2024 Playlist of the People

I love music, but I am going to admit right away that music is not my forte. If you look back at my spotify top list it will not be very big.

But it would be meaningful.

Because the music I listen to is generally when I am in someone else's car or shared by someone who thinks I might like it.

Music, to me, equates to the people in my life I love.

I think it means that my 2024 playlist should be a shared collaboration with the people who helped me create it and this is my 2024 playlist:

1. Punk Rock Loser by Viagra Boys
2. Symptoms of Life by WILLOW
3. Alaska by Maggie Rogers
4. Come Over by Sam Hunt
5. Appointments by Julien Baker
6. In My Feels by Bronze Whale
7. Carousel by Melanie Martinez
8. Bless the Telephone by Kelis

Like anything else there was a lot of mixed feelings about the 2024 year, but the overall sense was a melancholy with highlights of hope and an eagerness to move forward.

PUNK ROCK LOSER

Starting this list of with one of my own personal recommendations, Punk Rock Loser is a beacon of hope for all of us dealing with imposter syndrome. Especially when comparing yourself to others who do seem to continually succeed.

It's okay for me to be a loser. If I am doing my own thing and I am proud of it: fuck everyone else. "I don't need nobody tell me how to dress."

SYMPTOMS OF LIFE

C. Clark - "I feel like there has been a lot of [life and rebirth and growth] this year."

One of the first things Willow sings about is discovering who am I? Ooph, what a theme for my own 2024. Maybe I'm connecting right back to imposter syndrome?

I've always felt like I've lived my life for other people and didn't take the time to find the beauty in just being myself. Why? I am beautiful. Beauty is a symptom of life.

ALASKA

A. Siciliano - "I'd like to turn my mind off [from 2024]."

Leaving behind, in a dream, an older version of myself. Letting the old go and embracing the new.

I very recently had surgey and one of the things I had to perform before I could leave the ICU was the ability to prove I could breathe again. "And now, breathe deep I'm inhaling ... there's air in between."

I like this metaphor for life. Stop to take the deep breaths before taking the next step in life.

I think we can all use some practice on our breathing.

COME OVER

D. Phillips - "It's about feeling that comfort of having someone you care about next to you [no matter the circumstances.]"

I've spent so much of my life living in the past and fearing the future. "We don't have to say forever... you don't have to stay forever." I like this song because its about the here and now. Come hang out, right here and right now, under the stars, because we can.

I'm eager to come over more often.

APPOINTMENTS

N. Ward - "I didn't [always] feel like I had the ground under my feet. I had to work very hard to get the provisional hope part and the joy is prgressively unveiling itself."

We talked a lot about this song and what Julien Baker wanted to portray: creating appointments around the week to become proactive about mental health including attendance in therapy and self-care. It's about pinholes of light, provisional hope, and allowing yourself the freedom to understand that right now things might not be okay. No matter how small it may be, there is a possibilty that tomorrow, or next week, or even next month you can feel closer to something like joy.

Mental health has been a highlight for so many of us. I know that it is hardest to accept our own mental health needs than it can be to see it in others.

I hope to always be that pinhole of light for the people I love.

IN MY FEELS

C. Knight - "I make playlists based on my emotions. I have several. My Spotify account is directly connected to my soul."

A beautiful song about the losses we encounter in the promises that were made.

I like the line, "Wandering these streets 'til I can't catch my breath." We can run and run, but we can't outrun our thoughts and the actions around us. Which feeds us diretly into the next song.

CAROUSEL

M. Blank - "I love the creepy carnie vibe."

We originally discussed this song because of how cool the video is (and it is really cool,) but the song is just catchy too. All of these thoughts that overwhelm us from 2024 can keep us running in circles 'like a carousel' and we need to eventually learn when to get off despite how glued on we seem to be.

And seriously, the video is just cool.

BLESS THE TELEPHONE

Closing out this playlist with another of my own choice. As I laid in bed thinking about what to write and how I felt I couldn't stop this song from coming into my head.

I actually like Labi Siffre's original version quite a bit, but I chose Kelis because I liked that this song has been remade and how they harmonized it.

I can't be with everyone I love every minute of the day, but I never stop loving them. Take all of these songs; some I knew and some are new, but they all have some meaning for me now. Because I had a moment on the telephone with a loved one that was able to share it.

I can get through my day and I can get through the next year with the little bits of love that are sent throughout a day. A small text tells me that someone cares.

To all my friends and loved ones: keep sharing the music that makes your soul. Say hello, tell me you care. I'll do the same.

Cheers to 2025. Can't wait to hear the music we make together.