Just like the rest of the country, I have been trapped in my home for a little over a week now. I love my family just as much as the next person but being quarantined with them is a beast that I don't think anyone was really ready to tackle.
As a college student, I'm not really used to spending more than a month or so at home at a time. Even then we're not all stuck in the house together 24/7. To be fair, my mother is a doctor so she leaves every day, my father works in his office in the basement, and my sister and I lock ourselves in our rooms to do work daily. I'm going insane.
I have my own issues with separation anxiety. To say I miss my friends would be a gross understatement. I spend hours a day staring at my laptop as if my work will do itself. It has not yet, but I'm still holding out hope.
So, on the off days that I actually have to hunker down and do real work, I need to either:
1. Facetime a friend
2. Listen to music
After I've called all three of my friends and they ignore me, I'm trapped alone with my thoughts.
The scariest place to be.
So instead, I began to dive into my long time dream of making cool playlists on spotify.
CONCEPT PLAYLISTS
During my tenth grade tumblr phase I got really into music and found two things that I really thought would elevate my hipster status: vinyls and concept playlists. First I went for the vinyls. I made my parents buy me a record player and started collecting vinyls because someone once posted that music was more authentic that way. I believed them blindly and now i've got about a $700 collection of music I could stream for free.
Basic math.
Next, I decided to tackle the more complex idea. You may be wondering what a concept playlist is, that's a great question! Basically, it's a playlist based on a super specific situation or feeling. It really isn't as cool as I thought it was but I persisted with the idea.
At one point, I was cool enough to be a moderator on a really popular playlist tumblr blog. That didn't last too long though, I was stripped of my title after being too inactive. No, I'm not still hurt about it. (Yes I am). After that I decided to be spotify famous which isn't actually a thing but we will just categorize that under the list of things I made up in my head to make me feel cool.
MY PLAYLISTS
I love spotify. It was the first music streaming app I really got into as I decided I wanted to be trendy and cool and hipster. I was never any of those things, but high school me was dead set on the idea. Since I joined in 2015 and began making playlists, I have listened to A LOT of music. I have over 40 public playlists and over 50 saved playlists. My top 100 songs from 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 range from indie pop to rap music and everything in between.
My spotify playlists began as a way to cope with any feeling I had for an extended period of time. I started making them before I fully understood "concept playlists" but most of them still fit into the description because of how I liked to make playlists. Do I still make playlists instead of confronting my problems like an adult? Legally, I don't have to answer that! What is important is that they are well cultivated and I add to them every year.
I am still working towards making more concept playlists but here are 10 of my most played playlists from over the years and why I made them:
In Order of Worst to Best Ranking:
1. "*cue cringey high school movie*"
About: This 4 hour long playlist is a mix of indie pop and upbeat dance songs. It's exactly the kind of playlist you'd expect to hear in a 2000s teen movie.
Key Songs: It features the high school classic "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove, and my edgy classic "Help I'm Alive" by Metric.
Why: I started making this playlist In 2015 as my breakout into "real indie music". It made me feel different than my fellow 10th graders and that meant a lot to me. I renamed this recently because it's cringey and reminds me of high school.
Recommendation and Rate: I would not really recommend this to anyone? It's kind of a bad playlist. It has no real flow to it and it's an odd mixture of upbeat pop-like high school songs and me be just being sad? I mean if you're into that kind of thing then by all means go for it but it really isn't my best work. I'll rate this one a 2.5/10
2. "never could say goodbye"
About: A 3 and a half hour long playlist of self pity. It's one of those playlists that you listen to when you're already sad and want to be more sad.
Key Songs: Adele's heart wrenching "Water Under the Bridge", and a personal sad favorite "Baby Please" by HONNE
Why: I was 17, just had my first breakup and listening to other people be sad about lost love was my only comfort. You've done it too, don't judge.
