If you haven’t had the pleasure of getting to know her, Jess Rivilis is a chaotic mixture of pop punk—throwing it back to everyone’s emo phase, which she is “still in”—and your basic One Direction stan. As such, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect from her playlist, only anticipating it to be completely made up of Halsey and All Time Low.
The playlist begins with a pop-punk classic, “Coffee Shop Soundtrack” by All Time Low, bringing early 2000s emo into the new decade. Next comes Grayscale’s “Fever Dream,” confirming my suspicions that I would be in for a treat, and by treat, I mean a whole lot of repressed emotions played out in song form. “Fever Dream” slows down the pace set by its predecessor, with a laid-back verse creating a juxtaposition with the passionate chorus. “Diet Soda Society” by The Maine follows “Fever Dream” and mirrors the format of the latter, drawing the listener in with soothing vocals before the song quickly picks up the pace.
Then Jess’ playlist takes a whiplash-esque turn with “Bella Donna” by Turnover. The dreamy vocals and mellow tones mask the emotional nuance of the song. “3am” from Halsey’s 2020 Manic brings more of the passionate songwriting that has remained a theme throughout the playlist thus far.
Jess follows “3am” with the 1985 classic “Your Love,” by The Outfield, dramatically halting the pop-punk continuity with a more upbeat song that still remains on brand for Jess with its moving undertones. Up next comes Jess’ favorite One Direction song, “Over Again,” which provides another mellow reprise from the fast-paced nature of the majority of the songs on the playlist.
Jess then moves on to a blue theme with “Daphne Blue” by The Band CAMINO and Taking Back Sunday’s “My Blue Heaven.” In both songs, the lead singers expresses their pain, yearning for someone to listen to them, to acknowledge them. Jess closes out her highly emotional playlist with “Easy Enough,” a song that leaves the listener feeling a similar melancholy sentiment, hoping to do something worthy of being remembered.
In this playlist, Jess stays true to her passion for emotional pop-punk music with her combination of the classics and more modern renditions. Her choice in songs not only expresses her own inner feelings, but also relates to a variety of emotions that can be hard to place and even harder to convey.
Featured Graphic by Maya Taha / Heights Staff
