Hi, it me.

I was debating on whether to do a holiday themed mixtape since, you know, tis the season, but technically it's still fall and I haven't done one of those yet for 2018. My holiday mixtape will come next month. Or...something along the lines of one. (If we were in person I would have winked at you just then.)

So, this isn't fall themed at all, it's just what I've been listening to since my summer mixtape (which feels like it was forever ago).

Pls enjoy.

01: WITHOUT ME by Halsey

I know Hopeless Fountain Kingdom isn't that old, but I'm SO ready for new Halsey music. Especially after hearing this. Her vocals sound great, that stripped down performance she did somewhere recently sounded great, and just overall I think this is a really strong song. I'm sad she had to experience these things in order to write about them, but I'm happy she seems like she's come out of it all a bigger, better person.

02: NONE OF MY BUSINESS by Cher Lloyd

I feel like I've been waiting for new Cher music forever. I know "Activated" was a thing a while ago, and it was fine, but this is what I've been wanting. The music video isn't great, but the song? Love it. I love the condescending chorus – the tune of it was stuck in my head instantly – and just like in the past, I love the sound of her voice. Something about it is so fun to listen to no matter what she sings. If the last thing you heard by Cher was "Want U Back", give this a listen – you won't be disappointed (although she's got a whole second album you completely missed, so maybe try there too).

03: SLOW by Liam Payne

The biggest bop on his little EP that he dropped recently. It's an instant good time and the easiest of all the tracks to love. My sister thought she'd heard it somewhere before, but personally I just think it has the kind of tune meant to sound familiar (haha...get it) so that it's easy to learn. I don't know. It's a bop. That's all there is to it.

04: STRAIGHT JACKET by Theory of a Deadman

Listen. So I'm not a huge Theory of a Deadman fan. I think a lot of their songs are crude and purposely offensive, but. But. My sister saw them live and had me listen to this song because it has a moment where there's a play on Mary Poppins, and after that part hooked me, I realized that I kind of love this song. They play with syllables and different vocal sounds that I didn't expect – at one point he says "She was a Tesla model S with the ludicrous speed" in a place where that many syllables just shouldn't work, but they do. So. I love it because it's interesting, not necessarily because everything he says is great because it...isn't. It's problematic for sure.

05: RUIN MY LIFE by Zara Larsson

This song is so cute. I love Zara Larsson's voice, first of all, and I love hearing her drop f-bombs because she sounds too sweet for them. The song sounds too sweet for them, but they work where they are. I also don't always love repetitive choruses, but this is a good one. I support everything about this song, including the cover art.

06: WOMAN LIKE ME by Little Mix feat. Nicki Minaj

As one does. I love, love, love that Nicki's verse is so long. A lot of times the rap features are all of fifteen seconds and then they're over, but here we get a full verse. Thank god, because Nicki sounds amazing. They all do. Although this isn't my favorite of the three LM5 songs they've released so far, it's obviously a great first single and I loved the music video because it was so strange. I'm so ready for this new Little Mix era.

07: REST IN PEACE from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling

I have...a lot to say about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I might make a completely different post for it, but for now...just know that recently I binged the entire show and Once More With Feeling is right up there at the top of my favorite episodes list. I love this song most because I love Spike (obviously) with my whole heart, but also because it contains one of my favorite lines from the entire show?? "Whisper in a dead man's ear, that doesn't make it real." God. Iconic. Anyway I just love this so much. So much.

08: MIGHT NOT LIKE ME by Brynn Elliott

For some reason I thought the radio was playing a Glee cover when I first heard this, and I was truly so confused. But as it went on, I knew I'd never heard it before, and I also knew I was very into it. It's fun and empowering, and I think it's just easy to enjoy. Give it a listen if you haven't. I also love how it realistically portrays a guy who's basically otherwise perfect except that he doesn't think girls should be stronger, faster, smarter than him. It's not always black and white – sometimes guys who think that way aren't jerks, you know? It can come out of nowhere. But I love that she's unapologetically like "Welp. You might not like me then."

09: CURIOUS by Hayley Kiyoko

My friends and I saw Panic! at the Disco live in July, and on our way to North Carolina, we listened to Hayley Kiyoko's album to prepare for her opening performance. This was the song that stood out the most, that we instantly loved, and had the most fun with live (apart from "Girls Like Girls" and "Sleepover"). I think it's a lot of fun, and if you even sort of enjoy at least one song by her, you'll probably like this one too if you listen all the way through the chorus.

10: GOODBYE by Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj, Willy Williams

I think this is on the radio now, but I first heard it going through Spotify's recently released music. I loved it immediately and it's been in my playlist ever since. If you haven't heard it, which would be surprising, just know that in typical Jason Derulo fashion, it's a whole lot of fun and Nicki has all the best parts like usual, although I also really love Willy Williams' parts? Yeah. It's a good time.

