doesn’t always come to a set resolution.

Rating: 7/10

4. Fall

Sloan’s vocals on this song are saturated with emotion, clearly not resorting to auto-tune to be on pitch. The expressions in which she sings each word is full of pain and longing, leading one to believe that she’s probably singing about a personal experience. Most of the song has a simple melody played on the piano, but halfway through, it begins to heavily rely on string instruments. This simplistic nature allows her lyrics to take center stage, making the song seem more geniune.

Rating 9/10

3. Faking It

Sloan’s premise for “Faking It” is that she’s in a failing relationship, but the other person can’t seem to tell. She’s “way too good at faking it”, meaning her partner is probably clueless regarding her true feelings. In terms of the music and beat, it’s more manufactured than many of her other songs, but it fits the song. It’s not necessarily an emotional ballad, per say, but puts more focus on the chorus. Many artists do this, placing their emphasis on the quality of the chorus as opposed to the verses. That being said, her verses are still really good.

Rating: 10/10

2. Again

This is my personal favorite in terms of the melody. The beat starts off immediately, unlike most of her other songs, but it’s simplistic in nature and adds to the ambiance to the song. An acoustic guitar supports the rest of the song, with the occasional string instrument. Lyrically, I could tell that she chose her words very carefully, each one seeming to be sung with intention and depth. Overall, it’s one of the most emotionally-charged songs I’ve heard to date.

Rating: 10/10

1. Older

In all areas, this song has earned its number one spot. Although seemingly basic, it’s full of depth and focuses on telling a story rather than accompanying the melody with meaningless lyrics. The term “older” refers to Sloan herself, and the song revolves around her personal experience growing up. She explains that her family used to fight a lot, and she didn’t understand why they couldn’t just make up and be happy. Now that Sloan is out of her childhood, she understands that “her parents aren’t heroes, they’re just like [her]”. This isn’t said to disrespect her parents in any way, just that she realizes that no one is without their flaws, even her parents. Especially while their young, kids tend to idolize their parents and compare them to perfection, when that just isn’t the case for anyone.

Rating: 10/10