tldr: hi-tops hit different
A year ago, I created a new Spotify account. One could chalk this up to wanting one with my name on it. Another could see it as an opportunity to become the person with an aesthetic collection of playlists. Who can say. But nonetheless, making aesthetic playlists was definitely part of the plan for me.
Someone had told me about the concept of color association: Over time they trained themselves to associate certain colors with certain types of memories and feelings. And so, thinking it was utter bullshit, I wanted to test it out. I made four playlists to start: Red, Yellow, Lilac, and Pink– filled with songs that have associated feelings:
- Red: anger, chaotic energy, letting loose
- Yellow: happiness, optimism, unadulterated joy
- Lilac: sadness, depth, longing
- Pink: love, yearning, wishes for simplistic relationships
It took me months to figure out what songs should be added where, and for a really long time they only had one or two songs in them. Yellow was by far the easiest to get into. Essentially, any song that made me smile within the first few lines or sounded like the beginning of any good teenage Disney movie montage was added. (Including, but definitely not limited to)
- Good Time– Owl City
- Car Wash– Rose Royce
- Electric Love– BØRNS
- Lollipop– Mika
I could talk about the various playlists and their meanings for hours. Each has a memory or feeling I can’t quite put into words. And this was extremely helpful for me. It meant that if I didn’t know how I was feeling, I could turn to a playlist and try to figure it out. Separating longing from lonely, and chaotic energy from unadulterated joy (harder than you would imagine, at least for me).
Now, these playlists are my lifeline. A way to compartmentalize. Three days ago I started the Blue playlist, and now it has over two hours worth of content– all conveying the mixed emotions of leaving for college. Songs in association to the friends I’m leaving behind. Late night conversations in a turned off car. Watching the skies pass by slowly and staying in a state of constantness. A certain type of melancholy, but not depressing. Managing to hang on while starting to let go. The feeling? Blue.
- 3am– Meghan Trainor
- Falling Slowly (Once: a New Musical)- Steve Kazee
- Head Over Feet (Jagged Little Pill the Musical)- Antonio Cipriano
- Down To Earth– Peter Gabriel, Soweto Gospel Choir
These playlists are the tunes I walk to as I try to walk a thousand miles in someone else’s shoes.
Paige
The Home Paige 
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