It's that time of the year. It's no surprise that reviewing a semester's worth of material can quickly become a drag through those hardcore study sessions during reading days.

My friend Rebecca Somer -- known as rshizzay on SoundCloud -- and I have each created a playlist optimal for studying. That means minimal-to-no lyrics, colorful melodies to keep your mind's creative juices flowing, and beats to activate maximum motivation.

Hope this helps you during your study grind, and good luck on finals!

REBECCA'S PLAYLIST // "finals 11/12"

An ambient, wave-like playlist with an experimental feel and old-school, hip-hop vibe.

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MY PLAYLIST // "trap / study / go"

A dark, bass-heavy playlist filled with vocal chops and trap beats to motivate you to get in the zone.

Listen Here

Want more study music? Check out my other study playlist here, as well as my first 'music for productivity' post.

This past weekend at Coachella, one of the biggest music and arts festivals in the world, Kanye West joined Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) onstage, which I believe established The Weeknd as an A-lister in the music scene. And, for a good reason.

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The Weeknd sounds exactly as he does live as on his records -- something that you unfortunately don't see often enough in the mainstream. He seems to have pioneered the hybrid between R&B and hip-hop music, a genre that has largely been popularized by his song "Earned It" on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack.

The Weeknd's music is full of dark lust, resounding emotion, and tender vulnerability. Check out my playlist "nextdoor" (above) for my favorites from The Weeknd in addition to other artists characterized by that same soulful, seductive style. In my first "ARTISTS SIMILAR TO" post, I'd like to show you some more artists I've been into lately who match The Weeknd's sensual quality, while creating nuanced styles of their own (for the notable tracks, refer to my playlist above):

PARTYNEXTDOOR

PARTYNEXTDOOR'S music is ruthlessly honest like The Weeknd's but, as The Fader writes, less emotionally "detached" than the Weeknd's tracks. Listen to PARTYNEXTDOOR if you're a fan of that dark aesthetic from The Weeknd.

NOTABLE TRACKS:
x "Break From Toronto" // This one features a gorgeous sample from Miguel's "Girl with the Tattoo," which is also featured in my playlist.
x "Wus Good / Curious" // No words needed.
x "Sex On The Beach" // I was stoked to hear a "Latch (feat. Sam Smith)" by Disclosure sample.

Miguel

Miguel's voice carries a lovely, bold seductiveness like The Weeknd, while with a more echoey howl that communicates an incredibly raw sense of emotional urgency.

NOTABLE TRACKS:
x "Girl with The Tattoo" // A short track, but one that really showcases Miguel's vocal talent.
x "Power Trip (feat. Miguel) // J. Cole's tougher raps contrast intensely with Miguel's softer vocals in this song.

Jeremih

Jeremih's music, while sharing that deep, alternative vibe from The Weeknd carries a more ghostly, breathy ambience, while sometimes more upbeat (and less lyrically moving) in a track like "Birthday Sex." His music seems to characterize more of a guilty-pleasure genre than one I'd be open to listening for emotional fulfillment.

NOTABLE TRACKS:
x "All The Time (feat. Lil Wayne & Natasha Moseley)"
x "Birthday Sex" // Definitely a notable hit from 2009.

Want more? Listen to J. Cole and Drake, also featured in my playlist above.