Listen along on Spotify by clicking the image above or HERE.
I’ve been thinking about how differently I listen to music nowadays. When I was a kid, I would only hear music on the radio or in my parents’ car. I would listen to film and made-for-tv movie soundtracks. My exposure to music was rather limited – highly curated, screened for profanities, and repeated in the way that top 40 radio channels do.
I would listen to the same CDs every day going to school, cycling between them with the seasons. The kicker is, I would start them at the first song every single day.
I think about the girls that my little brother and I carpooled with. Looking back, I don’t think I ever asked them if they were into One Direction. Whether they liked it or not, we listened to What Makes You Beautiful, Gotta Be You, and exactly half of One Thing on our commute to school every single day.
It was always a treat when we drove somewhere further away because we’d get to listen to more of the album. I relished in this treat with so many of my favorite albums growing up. High School Musical: The Soundtrack and 2007 Grammy Nominees particularly come to mind, reminding me of the times that my dad and I would sing Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield in the car.
I got really into collecting physical CDs in high school since I couldn’t afford a record player. Simultaneously, I was introduced to the world of streaming and iTunes and uTorrent and all of the ways to digitally experience music. I basically developed a brand new personality overnight.
Music was everything. It was always on in my headphones, in my speakers, on the car radio, coming out of my lungs. I loved nothing more than finding a song before everyone else. I became a digital crate-digger, visiting Amoeba in San Francisco to just look at records (once again, no record player), search them up on Spotify, and later listen to those albums in their entirety. As I grew up, I noticed my listening preferences shifting away from intentionally finding albums in their entirety, moving towards genre-less playlists that I’d gradually build over time.
It’s been interesting to watch my own music discovery habits transform from a totally intentional practice to being partly algorithm-driven online. I’m grateful for the unique blend of genres and artists that the internet feeds me. I feel seen by my Spotify Daylist, and it’s easier than ever to find somebody new to listen to.
This new hyper-personalized experience might explain why Gen Z listens to music more than any other generation. It also could explain how Gen Z music streamers are turning towards a genre-fluid future. If you’re as curious as I am about this topic, check out this article from Fast Company.
Working in music has also allowed me to organically discover so many amazing artists live (the best way to experience music, in my humble opinion). I’m grateful to be surrounded by people in my life who push me to listen to new music every day! I love watching your Instagram stories! I am the one person listening to your perfectly curated 15 second song snippet! Keep it coming!
As an homage to my first dive into music discovery, this week’s playlist includes the opening song from 40 of my favorite front-to-back albums.
TRACKLIST
SLICE OF THE WEEK
6 Inch Personal Pepperoni Pizza – Pizza Hut
Overall Rating: 7/10
Honestly wasn’t feeling pizza this week, but I prevailed for the sake of this blog’s concept. It took me longer to untie the bag than it did for me to eat the entire thing. It was kind of a sweaty slice, but I did that to myself by ordering Pizza Hut.
+1 point for still having a little plastic table on it. So whimsical!
Slice O Fran 
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