Our 2023 Collaborative Playlist: your cordial invitation 💌

Housekeeping

Hello friends! I am alive and still writing. I’ve recently been clarifying my intentions with this little newsletter.

My goal is, as always, to explore the topic of art, especially the ways it adds practical value to our lives: How consuming art can act as a lens for understanding the world, and how creating art can act as a tool for self development, to cite two examples.

Not included in the scope of this goal are any restrictions when it comes to the tone, style, length, format, or genre of the writing I publish through this newsletter, or any frequency with which it should be published.

Thanks for sticking with me as I keep coming back to this work in progress :) To use the words of Allie X, I’m learning in public.

The Main Drag

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I have a yearly tradition of creating a collaborative playlist for people to share their top songs of the year - kinda like a community version of Pitchfork’s year in review lists. This year I wanted to try something a bit different in the spirit of music’s ability to help us understand our own experiences and relate to the experiences of others. I also want to hold space for my collaborators to share their music and why it’s meaningful to them in a way that doesn’t rely on the framework of critique.

I came up with a list of seven self reflection prompts to build out this year’s collaborative playlist. If you’d like to participate (everyone is invited), this is what I’m envisioning:

1. Add yourself to the shared Spotify playlist linked below (Note: The link will expire in 7 days, so just let me know if you need a new link!).

2. Add your songs corresponding to the order of the prompts.

3. (Optional) Reply to this email/post with any elaboration on why you chose the songs you did. You can of course just add songs to the playlist, but if you feel compelled to share your reasoning, please do!!

4. (Optional) Share your internet handle or let me know if you’d like to stay anonymous.

5. Forward this to anyone you think would have fun with it!

6. I’ll curate the responses I get and share them by New Year’s Eve in follow up post(s) and/or Instagram story(ies) :)

The Prompts

1. First, imagine you’re at a party introducing yourself to a hot stranger. Add a song that reflects the first impression you’d like to give off.

2. Now it’s time to be more real. Add a song that reflects who you are or what you’re going through right now.

3. Add a song that reflects the place you lived this year.

4. Add a song that makes you feel connected to the people in your life (friends, family, community).

5. Add a song that reflects the general vibe of this year for you.

6. Add a song that reflects the most meaningful or impactful event in your life this year.

7. Lastly, add a song that reflects the vibe you’re going for next year.

My Responses

(1) MY HOT FIRST IMPRESSION: “CAPACITY” BY CHARLY BLISS

I have a cover of this song that I play on the electric bass in drop D tuning. I performed it for the first time at an open mic this year and I have to say, I was nervous as hell but also I slayed? Since this is my hot peacock song I’m going to gas myself up and say I honestly prefer my cover of this song to the original cause my version is super raw and doesn’t have the synth / 80s bubblegum textures that you hear in the original. Anyway I am picking this as my first impression song because I want you all to envision me as that girl on the bass with the tattoo sleeve who’s rocking out but also emotionally vulnerable, east coast witch x Marceline x Mitski.

(2) WHO TF AM I: “SUPERGUD” BY FIEH

On the surface, I think I come off like a high functioning person with a very tidy apartment. But underneath that there is a current of anxiety that stems from the extremely high expectations I set for myself. I used to keep a note on my phone of all the things I did “wrong” throughout the day and things about myself that I wanted to work on. When I told my therapist I stopped adding to that note because I got too tired, she congratulated me 😭😂

The way I relate to this song is twofold. The narrator hyperbolizes how well she’s doing: “I’m doing really good, never fuck up at all”, “I’m never robbed by companies taking cuts from my earnings”, “I pay my rent with exposure, flame emojis 🔥🔥🔥”… It pokes fun at the lies perfectionists tell themselves about what is even possible.

At the same time, the song is aspirational. Expecting that one day I will make decisions “with the biggest certainty” and that “choosing between different options is just no problem for me” might be unrealistic, especially as a Libra, but at least I can strive towards having tiny little exfoliating soap.

(3) WHERE I LIVED: “GIANT FEELINGS” BY ELOISE

I lived where Highway 1 meets Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I was 2 miles away from the Pacific Ocean. I will always remember listening to this song while running to the beach one day and seeing the horizon line rise up between the sand dunes right when the bass drops about 30 seconds in. Probably my most cinematic moment this year.

(4) MY PEOPLE: “ESPERA” BY ESPERANZA SPALDING

One of my most treasured experiences this year was volunteering as a barista at The Center, a tea bar and community space in Lower Haight. The space is designed around facilitating meaningful connections and conversations, and it’s a hub of open minded, authentic, thoughtful, caring, and interesting people. If you live in or near San Francisco, this is your sign to go check it out 😉

My responsibilities at The Center weren’t limited to making and serving tea; I was also invited to help curate the atmosphere of the space by tidying up, burning incense, adjusting the lighting, and playing background music. This album by Esperanza Spalding was the perfect vibe for doing dishes during the 5-7pm Sunday rush.

I’m choosing to share “Espera” in particular because it’s about the emotional labor that comes with striving towards a better tomorrow (#topical #relatable).

(5) THIS YEAR’S VIBE: “EASY” BY LAURA MARLING

I heard this song years ago and it became more resonant with time. Isn’t there a platitude that life is all about losing yourself, then finding yourself, then doing it all over again? I went through a lot of changes this year and it hasn’t been easy. And the things that stay constant throughout life only become more complicated. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I gained a deeper appreciation for what Laura Marling means when she sings, “When we were young, we belonged to someone and that was easy.”

(6) THE MOST IMPACTFUL EVENT: “MY KINK IS KARMA” BY CHAPPELL ROAN

I went through a break-up. I’ll save my word count here cause the music video says it all.

(7) NEXT YEAR’S VIBE: “SOLD OUT” BY HARDY

I know this choice is coming out of left field for someone who listens to 90% women singing about their relationship problems. Why is this the vibe I’m going for next year? Well one, this song fucks. But two, this song (and the album as a whole) is all about achieving success under capitalism while maintaining one’s personal integrity. How to get there? That’s the question I would like to try to live out next year.

As always, thank you for reading! And look forward to hearing back 🤞