Editor’s note: “Homebody” is a column that explores the role of the body as our home and a bridge between current and past versions of ourselves. Who have we become, and how did we get to now? In this edition, columnist Julia Neville explains how her comprehensive playlist, spanning over six years, is the throughline between her high school and college selves.
A few days ago, I asked one of my close friends, Lena, to describe my brand identity. I was curious to know, in her opinion, how she thinks I market myself to people — from the perspective of the perceiver, what attributes are central to my image and reputation?
Lena immediately launched into a social nuance of mine: how I’m a very bubbly, outgoing person, yet am intentional about the people and organizations I spend my time nurturing. An accurate observation.
She continued by calling me witty. As flattered as I was, I egged her on: “And? You’re missing something huge.”
“Well, you’re a huge music nerd,” Lena said.
Bingo.
Over the past few years, I’ve made music my whole personality and brand. Ask me for a fun fact about myself, and I’ll proudly tell you I’ve been adding to a 9,000-and-counting playlist for nearly six years.
Since Aug. 1, 2019, I’ve collected songs in a comprehensive Spotify playlist called “i like these songs,” which currently holds 9,035 tracks and is over 535 hours long. As its name implies, this dense archive is my library of music.
“I like these songs” is as eclectic and expansive as the curator herself: my playlist spans genres and includes tunes from one-hit wonders, pop sensations, and local artists alike. There’s space for the 65 musicians I’ve seen in concert and for artists I’ll never meet, with Spotify being our only overlap.
Keeping track of my music consumption since age 15 binds me to every version of Julia between then and now — the playlist is a tangible record of how my taste has changed and expanded, and a reminder of the formative moments behind each song. When I shuffle through my playlist daily, I’m reacquainted with songs I haven’t heard in years, and occasionally ones I can’t remember adding.
Most songs, however, are instantly recognizable because of their intimate connotations. Every night as a kid, I’d fall asleep in my mom’s arms listening to Norah Jones’ 2002 album, “Come Away with Me.” When I can’t fall asleep or am simply feeling sentimental, I’ll put on “Don’t Know Why” as a nod to my childhood self.
The ability to revisit moments from the past through music reinforces the idea that the body is a home: in this context, it is the dwelling place for our memories. This intention to create more memories, oftentimes layered on top of the same songs, fuels my musical discovery.
Seeking out tunes through every conceivable channel has made me a more attentive listener — and a bit of a lingerer. I pause in grocery stores to Shazam songs, take note of standout music supervision in cinema, and comb through Instagram stories in search of striking sounds.
Yet the most rewarding way to discover music is live — whether through shows, banter, or both. These human interactions transform the process from passive listening into an active experience.
Sometimes these interactions are casual, routine, and ingrained in existing relationships. My friends and I will take turns queueing songs, perusing one another’s playlists together, and incorporating new songs we’ve stumbled upon into our catch-ups. One of my hometown friends, Autumn, showed me Goldie Boutilier’s “Cowboy Gangster Politician” this way.
Other times, music becomes a first impression and a catalyst for conversation. Sometimes I’ll recognize a song, in which case I’ll compliment the TOASTED. barista on aux for exposing bagel lovers to “Girl Sailor” by The Shins. When my Shazam fails me or I’m feeling chatty, I’ll ask and learn that the hot Ellensburg bartender (and UW alum) has curated an ambiance around “Why Why Why Why Why” by Sault.
My passion for music discovery is as much internal as it is external — “i like these songs” is an extension of my style and a platform for my individuality. I use the playlist as a way to not only remember people and experiences, but also resonate with past versions of myself when I hear the sonic backdrop of my memories.
By adding each song in the order I discovered or rediscovered it, “i like these songs” becomes a chronological record of documentation. From album releases to a 2019 summer of Surfaces and Ashe and every phase of music in between, each era of my changing taste is preserved in sequence.
In high school, I still remember rediscovering “My Sharona” by The Knack, a song buried deep in the archives of my adolescence. I was alone on the beach post-shift, eating dinner, when I realized I knew the song and started dancing in the sand.
Other songs are deeply emblazoned in my brain; I can’t remember rediscovering them because they’ve been constants during my coming of age. Björk's “Human Behavior” and The Cure’s “Lullaby” will always bring me back to age 10, when I’d sit with my dad in the office in our St. Paul house and watch the music videos to his favorite songs on an old model of a desktop Mac.
In recent years, I’ve developed routines tailored to the music I’ve discovered on my own. When I’m preparing for interviews, I always play “Consideration” by Rihanna ft. SZA. Any Elliott Smith song, specifically “Ballad of Big Nothing,” prolongs my emotional overload. When I want to recommend a new band to my friends, I refer them to Star Parks or Babe Rainbow. Lady Gaga’s versatility makes her entire discography a go-to on any occasion — need I say more?
“I like these songs” was created by a 15-year-old girl who’d just finished her freshman year of high school. I was working my first job cleaning houses and needed some background music to motivate me. I never intended for this playlist to continue serving me, over half a decade and nearly 10K songs (Spotify’s limit per playlist) later.
Yet here I am as a 21-year-old junior in college, a self-proclaimed Wasian Lane Kim who makes music her whole personality — we already established that Lena agrees with this label.
When “i like these songs” reaches 10K songs, best believe we’re throwing a party.
Reach columnist Julia Neville at opinion@dailyuw.com. X: @juliaaclare7. Bluesky: @juliaaclare.bsky.social.
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