What's in my Spotify?

WRITTEN BY KAREN LOPEZ

ILLUSTRATION BY CALVIN NGUYEN

At one point, strangers progress from acquaintance to friendship. Those friendships influence not only your future but also your music choices. I never really thought much of music besides accepting recommendations from those around me. As I rediscovered old songs, I remembered that some music was there for me when I was not strong enough to uphold and care for myself. It was my safe haven and a way to express myself without needing to say anything.

From elementary to middle school, I listened to pop artists like Avril Lavigne, and Melanie Martinez. In middle school, I used to listen to One Direction, Little Mix, and 5SOS. My favorite singer in 5SOS was Luke Hemmings, and I remember he was obsessed with penguins. If not for my close friend AC, I would’ve never known about alternative and pop rock. She first introduced me to Twenty One Pilots. I continue to listen to them because of how unique they are to me from their songs “Ride,” “Lane Boy,” “Heathens,” and more. They never disappointed me. I also like Green Day, Pvris, and Fall Out Boy. Overall, a great way to start my adventure in music.

I want to express my gratitude to someone from high school who has always been there for me from evening to morning conversations. I also want to thank them for introducing me to Indie music. To this day, I listen to it and reminisce about the times we would hang out or the conversations we would have. Phum Viphurit was a good choice and that is what led me to listen to NIKI and 88Rising. I have no regrets.

As for ending my high school journey as a senior, I can only thank one man who probably will never know who I am. As an avid fan, I want to visit his country one day to pay my respects to his culture after seeing his acting career project over time. His name is Vachirawit Chivaare, also known as Bright. He mentioned in one of his interviews a song by RINI called “Aphrodite.” RINI’s music is like a slow-burn and golden ticket to R&B soul, if anyone gives it a chance. I will say the percussion and his soothing voice invite listeners to enjoy and vibe with RINI’s songs. His music from “Aphrodite” is also romantic, so if anyone is looking for similar recommendations, I suggest “Out of the Blue,” “Meet Me in Amsterdam,” and “My Favourite Clothes.” Within R&B and soul, I also listen to Dhruv and RealestK with his song, “One 4 U.”

At the beginning of community college, I listened to motivating music that lasted about a semester. It was short-lived, but it got me through the first semester.

If anyone ever wants to feel motivated, I recommend “Hall of Fame” from The Script. Sometimes the only way to move forward is not to expect that people will be there to motivate you, but to start doing whatever you want. You need to be your biggest supporter when others can’t. In life, we only regret chances we do not take and the opportunities we miss. I also enjoyed listening to, of course, Eminem. I vibe with “Lose Myself,” “Not Afraid,” and “Till I Collapse.”

During high school and the continuation of my community college, I listened to Korean pop (K-pop). I feel it’s a genre that has become broad nowadays because most people start off with mainstream K-pop. I listen to popular artists including BTS, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, and more. I also like listening to individual artists within K-pop like IU, AKMU, CL, and more. Most of the time I listen to songs of artists I connect to, but not to their full album. Since there are always new songs released by new idol groups, I gave up on trying to keep up with the next generation of K-Pop. Nothing can go wrong with listening to BTS. I know it’s cliche to say all of their songs are good, but I rest my case with “Proof.” For an emotional mood, I recommend “We are BulletProof: The Eternal,” “Intro: Serendipity,” and if you want more recommendations, let me know. I could go on about BTS. For CL, “Wish You Were Here,” is a tribute to her mother outside of her usual genre, but I think she made it with genuine raw emotion.

Spanish music recommendations are difficult for me because I grew up listening to Selena Quintanilla-Perez, Prince Royce, and regional Mexican music. “Creo en Mi (Believe in myself)” is one of the few songs I would say that I discovered on my own.

As for what I am currently listening to, it’s Keshi, Chase Atlantic, and Selena Gomez & The Scene. Going through my playlist from top to bottom made me reminisce and rediscover songs that were outside of the genres I previously mentioned. Examples are songs like “War of Hearts” by Ruelle, “Odo” by Ado, “When I grow up” by NF, and “I’m ready” by Jaden.

For more recommendations out of genres listed above, I would check these songs: “Pocket Locket” by Alaina Castillo, “Fake Protagonist” by Gestsunova, or “Qian Si Xi” by Aki.

I want to thank you for listening to my rant on my Spotify playlist. Hopefully you try to listen to new songs and expand your music genre too.