Recommendation and Rate: I really don't recommend this to anyone. If I had to, it would be for anyone going through a break up, anyone thinking about an ex they miss, or anyone who is already sad and wants to cry more. I cannot be held personally responsible for any emotional damage you experience by listening to these songs. Rate: 3/10
3. "so u wanna be a hipster"
About: Another 4 hour playlist with songs that are meant to be hipster and indie but are honestly neither. One of the first playlists that I made, and also one of my least favorites. I cannot emphasize enough how cool I thought I was for listening to "alternative music". For anyone who actually does listen to indie and alternative music please do not get upset with me, I am well aware that most if not all of these songs are pop or indie pop at best. However, this is what I came up with.
Key Songs: It's mostly just Bon Iver and Florence + the Machine. Nothing really stands out here.
Why: I started this playlist in late 2014 after I heard a Bastille album and said "wow the best song on this album is not the single or the one that is popular. For whatever reason that led me to believe that I was a music critic. I am not.
Recommendation and Rate: I would recommend this to anyone who thinks they want to get away from popular music but not too far. In all fairness, this was the starting point for my more indie tastes now. I'd rate this playlist a 4/10
4. "ultimate indie pop nighttime roadtrip playlist"
About: I have mixed feelings about this playlist. It's 3 and a half hours and one of my first well constructed playlists. The songs in order start off slow, get a bit faster and exciting in the middle, and towards the end they calm down to a more relaxing vibe.
Key Songs: My personal favorites are "Our Own House" by MisterWives and "High You Are" by What So Not. Two amazing songs to scream sing if you know the words.
Why: I started this playlist in the middle of the night in 10th grade because I wanted to go on a roadtrip with my friends. Only problem was, I didn't have a car or a license, so I wasn't driving my friends anywhere. There's also the fact that my parents would never have let me go on a roadtrip with a bunch of high schoolers, much less in the middle of the night.
Recommendation and Rate: I should probably rename this playlist "pipe dream" or "never gonna happen" but I guess it's got some solid tunes on there. I would recommend this to anyone with chill parents, a car, a license, and a love for indie pop music. Rate? A solid 6/10
5. "home is whenever i'm with you"
About: Three hours of songs that remind me of the people and places that feel like home. Though it is not the traditional cheer up homesick playlist, it's another one of those make me cry more therapeutic playlists.
Key Songs: "Rivers and Roads" by The Head and the Heart and "Coming Home" by Leon Bridges
Why: My grades were slipping, volleyball wasn't going at all how I expected it to go, and I was just not happy with being stuck at school. Although I think it's a pretty good homesick playlist, it also has a lot of personal favorites that have strong emotional connections to people and places I consider home.
Recommendation and Rate: I would recommend this one to anyone who is homesick or if you miss someone really close to you or miss a place that you can't quite call home. I rate this playlist a 7.5/10 because its not quite as objective as I'd like it to be
6. "sad but rad"
About: A shorter playlist with a little under 2 hours worth of songs. It gives a vibe of being sad but not feeling sad. If it's upbeat or got a good melody but sad lyrics then it belongs on this playlist.
Key Songs: "SAD!" by XXXTENTACION and "Stay" by Post Malone
Why: I made this the summer of 2018 after I had a really bad day at work and I was sad but didn't wanna be. I started looking for more songs that fit the vibe and the playlist grew.
Recommendation and Rate: Highly recommend for anyone who wants to scream, cry, and smile at the same time. I haven't listened to it in a long time but it still ranks pretty high on my list of good playlists. I'd give it a 8/10
7. "reminiscing on your beach vacation"
About: Another short playlist, about an hour and a half. This has pop music with a beachy feel.
Key Songs: Marc E. Bassy's "You & Me" and "San Junipero" by Bryce Vine
Why: March of 2019 I started a beach playlist. I would consider this one of my stronger concept playlists because it's supposed to be thinking back on a beach vacation rather than just songs to play at the beach.
