Music Wrapped

At the the end of the year we seem split between people sharing their Spotify wrapped and those screaming to "Please Stop." Those people are also equivalent to "No one cares."

I did not have a Spotify wrapped as I use free You Tube music. You Tube was the place for me to get music for early adulthood because my preferred music was original scores from dubbed anime or the intro bumper for a TV show or scene from a movie. This was the era of the animated music video (AMV) and often that was the way to hear a song. I watched a mash up of the Halo 2 trailer because it was overlayed with audio from Serenity and the specific cinematic scene where the fly through the enemy fleet to drop on the forbidden planet. At one point, if I wanted to listen to Limp Bizkit's "My Generation," then I would need to bring up an AMV of Naruto clips.* So, I stayed loyal to YouTube which then spun off YouTube music which is just Spotify save it is red. It also has a wrapped function and all the API geegaws to share to the world. Unlike social media, where everything is thrust unto you, my guess is you come to the blog by choice. I scanned through the "Favorites" tiles on the music app and thought to put a narrative to some it.

Note: YouTube has an embed feature in its Share functionality that is just a string of HTML code. Blogger seems to hate this now as pasting it just renders the code verbatim. I need to tinker more but, for this post, I used the "link video" feature from Blogger.**

Across the Spider-Verse (Start a Band) by Daniel Pemberton

This is my most played/listened too song in 2023. If you have read this blog then you know I am sucker for things that feel "cinematic" and often set my everyday mundane everyday to these beats. My current job has me in a cube all day so how I get through the day is 1) The cinematic music 2)Energy drinks***and 3) Anxiety. I peel into and out of the garage playing these.

No surprise that this is my most played song considering I gushed about the original movie and also all the aforementioned. This jam, which starts ominous and then crescendos into the drums and synth rips, makes me both want to save the day and also be saved. Its my new Disintegration in terms of day dreaming about sword wielding cyber heroines. 

The whole album is full of bangers. "My Name is...Miles Morales" and "All Stations Stop Spider-Man" and "Spiderwoman" are amazing. FWIW, I think this movie is BETTER than the first albeit the first feels much more personal. Second one is also a bit too long.

Salam 1996 by Groove Dealers

This song reminds me of a friend who sends me esoteric jams (oddly via Spotify links) then I then copy and paste into the old big red You Tube. Between him and satellite radio**** is how I learn about any "new" music, which really is just older songs first heard. This is a hard pivot from the other jams here as its beat box gangsta rap.

False God by Taylor Swift

My new job has me leading client calls. Sometimes on a weekly basis as I keep them abreast on what we are, hopefully, doing for them. This is anathema for someone who has weaponized introversion and also struggles to express themselves orally. Mariah Carey was in town recently and my client mentioned how she was going. I mentioned how that must be fun and, fun story, I worked previously with someone who went to two separate Eras tours concerts and how this was both an amazing flex and also object of envy. This was all over a Teams call but the energy in that digital room brightened and all tension left the meeting "I did not know you are a Swiftie," us what the client said and I mentioned how yes I unironically enjoy her work.  False God is where I go to for both something I truly like (its the sax!) and also a somewhat non single deep cut. 

La Jumpa by Arcangel and Bad Bunny

As a Puerto Rican living in the 2020s I am contractually obligated to like Bad Bunny. I also am contractually obligate to be loud when I do talk. And, yeah I do like the guy. I could not imagine liking both reggaeton and mumble core rape as a younger man. I was firmly into my bleep bloop music. But, these cats do it and it really feels like magic. Saying "Luka, step back, la jumpa" feels like it should summon something infinetly powerful. 

Lights (BassNectar Remix)-Ellie Goulding and Bassnectar

My wife once listened to this song and said "This is a very you song." If you do listen to it then its a audible mashup of everything on the blog. Enjoy!

*I have never seen Naruto save for this video. And yes, I unironically enjoyed Limp Bizkit even walking about 2 miles to the local record store to buy Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavored Water.

** I have few actual regrets that haunt me. They are 1)Not going into computer science 2)Similarly, not getting into education sooner (maybe even teaching!) and 3) Letting my kids watch YouTube. I know, ironic. Not a screen free parent (have you read this blog? I was raised by TV) but can't stand the always on Gen Alpha screeching. 

***The best is Ghost. I can't stand Bang. Monster is the baseline (The tap water of energy drinks). I drink Celsius when I want to impress someone. 

****It came with my car and I thought it was amazing and now I don't know how to cancel! Every time I call they just make it cheaper.