Playlists as love letters
In this modern and technologically advanced world, humans continue to expand upon the idea of communication. From love letters to phone calls, expressing interest or appreciation for one another is varied and involves a personal touch.
Playlists as love letters are essentially a time capsule of a moment — a series of songs that express feelings in a way words never can. They represent modern love letters and show how much we crave connection in our lives — emphasizing the importance of art and music in our daily life and eloquently remind us of our humanity.
Playlists are wonderful in their simplicity. Their ease of use and customization lets people choose what songs they would like to add and even manipulate the crossfade in-between songs. This makes every playlist unique and special and even if two playlists have the exact same songs, the intention behind each one will always be different.
The song choices in a playlist are especially important. Choosing songs that vary in instrumentation and sound design provides a more intense and interesting experience for the person in mind.
By emphasizing the importance of tension and release, the energy of the playlist is controlled and manipulated. This sensation is reminiscent to meeting someone you care about for the first time.
Slower playlists are great for relaxing and non-stressful moments, while faster playlists are helpful for grinding out assignments or feeling a sense of wonder about the universe.
Personalities usually dictate their preference, but varying your choices provides the maximum impact on their perspective. Listening to playlists also helps with chores and getting stuff done, so if you focus on a specific task while curating a playlist, you can create a mood very effectively.
By knowing their music taste and what type of music they like, picking songs for a playlist does not have to be a difficult task. Oftentimes songs in a similar genre are in the same key or emphasis the same sounds. Most rap music emphasizes the 808 and the pocket of the vocals, while most indie music focuses on emotion rather than a polished and professional sound.
By knowing the qualities hidden within each genre, a greater appreciation is shown and you have a better understanding of why people prefer the music they do.
The ideal situation would be to pick songs that the person has never heard before. Songs that they know add familiarity but will become more predictable over time. With new songs, their taste in music grows along with their appreciation of the effort put into finding them.
Finding new artists to listen to never truly gets old, and the sense of discovering something new for the first time always feels refreshing.
Making playlists today is essentially the modern version of the mixtape in the 1990s. Mixtapes were popular due to their personalized feel.
By buying a mixtape, you were directly supporting an artist’s career and livelihood. This sense of personalization and validation is evident in the social aspect of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.
These platforms double as a social platform since users can see their friends’ listening history and public playlists. It provides a great insight into how people wish to be perceived and what they like to listen to. This information can make your playlist much more specific and tailored to the person in mind.
The greatest strength of a playlist comes in its timelessness. No matter how much time passes, there is an encapsulation of a feeling in the songs chosen. It is making someone a gift and bringing it right to their door.
By sharing songs that convey feelings in a powerful and poetic way, expressing gratitude and love for your friends and loved ones via a playlist can be much more of an art form rather than a simple display of affection.
