Listening Through the 2010s
05-26-20
I love music.
I've loved it as long as I can remember. I remember telling my dad that I loved "Smooth Operator" by Sade at age six, and growing up in a family full of differing music tastes, I always experienced new music even without trying. Yet, now, as I attempt to find my own taste, I often find myself instead leaning upon the recommendations of others. Many of the bands that I love were introduced to me by siblings, including Passion Pit, yo la tengo, Dir En Grey- all musicians that I love deeply, but I definitely question whether I love these musicians because of my own preference for them, or because of my siblings' influence.
I recently completed one of those somewhat cliche, still fun Instagram challenges. This challenge, choosing a song every day according to the individual prompts, was the only reason I logged onto Instagram, and I found myself varying between extreme excitement and utter dread when choosing these songs. The reason? Picking the song that you want "played at your wedding" is surprisingly difficult, at least for me. Yet, even on days that I did not look forward to the prompt, there was a certain satisfaction to be found in picking just the right song to define the prompt and having the chance to share my musical taste with my friends. Music plays an important role in my life, but I don't always have the chance to share that part of myself.
I've decided to complete a new challenge, one that will hopefully expand my musical borders beyond the nostalgic or comfortable. I am going to complete an in-depth listen of each album on Pitchfork's 200 Best Albums of the 2010s list.
What do I hope to accomplish with this challenge?
I want to experience music-particularly, music of the 2010's that is considered to be the best of the decade, and find out what I enjoy, factors of familial influence and memories removed. I don't mean to discount those factors, because they are helpful and I have no regrets with my current musical taste, but I want to find out where my own musical preferences hold up against new sounds, new messages, and new tastes. I will listen to each album carefully, and write my thoughts about each one. I don't know that each album will speak to me, but I do know that I love to analyze and find new artists that speak to me. I am excited to see how this challenge will push me past my musical comfort zone.
Stay ~tuned~ for more updates!
-Isabel
I love music.
I've loved it as long as I can remember. I remember telling my dad that I loved "Smooth Operator" by Sade at age six, and growing up in a family full of differing music tastes, I always experienced new music even without trying. Yet, now, as I attempt to find my own taste, I often find myself instead leaning upon the recommendations of others. Many of the bands that I love were introduced to me by siblings, including Passion Pit, yo la tengo, Dir En Grey- all musicians that I love deeply, but I definitely question whether I love these musicians because of my own preference for them, or because of my siblings' influence.
I recently completed one of those somewhat cliche, still fun Instagram challenges. This challenge, choosing a song every day according to the individual prompts, was the only reason I logged onto Instagram, and I found myself varying between extreme excitement and utter dread when choosing these songs. The reason? Picking the song that you want "played at your wedding" is surprisingly difficult, at least for me. Yet, even on days that I did not look forward to the prompt, there was a certain satisfaction to be found in picking just the right song to define the prompt and having the chance to share my musical taste with my friends. Music plays an important role in my life, but I don't always have the chance to share that part of myself.
I've decided to complete a new challenge, one that will hopefully expand my musical borders beyond the nostalgic or comfortable. I am going to complete an in-depth listen of each album on Pitchfork's 200 Best Albums of the 2010s list.
What do I hope to accomplish with this challenge?
I want to experience music-particularly, music of the 2010's that is considered to be the best of the decade, and find out what I enjoy, factors of familial influence and memories removed. I don't mean to discount those factors, because they are helpful and I have no regrets with my current musical taste, but I want to find out where my own musical preferences hold up against new sounds, new messages, and new tastes. I will listen to each album carefully, and write my thoughts about each one. I don't know that each album will speak to me, but I do know that I love to analyze and find new artists that speak to me. I am excited to see how this challenge will push me past my musical comfort zone.
Stay ~tuned~ for more updates!
-Isabel
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