Recommendation and Rate: This one includes a fair amount of explicit songs so listen at your own risk. I still really like it but I would not dare play this playlist for my mother who is convinced my entire generation doesn't know how to make music without cuss words. Rate: 8.2/10 if you're okay with "potty mouth" as my mother says.
8. "don't cry babygirl"
About: A calm and relaxing playlist of indie pop. It's one of my favorite playlists to date. If I could explain the feeling I get from this playlist...well I wouldn't have needed to make the playlist.
Key Songs: "Sunset Lover" by Petit Biscuit and "Varkala" by Maribou State. Two songs without absolutely no words but capture the essence of this playlist completely.
Why: I added the first songs in late 2016 and have been adding songs ever since. The most recent addition being a couple of days ago.
Recommendation and Rate: I would recommend this playlist to anyone who thinks they're about to cry and either doesn't want to or wants some killer background music to listen to because they're dramatic like me. I'd rate this playlist a solid 9/10 just because it's not for everyone but it's still one of my best.
9. "relax"
About: This has quickly risen to be one of my favorite playlists. It's a solid mix of R&B, soulful? pop (Rex Orange County), and other relaxing pop music. It's my pretty standard 3 and a half hour playlist.
Key Songs: "Mattress Money" by zkennedy and "Carry Me Home" by Jorja Smith
Why: I started making this in February of 2018 and still add songs to it. It's my second most played behind "don't cry babygirl" and another calming playlist just with a different genre. I started listening to a lot more R&B music when I made this playlist and I was getting tired of listening to my old playlists.
Recommendation and Rate: I would highly recommend this one to anyone who isn't interested in indie music but still would like to relax. I see you, and your needs will be met! I rate this playlist a 9.5/10, it's got some serious bops and I could honestly listen to it on repeat for hours.
10. "so you're my soulmate"
About: No shot I've found my soulmate yet. If I have it would be super great if they would go ahead and tell me. Being single is not fun? I'm not having a good time? So I'm really hoping if they love me like a soulmate should they wouldn't be watching me suffer.
Key Songs: "Dumb Stuff" by LANY and "pete davisdon" by Ariana Grande because I love Pete Davidson.
Why: I made this, just in case I do find them. It's full of love songs. I assume the way the artists of these songs feel about whoever they were written about is how I will feel about my soulmate. I'm not really sure though because as I've stated, I don't know who my soulmate is.
Recommendation and Rate: Possibly my strongest concept playlist and also my most recent. It embodies what I imagine ~true love~ will feel like but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I like to listen to this playlist every time I have a crush so I can pretend that they like me back and it'll blossom into a beautiful romance, like a normal person of course. Has that ever happened? No but I'm no quitter! I'd rate this one a 10/10 for giving me hope for love someday and also a 1/10 for giving me hope for love someday.
Feel free to check out any or all or none of my other playlists. If you need new music during quarantine I hope one of these playlists helped. I can be found on Spotify @volleycam, by any of my playlist titles, or by the links on my social media page.
This post was creepily relatable. I also had a phase where I thought vinyls were a cool thing to have, but I never went out and bought them. I was also a fan of all the playlists that were made. I specifically liked "sad but rad" because it had a lot of music that I also really liked listening to. I agree that Stay by Post Malone is a really good song and is key in that playlist.
Great Ideas! I always enjoy making new playlists for people and with people. During quarantine I've decided to create a playlist with my girlfriend by putting a new song in a jar each day. We both don't know each others songs so at the end of quarantine we will have a playlist appropriately called the "Quarantine playlist". I'm glad that other people are also looking to music to help them out during this time.
Cam,
First, I think this is a really cool article especially for the climate at which the world is in right now. If it is one thing I have been doing constantly, it's listening to music. I really like how you told a story about yourself while also giving us some suggestions on some tunes. If anything I think this was a great technique to show the reader the emotion that each playlist gives off and for which mood each playlist best compliments. I thought it was formatted great to make it engaging but also easily scannable if someone was looking for a specific playlist.
One thing I did wish was there were more genre options, however, I thought the…