A few weeks ago, at one of my last SCJ club meetings, we had a guest from New York talk about her job experience. While she was talking to us about the hiring process, she said one applicant did not have any social media experience but used her Spotify account as reference. Apparently, the girl custom made various playlists, added her own images for them and everything. This gave me the idea to completely revamp all my playlists. Before this, I didn’t even know a user could change the playlist picture, and for that, I knew it would be a fun project to take on.
While I already had multiple playlists, I did create some new ones to match recent moods I’ve been in. Since this revamp, I’ve used Spotify daily, and it has become one of my most used apps now.
There is no “favorite” playlist of mine because simply they all fit different moods. Some are even about specific people and situations.
1. Taurus // Aries // Aries
For those that know me well, I like astrology and zodiac signs. That said, everyone has their main sign (sun sign), but many do not know people also have their moon and rising signs. The title of this playlist recognizes my three signs: Taurus (sun), Aries (moon), and Aries (rising). The songs in this playlist are the ones I keep coming back to. I would say favorite songs, but I constantly update this playlist. Sometimes I bring back oldies I hadn’t listened to in years.
Honorable mentions: “21” // Gracie Abrams and “Halo” // Beyonce for staying in this playlist for months.
2. Aries // Maniac
So, like I said before, Aries is my moon sign, which represents emotions. From personal experience, Aries is proven to be angry of some sort, or if not angry, some kind of rage. This is sort of like my personal “badass” playlist I go to when I am not exactly mad, but I’m in some kind of mood. Trust me, if you listen to it, you will know what I mean. I have to say, some of the messages in these songs may not be everyone’s taste, but the vibes are immaculate.
Honorable mentions: “Blood in the Cut” // K. Flay and “Kicking and Screaming” // Miley Cyrus
3. La Di Da
Over 20 hours, this playlist is the “daily” playlist vibe when I am not exactly in any mood for another playlist of mine. It has a mix of everything.
Honorable mention: “La Di Da” // Lennon Stella
4. Dance
Over a full day of listening, you will NEVER get bored with this playlist. I dance to slow songs, and incredibly up-beat, club-like songs, so there is everything on this one! I created this playlist back in 2013, so you will find old jams on it as well!
Honorable mentions: “Fine China” // Chris Brown and “Do It on the Tip” // Megan Thee Stallion
5. Coffee: Cream and Sugar
This playlist began as tunes for when I first woke up in the morning, had my coffee and such, but it turned into a mix of oldies and somewhat classics I enjoyed. It is nice to have a cup of coffee to, but I play it randomly throughout my day.
Honorable mentions: “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” // Frankie Valli and “Moving Mountains” // Skylar Grey
6. Feels
Feeling emo? Sad? Whatever you’re sad about and want a playlist to cry over, THIS IS IT. You’ll get over it eventually, and if not—this playlist is fifteen hours! Some songs are even instrumental, which even gives you the chance to imagine false scenarios and cry more.
Honorable mentions: “All I Want” // Olivia Rodrigo and “A Thousand Times Good Night” // Abel Korzeniowski
7. WOW
This is probably one of my more random playlists. I am saving this for the day I know who I end up spending forever with. If he resonates with all these tunes, it’s for him.
Honorable mentions: “Love Grows” // Edison Lighthouse and “Beginning Middle End” // Leah Nobel
8. What the Hell
Most people’s versions of this playlist are named “pissed at men” etc., but this is mine because even though I hate men, I also love them, you know? In addition, these are also great songs to scream in the car to.
Honorable mentions: “Before He Cheats” // Carrie Underwood and “F*ck You” // Lily Allen
9. Writing
This playlist as background noise for writing is super nice to have! It’s one of my shorter playlists, but over time I am hoping it will have more.
Honorable mentions: “All I Want” // Kodaline and “Leaving Hogwarts” // John Williams
10. Editing
As a photographer, I am ALWAYS editing pictures. I’ve edited websites, designs on Canva for my internship this year and more! This was my go-to playlist for a lot of assignments this year. It has a mix of tempos for whatever I am feeling.
Honorable mentions: “Faded” // ZHU and “Zanzibar” // Billy Joel
11. Study
Weird to admit I made a separate playlist for studying from writing. These songs don’t resonate to me as much but are nice to listen to. Some are super long, which is nice for when you just want to crank one full assignment.
Honorable mentions: “Stuck Here Like Mom” // Carter Burwell and Bach J.S.: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007: I. Prelude // Bach
12. Instrumental
I learned while revamping all my playlists that I love instrumental songs. Sometimes I listen to them when I am studying, or usually in my shower before I go to bed after a late-night work shift. Imagine it’s 2 a.m. and Swan Lake is playing. It’s pretty soothing, I’ll say.
Honorable mentions: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act 2: No. 14 Scene… // Tchaikovsky and Overture // Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast)
13. Like Whoa
A little bit more of a “spicy” playlist, if you know what I mean!
Honorable mentions: “How You Want It” // Teyana Taylor and “Crazy in Love remix” // Beyonce
14. Musicals
The name states it all. I was a little bit obsessed growing up, so this got over ten hours of run-time. If you know the stories, you can really vibe. I added songs from musical movies to Broadway, a wide mix. I love listening through this one when I can. Sometimes it’s a random throwback to my theatre times in high school!
Honorable mentions: “Dangerous Game” // Jekyll & Hyde and “Candy Store” // Heathers
15. Closure
These playlists are hitting closer to home now. I like listening to this playlist once I am officially over a significant other. It hits differently when you know you are over someone you spent so much time on, and then listening to songs that confirm that you let go.
Honorable mentions: “Closure” // Aly and Aj and “The Middle of Starting Over” // Sabrina Carpenter
16. High
If you know, you know.
