Discovering new music can be exciting but difficult to navigate. Many people don’t know where to start on a journey of discovering their music taste beyond what’s played on the radio. Thankfully, RedHawk Radio’s music committee works hard to introduce listeners to different songs and promote lesser known artists.
Much like Spotify’s personalized Discover Weekly playlist, music committee creates a monthly discover playlist. We decided to look into the one for February, and we realized that our taste in music varied from theirs. Even though that can be a little bit off-putting, it is always better to explore and find out what genres and artists you enjoy.
Mark's Take
The music I listen to is usually rap and pop. Some of my favorite artists are J. Cole, Rod Wave and Polo G. Recently, though, I have been looking for some new study music. By listening to the February discover playlist, I hoped to discover new artists and styles of music.
I didn’t recognize most of the artists besides Arctic Monkeys, Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller. At first, the music wasn’t the style or vibe I normally listen to, but I warmed up to it. The music in the playlist is slower than the music I usually listen to, but by listening to it more, I began to appreciate the slower music and enjoyed the different styles.
While listening to the playlist, I discovered some new songs and was inspired to explore some of the artists. One song that I particularly liked was “Ballroom Extravaganza” by DPR IAN. The song has an indie-rock feel to it. I can hear the passion in his voice as he sings, which I like about the song. This inspired me to explore more of DPR IAN’s music. I ended up really enjoying his music and found other great songs like “Calico” and “Sometimes I’m.”
After discovering DPR IAN, I did some research. He is an Australian singer and a former member of a boy group called C-Clown. Following their breakup, he co-founded his own label called Dream Perfect Regime, or DPR. Learning about his backstory made me like his music even more. Finding a new style of music was what I wanted from this playlist and that is exactly what I discovered.
Through the playlist, I discovered new music to get me through the busy semester. I have always been hesitant to explore new music, but I stepped out of my comfort zone and discovered new artists. This inspired me to continue exploring new music, and I look forward to listening to the March Discover playlist.
Ava's Take
I normally listen to pop music from when I was growing up — songs that I jammed to with my best friends when I was younger. Artists like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and One Direction have always been a staple. The tracks in the February discover playlist are far from the pop music that I am accustomed to. I really wanted to write an article on discovering new music because I am on a mission to find something new. I want to leave behind the music I have been listening to for years and start a new era of listening for myself.
When looking through the playlist, I found some artists that I was familiar with such as Björk, Arctic Monkeys, Mac Miller and The Smashing Pumpkins. So instead of listening to one of those artists, I decided to look into one that I had never heard of before. Choosing one artist helped me to explain what I liked about the music in a concise manner. I will admit I was pretty vain in choosing a song, basing it off of a pretty album cover or a cool name, but I did listen to the entire album before making a decision.
“Tried and True” by Ween appealed to me as someone who particularly cares about lyrics. Before even listening to the song, I looked at the lyrics to make sure that they would resonate with me.
This song is very deep with its theme of realizing the love of the universe. Even if you’re not spiritual or religious, I encourage you to listen to the song. It’s wonderful to ponder creation and existence (even if it is sort of scary), but this song encourages us to not be afraid to think about that. The song assures us of the love expressed by the universe, and I find that comforting.
Even though I am not musically inclined, I enjoyed listening to the song. Music has the ability to move us in different ways and I believe this song did move me.
In the future, I will listen to more Ween and take suggestions from the RedHawk Radio’s music committee.
Joint Takeaway
Exploring new music can be a daunting activity, but it's a rewarding experience. Finding new artists and songs can broaden our horizons and introduce us to new musical styles, and we’ll never know if we like something until we listen to it. After this experience, we would recommend giving RedHawk Radio’s monthly discover playlist a try. Music committee has good taste, and the playlist offers a lot of different styles to listen to. Take a leap and push outside your comfort zone!