A&E’s Weekly Song Pick: ‘ceilings’ — Lizzy McAlpine

The UCSD Guardian’s A&E team viciously scours the corners of the internet in search of ground-breaking and revolutionary music to provide Tritons with the best of the best. Not really, but here’s music we think is fun.

Leea Caddell, Senior Staff Writer • Apr 13, 2026

Image Courtesy of Spotify

Lizzy McAlpine’s “ceilings” takes me back to her concert at San Diego State University during my second year. Warm lights in the arena created a cozy atmosphere, and every time I play this song, nostalgia overtakes me. Her soft vocals remind me of “lovely” moments from the past, akin to watching a “movie I’ve seen before.”

The rises and falls of the tempo match the push and pull of McAlpine’s journey. The contrast between her gentle vocals and the gradual instrumental crescendo in the song’s climax encapsulates her struggle with an all-consuming former relationship that keeps her stuck in the past while the world around her moves on. She reminisces on past experiences with the aching feeling of knowing that they’re long gone.

“Ceilings” is a pleasant and laidback listen with a sentimental lyrical story to follow. “Lovely to sit between comfort and chaos” is a lyric that especially resonates with me when I think back on the fond memories that have shaped my time at UC San Diego. As I start my last quarter at this university, this song has felt particularly resonant for me.

Listen to our Spring 2026 Jams playlist here!

About the Contributor

Leea Caddell, Senior Staff Writer

Leea is a fourth year Marine Biology major and Climate Studies minor. She will go on hour long tangents about sharks and their anatomical inaccuracies in museums if asked about them.

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