Honorable mentions: “I Got So High That I Saw Jesus” // Noah Cyrus and “Fast” // Arizona Zervas
17. Disney / Childhood
Almost eight hours, this playlist is truly the biggest throwback I have. There’s a mix from old Disney originals to Nickelodeon songs I sang along to. You cannot deny that sometimes you are in the mood for an old BTR or Hannah Montana jam.
Honorable mentions: “Sneakernight” // Vanessa Hudgens and “What You Mean to Me” // Starstruck
18. Church Clap
I do not usually listen to Christian music because a lot of it sounds the same to me. However, some songs in this playlist are worth the listen and inspire me to still open my bible.
Honorable mentions: “Church Clap” // Lecrae and “How Can it Be” // Lauren Daigle
19. For Winona
While revamping my playlist, I realized how close I am to the end with my Winona State experience. That said, I made a full playlist of songs that I remember either my friends playing, from a significant event, or what I’ve had to repeat. I tried to order them correctly, even. It’s nice to see it all down, like it tells a story itself about my last four years here.
Honorable mentions: “SICKO MODE” // Travis Scott and “Best Love Song” // Chris Brown
20. Sad B*tch Vibes
This playlist is very specific to another mood of mine. Have you ever felt sad, but did not want to hear something that would make you feel more depressed? This is my go-to playlist when I want some music that I can relate to but that will not bring me down furthermore. Some are contradictory to the vibe.
Honorable mentions: “Welcome to the Black Parade” // My Chemical Romance and “Emotional Machine” // MARINA
21. Bad B*tch Vibes
Good car ride vibes, but even better to pregame to. I listen to this playlist when my confidence level is at its highest, which is where I always want it to be.
Honorable mentions: “Donatella” // Lady Gaga and “Tempo” // Lizzo
22. Wholesome and Wild at Heart
This has been one of my favorite playlists recently, actually. All good vibes! I love listening to this when I am content and when it is a sunny day.
Honorable mentions: “Lost in the Wild” // Walk the Moon and “Good Vibrations” // Beach Boys
23. Everything Will Be Okay
This is a cute playlist to remind myself the world is so much bigger than myself and my own problems. Some of the songs mirror a time in my life where I was content or give me good feelings when I am sad.
Honorable mentions: “A Place in This World” // Taylor Swift and “Somewhere Only We Know” // Glee
24. This is Me Trying
I’m going to give readers here a warning for this playlist. This is one of my most depressing playlists that I have. It’s over five hours of songs about relationships, moving on and letting go. When I made this playlist in the beginning of quarantine, it became about the people in my life that I thought would be around much longer than they were. Some songs in this playlist are a bit happier, but most are sad, similar in that sense to my earlier mentioned playlist, Feels, but truly more personal to me.
Honorable mentions: “Sign of the Times” // Harry Styles and “I’ll Still Have Me” // Cyn
25. The World We Knew
This playlist is on the pandemic itself. A lot of these songs are overplayed on the radio, what I have overplayed, or what represents a moment in the pandemic.
Honorable mentions: “Fall on Me” // A Great Big World and “To Be Human” // MARINA
26. Indigo
I created this playlist years ago and I still like to enjoy its vibes. For me, it has a relaxed, and easy-going kind of mood. I update it completely every now and then, so it’s always refreshing for me to go back to.
Honorable mentions: “Tennis Court” // Lorde and “Rainbow” // Kacey Musgraves
27. Easily Lose My Mind
Have you ever started falling for someone and felt so insane or crazy about the little things? Whether those little things are negative, or positive, this is a great playlist for that. Personally, I did not pay attention to this playlist as much, but eventually I would love for it to be as big as This is Me Trying.
Honorable mention: “Sex” // Eden
28. Bubblegum
I started this playlist after my sister released her first song “Bubblegum” last year. To me, the songs on this playlist simply represented, “aww that’s so cute” while listening. There are only a few songs as of now, but going forward, I think I would like this playlist to be reserved for smaller and growing artists in the industry that I like to listen to.
Honorable mention: “Bubblegum” // Alexis Tyler
29. Potential
Does the significant other you’re thinking of have potential to be with you? This is the playlist exactly for that!
Honorable Mention: “Teach Em’” // Halston Dare
30. My Blood
For my thirtieth playlist on the list (I did not realize I had this much), it is all about my scoliosis experience and spinal fusion! There are a mix of songs that I listened to at the time of my surgeries, but also many that I considered for dancing in my short film, SPINE, which I recently made for this year’s production of Dancescape!
Honorable mentions: “My Blood” // Ellie Goulding and “Time” // Hans Zimmer
31. Christmas Bops
Another playlist to add to your Sagittarius and Capricorn seasonal tunes! Don’t ever play this before Thanksgiving or after New Year’s!
Honorable mentions: “All I Want for Christmas is You” // Mariah Carey and “Mary Did You Know” // Pentatonix
The following playlists below are playlists I have for significant people, moments, or various situations I have encountered:
Maybe We Could’ve Been Friends
“Like a Bad Boyfriend”
Thank U, Next
La La Land
Fair Game
Honorable mentions from these playlists:
“Skin” // Sabrina Carpenter
“Escape from LA” // The Weeknd
“Supposed to” // Blu Eyes
“My Boy” // Billie Eilish
“Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” // Ariana Grande
“Epilogue” // Justin Hurwitz
“21” // Gracie Abrams
“Change Your Mind” // RAYE
“Same Old Love” // Selena Gomez
“Time Machine” // Alicia Keys
To conclude this article, if you are wanting to find new music, you have a lot of options even roaming through a few of my playlists! Which one is your favorite?
https://open.spotify.com/user/m40c0iyhjl9fog8az2lc793an?si=94ccb1deb4b44455