As a continuation from the last post I decided to take a closer look at my music tastes over the last ten years and create a timeline, or sorts, of the music that defined those times of my life. Not only is it a cool reminder of all the music I have ever enjoyed but allows me to share parts of who I am with you, the reader. Looking over my music tastes of the last ten years I learned that my taste in music did not change much and I still regularly listen to most of these artists and songs. I guess cheers for consistency and predictability.
High school
Musicals
- Hamilton- Satisfied
- Wicked- As Long As You’re Mine
- Anastasia- In a crowd of thousands
- Falsettos- I’m breaking down
I really got into Hamilton and Wicked my freshman year of High School. Everyone was listening to Hamilton and I but I wanted to be “cool” and not listen to it. I quickly gave in when I got tired of having no clue what anyone at school was talking about. I listened to the entire album, read all the lyrics, and then watched a bootleg that someone sent me when I was home sick one day. At the end of my junior year/ beginning of my senior year I got really into Anastasia and Falsettos. They are both still two of my favorites. I ended up seeing them both my senior year. I got front row tickets to see Falsettos in Chicago when they were touring as a graduation/birthday gift to myself.
Indie/folk
- Birdy- Words as weapons
- The Civil Wars- Dance me to the end of love
- Hunger Games sound track- tomorrow will be kinder
- O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack- Down To The River To Pray
Incidentally, I became aware of Birdy and The Civil Wars from movie soundtracks like the Hungers Games soundtrack, which they both appear on, and The Fault In Our Stars soundtrack. The Hunger Games soundtrack is one of my most favorite soundtracks followed by O Brother, Where Art Thou. I love folksy music. I love the focus on the lyrics and the emotions involved. Birdy’s music always calms me. The Civil Wars always makes my heart happy with the tight intertwined harmonies. The Hunger Games and O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtracks make me nostalgic. The song Tomorrow Will Be Kinder is one of my favorite songs. It comforts me and has gotten me through so many hard times.
Pop
- Pentatonix- If I Ever Fall In Love
- 5sos- Broken Home
- Panic! At The Disco – Death of A bachelor
- Shawn Mendes- Don’t Be A Fool
- Taylor Swift- Getaway Car
Pop music will never go out of style, at least not for me. Looking at this list there is a wide variety. In my freshman year of high school I was really into Pentatonix. That year, I got to see them at the State Fair. They were my first concert I went to. I knew every song off of their self named album and knew every harmony. Recently, I put my phone on shuffle and one of the songs came up. I was surprised that I still knew every word and note. Another band I was really into my freshman year was 5 Seconds of Summer. My friends really liked them so I sat down and listened to every song. It was also during high school that I established my love for Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, and Panic! At the Disco.
College to now
Theater
- Greatest Showman- Never Enough
- Bonnie and Clyde- How ‘bout A Dance
- Falsettos- You Gotta Die Sometime
- Wicked (2024)- Dancing Through Life
My love of theater continued with me to college. My freshman year I did not have a car so my mom would have to drive me two hours to WIU anytime I went back to school or came home. It became a tradition that we would listen and sing-along to the Greatest Showman soundtrack. This tradition lasted until I got a car my junior year. I still love theater and was even in Cinderella at the Muni the summer of 2024.
Jazz
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Sarah Vaughan
- Chet Baker
- Frank Sinatra
- Laufey
It is impossibly hard for me to pick my favorite songs, so instead I went with some of my favorite artists. Jazz has always been a part of my life. Every year my parents went to a jazz festival hosted by a distant family member. My great-grandpa was a jazz pianist who played with famous musicians like Louis Armstrong. I listened and danced to it with my grandparents. In junior high and high school I was in the jazz choir. Once I was in college I was the only freshman who made vocal jazz and when it was no longer offered I sang in the jazz combo program. I became really close friends with jazz studies majors and spent a lot of time listening to jazz music. I hope to, at some point, get back into singing jazz.
Pop
- Harry Styles- Treat People With Kindness
- Olivia Rodrigo- 1 step forward, 3 steps back
- Sabrina Carpenter- Please, Please, Please
- Chappel Roan- Pink pony club
The summer of 2022 my sister and I worked at a kids entertainment place and I was our main source of transportation, so I ended up listening to a lot of music. Harry Styles’ new album just came out so I spent a lot of time listening to his new and old albums. I was also still rocking out to Olivia Rodrigos’ album that came out the summer before. Two summers later I was living with my dad and driving to Springfield from Lincoln almost everyday. Again, I listened to a lot of music on the drive: mainly Chappel Roan and “Please, Please, Please” by Sabrina Carpenter. Pop music has always had a place in my life but when I think back to these summers and all the driving I did, these songs and artists come to mind.
Taylor Swift
- -Paper Rings
- -Epiphany
- -All Too Well (10 min)
- -Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
- -Opalite
I couldn’t talk about pop music and not include Taylor Swift. My sister and I used to listen to her when we were young and I always knew her songs that were on the radio, but I really got into her music in the last ten years and even more so during the pandemic. Folklore came out covid and it was music I really turned to at that time. “Epiphany” really summed up how I felt at that time.
Soundtrack to an important relationship
- Harry Styles- Late Night Talking
- Lake Street Dive- Don’t You Know That I Know
- MUNA- I Know A Place
- Lizzy McAlpine- Apple pie
During covid I started dating someone, though we are no longer together they are still a special person in my life. It was my first real relationship and the first time I fell in love with someone. While we were dating we made a playlist together of songs that we loved or made us think of each other. When I think of that time, I think of these songs.
Singer-songwriter
- Sleeping At Last- Two
- Ben Platt- In Case You Don’t Live Forever
- Noah Kahan- Call Your Mom
- Lizzy McAlpine- Come Down Soon
I didn’t know exactly how to define these songs that I have loved so much. I have always loved acoustic songs that put the emphasis on the lyrics and the emotions. These are songs that have had that meaning. My sister loves the artist Sleeping At Last and when I finally got around to listening, his song “Two” stood out to me. It is about the second enneagram personality. It’s about someone who struggles with putting everyone else’s needs first. The second on the list is “In Case You Don’t Live Forever” by Ben Platt. He wrote it for a family member who helped him become who he is today. Everytime I hear this song I think of my grandpa. I listened to this song on repeat when my grandpa was in the ICU.
This last year I have been so busy that I feel that I never have a moment to just sit down and listen to music but when I have, these songs are ones that I listen to. I hope that maybe this list gives you some insight on who I am if you don’t already know me. Maybe you love these artists too for similar reasons. We are all amalgamations of the music we listen to and the art and media we consume.
