From SZA to Turnstile to Kendrick Lamar, I listen to it all. I basically listen to everything except country music. Yes, I have tried listening to country music, but I never really enjoyed it. So, let’s look at the music I actually listen to.
Let’s dive in further.
As you can see from the images from my 2022 Spotify Wrapped, I frequently listen to Tyler the Creator, Steve Lacy, Kendrick Lamar, and Frank Ocean. Some other notable artists that I listen to include SZA, Mac Miller, and Kid Cudi. I also enjoy my occasional listen to Mitski, Lana Del Rey, MF DOOM, Tame Impala, Turnstile, and the Pixies.
Each artist has something unique to offer like groovy beats, strong lines, or catchy melodies. I tend to obsess over one artist or a few songs at a time and compile an extensive playlist. The result of this habit is artists and songs that I heavily associate with only one time in my life. It is easy to get tired of a song and create a playlist that is full of skippable tracks. It is also easy to get carried away with adding very niche or mediocre songs to a playlist, creating a playlist that doesn’t completely reflect who I am and what I enjoy listening to.
I never claimed and will never claim that I was or am a master at creating playlists, but if you would like to give some of my playlists a listen here are some random, scattered playlists that you can check out:
Playlist I used during my Senior Year of High School
More of an Indie/Rock playlist
Playlist I made during Summer ’23 and am currently using
I enjoy listening to music while doing my laundry, walking, getting ready in the morning, while doing homework, and more. I also enjoy talking to people about music, bonding over music, learning to appreciate new artists, and getting music recommendations. So, if you have any song recommendations, please leave them in the comments.
Anyways, what I have recently gotten into is records. This past Christmas, I asked for a record player, and I got one. I didn’t invest a lot of money into since I just wanted to try it out. I understand that I could listen to the same music through Spotify and any of my technological devices, but I think using a record player allows me to appreciate the music more. I have to go through the minimal effort of placing the record on the table and setting down the pick. This process in addition to listening to the whole album in order allows me to appreciate each song.
I also get to wonder about how a table spinning a piece of vinyl is able to produce such elaborate and pleasing sounds. (Yes, I have had it explained to me a number of times, but I still don’t understand it.)
The records I have purchased also come with posters covered in the album’s song tracks and art (which is obviously a plus).
I couldn’t agree more when I tell you that I don’t understand how a record player is able to play music. It escapes me. But your top 5 artists are artists that I love as well, so judging you based off of that, you seem like a cool person! I wish I was into more indie kind of music, or bands, but that’s not my thing at all, besides Maroon 5. Though I do listen to almost anything besides heavy metal, I just won’t go out of my way to find new things. I usually let me friends introduce me to what they like and will either hop on the train or will let that one go. Thank you for sharing! I love Spotify wrapped and can’t wait to see mine for this year.
Rocky,
I absolutely LOVED this post! The artists you mentioned so perfectly match your personality and identity so it was no surprise to see which top artists you had. I also have a record player, which sadly does not get as much use as it should. I agree with your statement about how “using a record player allows me to appreciate the music more”, this is exactly how I feel. You can hear more notes and sounds than you do through your headphones, it allows you to hear the song as it was meant to be performed and heard. This is such a great sensation and I also agree that no matter how many times people try to explain a record player to me, I will never understand how the sound is produced. It is one of life’s mysteries, that I’m sure I will never understand. But anyways, great post and I look forward to future ones!
If you are ever interested in trying country music again, I recommend Morgan Wallan and HARDY (those are my favorites). However, I can see how boring country music can be, so I completely see where you are coming from. Also, is it just me, but do you always find yourself scrolling to the bottom of a playlist because you are bored of the “older” songs in your playlist? There’s no way I am the only one. Furthermore, I relate with you about the technology of a record player, it looks so simple, yet produces a great sound!