11: THERE'S NO WAY by Lauv feat. Julia Michaels

You guys, I don't know if Lauv and Julia are together or not, but I do know that they have more chemistry in this music video than Harry Styles and Taylor Swift ever had (what). I ship it so hard. But that aside, this is one of my favorite songs right now and has been since it came out. I love both their voices, and I love them together in one song. I thought Julia's duet with Shawn Mendes was the best duet with her I'd ever hear, but I was so wrong. This song is like...perfect for every slowburn fictional OTP you have. I'm looking at you, Bellarke.

12: JOAN OF ARC by Little Mix

This song, lol. Okay. When I first heard it, I think a part of me hated it? I just was not expecting it at all. Perrie's refrain was the only part where I even recognized the Little Mix sound I was used to, but I was so blown away by the rest of it that I kept listening to it over and over again, and now...I'm obsessed. I can't get over the way their voices sound. Jade's second chorus? I just. Why am I obsessed with their almost-talking voices? The way she says "cash" like, I can't explain what I even mean. I'll just stop. But anyway, yeah, I love this a lot.

13: GIRLS LIKE YOU by Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B

I know, everyone and their mother has heard this song a million times. I can't help that I like it. I also can't help that my favorite part of it is Cardi's verse, even though I've never liked a single other piece of music she's released or touched (that's a lie, I also enjoyed "Girls" but that's it). I truly can't believe her verse is my favorite part, but there's something about the tune that hooked me, and once I finally learned all the words, I was a goner.

14: NEPTUNE by Sleeping At Last

So, this one isn't nearly as fun as anything else on this mixtape, but here we are. I first heard of this band from my friend while we were playing a not-fun game on a roadtrip where we played each other the saddest songs we could think of and see who cried. This isn't the song she played (if you're curious, it was "Saturn") but this is from the same album, and I'm...obsessed with it. "I'm only honest when it rains" is the kind of lyric that sticks with you long after you stop listening, and that's exactly what happened for me. It's so pretty.

15: SHIVERS by The Vamps

Back to the fun. Remember when I said I was slowly but surely getting into The Vamps? It's happening still. I love this song. Something about it makes me feel like I've heard it or its tune before, but whether that's true or not, I just know this is a solid boyband song and I'm always grateful for solid boyband songs.

16: COULD THIS BE LOVE by The Wanted

Speaking of solid boyband songs... Look, I still think The Wanted deserved for Zouis to destroy their career, but also before that happened they really did serve up some bops. This is one of them, and it's clearly not a new song, but I just heard it for the first time a few weeks ago. It kind of reminds me of "Come Down With Love" by Allstar Weekend, but I'm not sure why, because the tunes aren't similar. Whatever. It's a bop, you're welcome.

17: BACK TO LIFE by Hailee Steinfeld

Have I ever mentioned how much I adore Hailee Steinfeld? Because I do. I really adore her. I follow her on Instagram and she's one of my favorite celebrities to follow, because she's so cute and so nice. I don't know if her and Niall are still dating (or if they even were, but I'm choosing to think they were), but she's a fave for sure. This song is sort of in the same vein as Capital Letter for me – she uses some echo-y effect in both songs during the choruses, and it sounds great in both instances. Also something about this song sounds like it could have been on Little Mix's Glory Days album, no?

18: THE GREATEST SHOW by Panic! at the Disco

I wasn't going to include this, because I want to write a review of the entire album once it comes out, but I had to. I love this. It's nearly perfect. My ONE SINGLE COMPLAINT is that he skipped over the literal best part of the whole song? "It's everything you ever want... It's everything you ever need..."? Brendon. Where is that part? Anyway, he better do this live in January and he better open the whole show with it because I will probably die.

19: THANK U, NEXT by Ariana Grande

I did not expect for this song to make me as emotional as it does, but like. Wow. Memes aside, the second and third verses seriously get me in my feelings so hard whenever I least expect it. I can't believe she decided to bless us with this song so soon after Sweetener, but we are unworthy and she deserves the whole entire world. We all know she does. Thank you, next.

20: TOLD YOU SO by Little Mix

Obviously I was going to include all three new Little Mix songs. They're iconic. This one especially. I think it's my favorite of the three, even though "Joan of Arc" is really up there. The chorus reminds me of a winter night, bundled up on the sofa at your best friend's house, crying over some guy while your hot chocolate gets cold on the coffee table. You know? But it feels specifically like a winter song, which I kind of love about it. I also just love the contrast between this and "Joan of Arc", like...we love diverse queens. God. Give me this album already.

Okay, that's it, that's what I've been listening to. Some I've been loving longer than others ("Told You So" came out literally yesterday), but I know they'll be playlist staples going into the winter season, so I included them.

Things to take away here: you need to watch Buffy if you haven't already, you need to buy Little Mix's album when it comes out, and Ariana Grande deserves the world.

Thanks for reading if you did. Have a good weekend! x