The art of making a playlist is an intricate and intimate affair—except in the cases of when it’s not, and organizing songs is purely a casual pastime. Whether you use Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, whatever the case may be, the ability to curate playlists unlock a whole new way to listen to music. One is constantly on the lookout for new songs, or hearing old ones in a different perspective when polishing off a new playlist. 

But of course, the way an individual looks for new songs or reorganizes already familiar ones is all according to what the goals of their new playlists are. Is it a dance set? What about a mixtape for the month, or a soundtrack for a special someone? Playlists are versatile—no two people go about creating them in the same way. 

Arcadia High School senior Kristina Ma prefers to “organize [her] Spotify playlists by the season” and listen to the music selected “during those several months.” She also noted that “the songs [she] listens to during that period don’t have to coincide with the season, but they most often do.”

Ma also shared that she has some “scatter playlists organized by mood” something that her friend and fellow senior, Marissa Pysher, have in common. Pysher starts by “making a new playlist every month to ensure that [she] never gets tired of the songs [she] finds.” From these she selects songs to add to “bigger playlists based on mood, season, activities, and even the weather” like her “its raining! <3” playlist. 

Mood seems to be a big factor for many people when they are curating a playlist—Junior Sophia Nuñez included.  Nuñez shared that she also enjoys creating playlists based on particular feelings and phrases, always prioritizing “mood over genre” since “organizing by genre can be too restricting and boring.” 

While considering the overall mood and vibe of playlists are important, I prefer to organize my songs by genre or dedicate a playlist to a single artist. One of my favorite playlists I’ve made is called “Carly Rae and the Guilty 2010s” which includes an abundance of my favorite Carly Rae Jepson songs and a variety of overly cheesy love ballads from the 2010s, although I’ve snuck some 2000s songs in too. 

Playlists add a level of creativity to one’s music taste–they elevate someone from just having a good ear to having good taste. Music is so vast and interpretive, but how one organizes their favorite songs reveals their unique understanding of those songs and allows them to further connect with music. 

Photo courtesy of Norbert Buduczki