When was the last time you listened to a song you didn’t choose or couldn’t skip? In a world where we can curate the perfect playlist for every mood, we may have inadvertently traded the liberating nature of music for excessive responsibility. Technological strides have led to the rise of music platforms, bringing forth an era of personalized playlists, yet many of us spend more time building the ideal queue than enjoying the melodies themselves. Have playlists and music platforms sacrificed the freedom music is meant to provide?
From ancient religious hymns to the pioneering Beatles, music has been an art form for millennia. A song can lift spirits or spark change; there is no doubt that music is a powerful device and an essential element in the contemporary world. Music in its many forms, from radio waves to CDs, has evolved into streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, making it easily accessible. Whether you’re in a car or on a run, music is now at your fingertips, accessible anywhere, anytime.
However, this accessibility comes with a price: the burden of crafting the perfect playlist. Playlists, while allowing us to tune into the perfect songs for each moment, have quietly transformed music. What once was an oasis away from responsibility is now a battleground of skipping through songs, toiling over playlists, and competing for the most impressive Spotify Wrapped.
The bliss and joy of music have been overshadowed. Once a gateway to ecstasy, music has become the very cause of our discontent, enacting an endless cycle of skipping through songs to find the perfect one for the moment because, despite the hours we invest into our playlists, they will never be perfect. What we believe to be musical freedom has transformed our listening experiences into excessive responsibility.
It’s time to allow technology to reclaim its original purpose: to make life easier. Instead of being our own DJs, we should more often allow our devices to take the reins while we sit back and relax without knowing (a.k.a. worrying about) what’s next in the queue. So, the next time you’re in the mood for some tunes, consider embracing the spontaneity of the radio or shuffling a more diverse playlist. Hit play, relinquish control, and rediscover the joy and liberation of music.
robbie • Apr 4, 2024 at 10:10 am
I agree with this article to an extent. While I do agree with the fact that we should let the app take the reins sometimes, I don’t think that its so bad to skip certain songs in a playlist. For me, it doesn’t necessarily cause me any discontent when I skip music, for me it’s just all a part of the experience. Just like how I sometimes let the playlist take the wheel, its all part of the listening experience. Having that much freedom over the music to switch between the two options at anytime is what gives me a better feeling while listening to music.
Piper • Apr 3, 2024 at 5:29 am
I agree with the perspective shared in this article. Spotify is designed to keep you listening by sending you music similar to what you already heard. I think this limits the genres you are exposed to when listening. Trying to diversify your playlists can be hard when you’re not being introduced to new songs. It’s important to hear music made by different artists because you can learn about others’ experiences from it. Music has a lot of historical and cultural significance and being well versed in various genres can help you connect with others.
Noah • Apr 2, 2024 at 10:50 pm
I completely agree with this perspective. I can especially understand the feeling of being sort of “at home” with the music that you know you enjoy as I am definitely a selective person when it comes to choosing songs. However, my experience playing the piano has taught me to wander more. My piano teacher and I have an agreement where we alternate between a piece that I choose to learn and a piece that he has me learn, and his choices have shown me what you can find if you are open to it. I used to go into it thinking that I needed to get it over with so it could be my turn to choose, but almost every time I end up loving the piece anyway. My overall message would be that you should give new songs a chance because there are hidden gems everywhere.
Rayan • Apr 2, 2024 at 8:53 pm
I do not completely agree with the perspective in this article, I feel that there is a huge advantage to creating your own personalized playlists. Even Though no playlist can be perfect and eventually we will get bored of the songs we have chosen, it is very easy to communicate with your own peers if you have shared playlists. Teenagers especially like to listen to popular songs and have shared playlists. It is a lot of fun if your friends like the same songs and genres. For example, I like to sing some song with my friends. It is true that we get influenced by music which is marketed well and made by popular artists, and sometimes we get too focused on one particular genre.
Christine Lahtaw • Apr 2, 2024 at 10:52 am
I totally agree with this article. I always think about how I think I have the perfect playlist created but still find myself skipping through the songs because I’m not satisfied with it at the moment because it doesn’t match my mood. After a while, this gets frustrating and I didn’t know other people felt this way too. I really believed some people had playlists with no skippable songs. While creating my playlists, I also think about how other people would view it and if they would like my playlist or not. Sometimes I catch myself about to skip a song but I stop myself and let it play. Nine times out of 10, I end up liking the song and so I have tried holding myself back from skipping through my playlist and just letting it shuffle. I agree, we should let music be spontaneous again instead of being so controlling over it.
Wally • Apr 2, 2024 at 10:52 am
I agree with the idea that we should focus more on music itself, instead of crafting a “perfect” playlist. That’s also what I’m doing. I don’t have well-sorted playlists. At different moments with different moods, my flavors of music are always changing. Thus, I prefer to put everything together. When I’m listening to music, I just let them play randomly. Every single song in my playlist is meaningful to me which is able to arouse me the moment of the first time I listen to this song. This habit reduces my screen time and saves my time of creating a playlist.
Josephine • Apr 2, 2024 at 10:50 am
I partially agree with the argument that the author is making here. While I definitely agree that at some times it is often more relaxing or calming not having to select each song that comes on next and worrying about creating the perfect playlist, I also find that other times I enjoy having full control over what plays next and what specific songs I listen to. I think that this is why I enjoy the different options that Spotify offers, where you can choose playlists that the program has curated for you so you can enjoy what you are listening to while also not being responsible for it, but also having the option to listen to your own playlists.
