May 6

15 Thoughts I Had While Listening to My Spotify Discover Weekly

by Team Whering

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no substantial music knowledge; these are just the opinions of somebody who can’t sit in silence with her own thoughts and constantly needs to have something playing in the background. Most of the time my justification behind do I like something or not is I just do / don’t.

If you’re anything like me, you oscillate between listening to one artists’s entire discography every day for weeks, re-listening to my 2020 lockdown playlist until I feel numb with misplaced nostalgia, or saving 20 new songs every day (be it through Discover Weekly, song radios, random Spotify daily mixes, or friends’ suggestions).

Well a month or so ago, I hit what one may call the Hinge jackpot, when I matched somebody I actually enjoyed talking to. The bullseye, however, was that he had really great taste in music, and that was basically my daily and weekly dose of discovering new songs sorted with very little effort on my end. The whole thing turned into another failed talking stage, but I was left with a brand new playlist to indulge in every now and then… or rather, daily and obsessively, on repeat (re: this TikTok). All of this meant that my Spotify suggestions suddenly morphed into ones tailored to him, rather than myself, and I finally decided that it’s time for me to go on a quest to reclaim my own identity.

Ever since then, listening to my Discover Weekly has become a sort of sacrilegious Monday morning activity as I take back ownership of my music taste while sipping on iced matcha. With the overarching life mission to achieve all-round zen and my new intention of being more mindful in the way I go through my days, this week I assigned a specific time slot every day to gauge what my thoughts are on the songs I listen to, which eventually make up who I am as a person.

So without further ado- my May 3-May 10th Discover Weekly:

1. Madrid: I like the sound of this song, but the lyrics are uncomfortable to listen to… wait no I restarted it, I actually really like it. I can totally see myself walking to dinner when the weather is warm while listening to this.

2. From Here on Now: I can’t believe this is on my discover weekly and not in my saved library, because Cassius Gray is a friend of mine, and I honestly thought I had saved all of his music. Please excuse me while I send a screenshot to everybody I know… damn, this song is a bop, saving now.

3. My Brain: Vibey, but I probably wouldn’t save this… wait never mind, the second verse could be its redemption… never mind I don’t love this.

4. Big House: This sounds exactly like a song I would add to “Bulgarian Funk x English Indie Hip-Hop mashups” if that was a genre which existed (I would know, I’m Bulgarian) and if I had a playlist with that title, as well as more than one song to contribute to it. I am still hopeful for the rest of the selection.

5. God’s House: This suggestion list could use more songs by female artists.

6. Weiter: WHYYYYY am I on German Discover Weekly again??? And more importantly, how did I get here? This might be a sign that I should book a Berlin weekend getaway trip after the lockdowns are lifted. Noted.

7. Blue Print: The first song said talking stage ever sent me was Redstripe Rhapsody by LAUSSE THE CAT and now he’s been sneaking up on every single Discover Weekly / Daily Mix playlist I listen to (same with Tom Misch and Loyle Carner- they didn’t make the cut this time though; probably because I've saved most of their discography by this point)… I guess I’ll save it, this makes me feel like I’m sitting on the terrace of a summer chateau waiting for my friends to get ready for drinks- the energy is chill, but I’m still trying to keep the mood up.

8. Friday: I forgot to pay attention… *restarts song*… I forgot to pay attention again… *skips*… *feels bad and goes back to save it because maybe if I hear it with my other music I’ll like it*.

9. I Think I Love It: I swear half of my library contains the same sample by Shiloh Dynasty at this point… you know the one that’s like: No I don’t want, just anyone, I’m loving what I see in front of me. Don’t give a f*ck, ‘bout anyone, I know what you need, baby listen to me speaking.

The sample also appears in: “Losing Interest” by Shiloh, “I’ll keep you safe” by Sagun, “World Without You” by Blai$y and “I’ll bite your soul” by SHRK. The more you know.

10. If It Was Easy: Hi again LAUSSE THE CAT… unsurprisingly, his part was the best bit.

11. Tonyjaffa: As the last 5 or 6 songs fade into oblivion (is it my short attention span, or the caffeine kicking in?), I no longer recall the songs I just listened to or even saved. This, however, snapped me back into reality. I never liked urban British music, but I really like this genre… even though I couldn’t possibly tell you what it is called.

12. Careful: Ahh, all of these songs are okay, but nothing compares to an actual human being hitting the nail on the head every time with a flawless song curation.

13. Blu Skyes: I actually really like this! So close to the end, when it seemed like all hope was lost. Look at me being a strong and independent woman and adding songs to my playlists that I’ve actually discovered myself (#girllboss?).

14. Above: Honestly, anything featuring Masego is an automatic save, I don’t even really need to listen to the song all the way through. It’s an instant coup de foudre.

15. Shadows: Damn, this really sounds like Loyle Carner… but I swear he didn’t sneak his way into my Discover Weekly this week… never mind, it is Loyle Carner… this would definitely be the background soundtrack to a slow motion rooftop bar entrance in late August (the docs let everyone know I’m not trying that hard but I still look amazing).

BONUS THOUGHT:

Smithereens: No thoughts, head empty.

If you made it this far through this literal ‘thought dump’, then take it as a sign to listen to your Discover Weekly (one could argue that it’s a form of meditation)! And if you’re looking for a carefully curated playlist of ~groovy~ songs to get you through the end of the week, I’m shamelessly plugging my brain is fried but i’m trying to have a good day, with songs by blackwave., No Suits, Peach Tree Rascals, Loyle Carner, Tom Misch, Miguel, Mack Keane, Mac Miller, easy life, and others (basically a polished version of the same type of music on my DW). To enjoy with an iced drink of your choice!