When Taylor Swift released Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in April 2021, many an Instagram story about the album flooded my feed. But one post stood out.
“it’s magic and fairytales, cowboy boots and curls,” Heights graphics editor Annie Corrigan posted on her Instagram story about the highly anticipated release.
When I saw that post, Annie was still the funny girl who always had a Sunday morning story to share over Mac breakfast potatoes, usually starting with the previous night’s adventure. She was still the person I wanted to get to know more, beyond just masked-up waves to each other during our pandemic-ridden freshman year.
When I saw her post, I realized Annie is much more than who I thought she was—she is nostalgic, thoughtful, fun, carefree. Annie’s two worlds—her Alabamian roots and her Bostonian early adulthood—converged in my mind, revealing the dynamic personality that she mirrors in her playlist.
Fittingly, Annie’s playlist opens with two Taylor Swift songs: “Clean” and “Getaway Car.” The two juxtapose each other in rhythm and in meaning, creating a harmonious duality that, to me, reflects Annie herself. Swift, who began her career with a country influence, departs from the southern sounds of her early discography in these songs.
Transitioning to Kacey Musgraves’ “Butterflies” felt like I was taking a flight from Boston’s crisp fall weather to a warm-air welcome from Annie’s hometown of Mobile, Ala. Musgraves’ medley of slowed drum beats and drawn-out guitar strums paired with layered vocal tracks creates a comforting harmony of traditional country sounds and modern elements. The song is sweet and raw and loving and vulnerable—qualities that anyone can see in Annie.
She shifts gears sonically with “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, but she threads into it smoothly by continuing the theme of vulnerability. The song is deeply emotive in both its lyrics and melody.
But Annie doesn’t stop at “Iris.” She continues to cater to an emotionally uncertain, young-adult audience with “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac and “mirrorball” by Swift. Seeing Fleetwood Mac’s heart-wrenchingly nostalgic anthem on Annie’s playlist reminded me of how great of a friend she is.
Yes, she is bubbly and easygoing—with bouts of chaos mixed in—but she has a deeply caring and thoughtful side to her. She is both someone you can laugh with for hours and someone to whom you can cry.
The Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces” is the perfect closing song to this playlist. When listening to this song, I couldn’t hold back my smile. I imagined young Annie sitting on a boat in the middle of Mobile Bay, singing this song with her family and imagining all the wide open spaces this world has to offer her. Though I’ve only known Annie at BC, I can still see that youthful, hopeful spirit within her.
Now, passing the halfway mark of our college experience and nearing the end of our time on The Heights, I can’t help but look back on my friendship with Annie. I look back to those awkward freshman days when we smiled at each other on the Quad behind our masks. I also look forward to the remaining semesters we have together, which I will undoubtedly cherish.
Luckily, whenever I think of Annie and our friendship, I can turn on my phone, click on this playlist, and reminisce about some of my favorite memories at BC—all including Annie.
