There are seven weeks until summer break, which means people are scrambling to get their summer to-do lists done. Whether it’s finding a summer job or getting their “summer body” ready, there are plenty of things that students are wanting to get done before break rolls around; if making a summer playlist happens to be one of those things, they can mark that task as “complete” after reading this. Here is a students’ guide on how to build a perfect summer playlist for 2017.

Firstly, summer is a time of liberation and happiness for most students, so a summer playlist should reflect that. A majority of the songs on your playlist should make you feel like the world is a beautiful place where you can dance without the stress of school work weighing you down. Soaring choruses and beats that make you want to throw your hands into the air are the best for these kinds of moods; luckily, plenty of popular artists are striving to make their songs sound exactly like this. Lorde, who dominated the summer of 2013 with hits “Royals” and “Team,” recently released a new single called “Green Light” that makes you want to throw your hands up and “just let go” like the song tells you to. The song is filled with upbeat rhythms and lyrics that are easy to shout along to, but it also contains just enough nostalgic vibes to make it the perfect kind of song to listen to while driving around town with your windows down. Songs like these add to the stress-free vibe that accompanies summer break, so keep your ear out for songs that make you feel like the world is being lifted off your shoulders.

It might also be useful to listen to music that will get you pumped. Music with pounding rhythms and intense choruses are particularly good at getting people up and motivated to take on the world. For example, the drum-heavy sounds in Imagine Dragons’ latest single “Believer” are enough to make anyone feel like they are invincible. Plenty of other songs have this effect as well, such as Kendrick Lamar’s new single, “HUMBLE.” The hot beat behind Lamar’s voice telling you to “sit down, be humble” is sure to make you be anything but humble. In fact, upon listening to this song, one cannot help but hold their shoulders back and chin up a little more. Keep that in mind in case you are ever walking into your neighborhood feeling self-conscious about the way you look in a bathing suit.

Throwing all this new music into your playlist is completely necessary, but you cannot forget about the beauty of throwbacks. Nothing will ever compare to that rush of nostalgia you feel when you are in your car and suddenly your favorite song from 2007 that you had completely forgotten about comes on. Summer is not just about creating new memories; it can also be about updating old ones, so remember to add a few oldies that you know and love to your summer playlist for that ultimate “driving down the highway while screaming to my old favorite song” feeling.

Finally, songs that are simply fun and catchy are ideal for summer. The lyrics do not have to be well-written and the song does not even have to make sense; the only thing that matters is that it makes you feel good. Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” is a perfect example of the ideal song for a summer playlist. The catchy tune is light, upbeat, and incredibly fun to dance to. Another great example of the perfect catchy song is “iSpy” by Kyle and Lil Yachty. It only takes about two minutes of listening to this fun song to have the whole chorus memorized, and dancing to this bop is a surefire way to put you in a great summer mood.

However, do not let this list confine you. If you think of more ways to make your playlist hotter than the weather outside, go for it. The most important thing is that the music you listen to is making you happy and contributing to the freedom that accompanies summer break. There are only a few more weeks until summer, so go ahead and start making your playlist now so the second school gets out, you will be able to exit the old Apex High School for the last time fully ready for summer.