“This is my playlist right now; these are all my favourite songs in one place and I just kind of add stuff to it”
In my opinion, you never truly know someone until you’ve listened to their personal soundtracks. So, in an attempt to fully know them, I’ve been asking my friends to send me their playlists. This is the only way I think I can truly see if I should be blocking these people or checking in on them more. To encourage my peers to listen to their friends more, this review of a friend’s playlist will be their inspiration. Please, welcome to the stage, the current soundtrack of my soon-to-be academic wife.
I would first like to say that half of the songs on this playlist were already downloaded on my Spotify before even starting this, so clearly, we were destined for one another. The vibe of the playlist is hyper-feminine, modern, and it’s an emotional roller coaster. There are a lot of pop songs and classics from artists like Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams, as well as more indie songs from RAT BOY and Lily Allen. As the phrase ‘emotional roller coaster’ suggests, the songs on this playlist cover a range of different feelings and I like the versatility in it. She hasn’t curated this playlist for a specific reason, just songs she liked, which is different from my way of playlist-making, so it was interesting to invest in this playlist without purpose, and experience every emotion within all 3 hours of listening.
The playlist starts off with the first of many Maisie Peters songs, “Blonde”. This song to me fits my friend so well – it’s fun, laidback and an easy song to listen to. It has all the femininity and strength that makes me think of my fiancée, and I’m glad she can also resonate and recognise that in herself. It’s a great song to give you that boost that you need just before going out of the house, whether for a night out or for a coffee with mates. Not only do I think this song suits her, but it’s also a great playlist starter. I think this pick is a great first choice and it totally makes sense to me that she likes this song.
The next song I would like to shine light on is a few songs down in her playlist, one of our shared favourite Taylor Swift songs, “right where you left me.” This friend and I lived next door to each other in first-year accommodation (big up DRAFP), and I can still hear her singing this song (I was way worse for scream-singing though, I fully admit that queen xx). I think this song is so cathartic for letting out that feeling everyone gets when you feel left behind or stuck in the past, not even necessarily by a romantic partner. I like that she has this for a little healthy bit of sadness in a playlist with a lot of upbeat songs; it added a level of complexity to this playlist that I think helps me understand her a bit more. There are many more sad songs in the playlist, but I think this was the one I was most expecting to see.
A song that surprised me on this playlist was “Not Fair” by Lily Allen. I was not previously aware that this friend liked Lily Allen, but it makes sense considering the clear influence that Lily Allen has had on artists like Maisie Peters. This song depicts the frustrated feeling when you’re not getting everything you want from an otherwise perfect partner – and I will say that it makes sense considering the many tales of her fresher days (Mr Giggles, you are my Roman Empire). I think this song is perfect and fits in with the vibe of most of the songs on this playlist, but it makes it feel more authentic and, for lack of a better term, more British.
The only song that feels pretty out of place in this playlist, at least from my perspective, is “SIGN ON” by RAT BOY. I would say this song is Brindie, (British Indie, it’ll catch on), whereas most of the playlist is more American Indie-Pop and Modern Britpop. This song has been in my playlist for a while, but I don’t think it fits the exact feel of this playlist. I’d recommend this one to people that like The Strokes or The Kooks. The lyrics are about losing your job and losing money as a result, which I know she has experienced. It’s a weird one but I can see why she’s added it, and I like the contrast of this song versus the others in the playlist.
The playlist ends with one of my favourite album-closing songs, “Clean” by Taylor Swift. There are so many different songs and emotions in this playlist, and I think that this finishes it off so well. It’s a song about starting again, cleansing yourself of the past and changing into a new version of yourself; it’s pretty much the song equivalent of a ‘reset’ button. I end most of my playlists with songs that “refresh” song, so I like that we have this in common (whether it’s accidental or not). This playlist feels representative of all my wife has gone through and come out of even stronger, and I am so proud to call her my friend. I cannot think of a better playlist ending and all I can hope is that this has been swapped for the “Taylor’s Version” that was released on October 27th.
Overall, I think this playlist fits so well into my future wife’s personality, maybe in more ways than she even realises. Her way of making playlists is just choosing songs that make her happy, and that way of making playlists suits her easy-going and natural energy. I only scratched the surface of her playlist, so I’ve listed my five favourite songs she has on this playlist below. I’ve also made a list of five songs I would add to it that I think would fit with the rest of the songs on the playlist.
Top 5 Songs Currently on the Playlist
- Naïve – The Kooks
- New Romantics – Taylor Swift
- Tattoos – Renee Rapp
- doomsday – Lizzy McAlpine
- because I liked a boy – Sabrina Carpenter
Personal Additions
- love is embarrassing – Olivia Rodrigo
- Cry For Me – HUNNY
- i want, doesn’t get – DellaXOZ
- Fast Times – Sabrina Carpenter
- The Bottom – Gracie Abrams
Photo Credit: Jesse Anderson