Liam Hilliard • Apr 2, 2024 at 10:37 am
I largely agree with this article and (without thinking) have followed its advice for a long time now. Different music genres serve different purposes, of course – I’d rather keep my ambient music in a different playlist from the other stuff – but largely I keep most of my music in one playlist and let it shuffle (albeit with Automix off, because that’s what causes playlists to just play the same 10-15 songs instead of actually shuffling them around). I’ve also started collecting physical musical media, and although it can get expensive, I feel that it’s helped me expand my horizons a bit, forcing me to listen to full albums instead of just what’s most popular on an album.
Keira Kushin • Apr 2, 2024 at 9:44 am
I agree with the author. I like how you have full control on what you listen to and what you can skip. When I need to get something done like cleaning my room or doing homework I will put music on and it is very motivational. It is also a good way to calm down and relax. Every morning on the way to school I listen to music while I sit on the bus and gaze out the window. It helps wake me up and puts me in a good mood for the day. I think it’s a great way to start off your day.
Amaya Naté • Apr 2, 2024 at 9:38 am
The author has an amazing point that we should just let the music do its thing instead of interupting and making our own playlist and such. I have a playlist but sometimes I can get tired of it and it can cause me to lose love for some songs and they become skipable. I’ve tried to branch out and listen to just music in my preferred genre. Though I find myself skipping and moving to something that I like to listen to. I have four songs that I listen to everyday because everything about them is perfect. From the beat, production, and lyrics it all speaks to me. The only music I could listen to without skipping is probably instrumentals such as jazz.
Natalie • Apr 2, 2024 at 8:02 am
When I listen to music, I feel joy in the fact that I am my own personal DJ. I don’t have to listen to any rules or sit in embarrassment because someone knows what I’m listening to. I agree with how the article bases music as a positive factor in people’s lives. I love to wind down and listen to one of my playlists. Music allows me to take control of what emotions I feel. If I feel sad, I play one of my, according to the article, “perfect playlist[s]” that I have crafted, and I would do the same for any other emotion I feel at that time. It is so beautiful how much music can take a toll on my feelings, and I think it’s commonly disregarded. Some adults tell kids these days to “unplug” and “take their earplugs out,” not understanding that maybe at that moment, a little 3-minute song or 1-hour playlist could substantially help the person.
Pax • Mar 30, 2024 at 4:16 pm
I agree that being able to choose the songs that we want to listen to can become a burden, but it can also be calming and less stressful. Rather than trying to find just the right station on the radio, you can just tap on the playlist that best fits your mood. I always shuffle my playlists, like it says in the article, so I don’t get bored of whatever I’m listening to as quickly. Making playlists can also be calming and entertaining. Nevertheless, this way of listening to music can limit the variety of songs and genres of music that we listen to, which is not necessarily a good thing.
Isabella • Mar 22, 2024 at 5:55 pm
I have the same perspective as the author. I was often unsatisfied with some songs that I put on my playlist a long time ago. I feel stressed about those songs because I’m tired of them. But now I have found a good way to shift the focus back to the joy and freedom of music itself. I put my playlist randomly. This way I can listen to more songs I haven’t listened to in a while and I won’t get tired of a song I like now too soon. In addition, my music software will randomly push me some playlists that I think I will like, and I am happy to try them now, which allows me to develop more diversity in the playlist.
Alejandro Perez-Fernandez • Mar 21, 2024 at 10:50 am
I agree with the idea that music has changed and evolved with the fact that you can now control what you listen to. But at the same time, I feel like that is how music evolves and it is not necessarily a bad thing. Music has consistently evolved through time where we can dictate what we listen to. Nowadays with Spotify and Apple Music we can listen to almost anything at any time. I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing because you do have the options to listen to whatever. Listening to music should be enjoyable to the person and the gift to manipulate what song you are listening to is one that should be cherished. If one is in the mood to test out new songs and continue listening, they still have that option. The evolution of music and music streaming services has not been a bad one. Personally, I interact with music on the daily. I shuffle my playlist when I start to listen or even just go to a random shuffled playlist on YouTube. Exposure to other songs is great, but sometimes you want your own music in a different order.
Lori • Mar 21, 2024 at 10:49 am
Not exactly. I cannot say that I completely agree with the perspective, but I can see where they are going. I think this advancement in music is what makes it great. Everything can be catered to one’s needs or interests. Unfortunately it is always the gamble between traditional and modern where feasibility and personal interest fall into a gray area. Rather than listening to a playlist, I just shuffle songs from a particular artist. Whenever I come across a song that I do not really want to listen to, my problems can be solved with a click of a button. However, I do want to try the suggestion the author lifted up. I think sometimes, it would be a good change to turn on the radio and see what kind of songs others would recommend. Some other ways that you could “relinquish control” could be to go old-school and play some cds. Although it is not much different than the everyday playlist you can get on an app, the process of setting up and playing the cd can help you find a sense of appreciation for the music we have today.
Luca Lemmo • Mar 21, 2024 at 10:32 am
I agree with this perspective because often times, I feel like Spotify is always giving me the same couple of songs and I always have to skip them or change the playlist to get a different song. The constant skipping through songs and searching for the ideal mix detracts you from the joy and relaxation that music should bring. Sometimes, allowing music to surprise us and relinquishing control can lead to unexpected songs that are really good. It’s a reminder to enjoy the journey and the surprises that come with it, rather than constantly trying foo find the perfect mix. We can discover new genres that we never listened to before. Often times, I feel like music is controlling my emotions, So I think it is important to have a grip on what I choose to listen to. However, when I do catch myself doing that, I try to listen to more modest music or just not listen to it for a while.