The Power of a Good Playlist

Why making playlists is its own art form

By: Sommer Wagen

Spotify: sommer853

My relationship with music is extremely personal. For me, there will always be songs I associate with certain moments in my life. Like a movie soundtrack, there will be a song humming in the background of my visions of the past that perfectly exemplifies the moment. A song I truly love will flood my psyche, scratch my brain in just the right way, and persist until the day comes when it doesn’t hit quite the way it used to. However, thoughtfully arranging a playlist of music I love is my favorite way to breathe new life into songs I’ve heard a thousand times over.

Whether your relationship with music is like mine or not, the way music influences our emotions is clearly evident. A good playlist, no matter the mood, can take you to an entirely different place, mentally and emotionally, whether you’re staring out a window, feeling the bounce of a cadence in your step, or clacking away on your keyboard. There’s something about a perfected flow of sounds and lyrics that can be energizing, comforting, or even heart-wrenching, making you feel like the protagonist in the movie of your life.

In a similar vein, making a playlist is like the construction of a story. Just as making music is an artistic expression of emotions for your favorite artists, taking their songs and arranging them in brand new ways is also creatively expressive. I currently have a “spring semester” playlist running, an anthology of songs that I feel best encapsulates the mood of this time of my life. Even though they’re all songs I listen to regularly, I’m using their words and sounds to reflect the narrative of my life, and, as a result, finding a new appreciation for them. As Phoebe Bridgers said in her song “Chinese Satellite,” “I wish I wrote it, but I didn’t/So I’ll learn the words.” Ultimately, making a playlist is writing a new story with the words and sounds you already know so well.