Buzz
Struggling to articulate your feelings? Embrace the universal language of emotional playlists. As a society, we often waste energy showcasing 'aesthetic' music preferences. Instead, we should focus on crafting deeply personal, emotion-driven playlists. Let’s shed the fear of seeming uncool and start collaborating on these playlists with friends, family, partners, rivals, and anyone else who knows how to use Spotify’s collaboration feature.
Defining a “Great” Playlist
I’m done pretending playlists must serve any purpose beyond evoking childhood nostalgia, heart-wrenching breakups, or monumental reunions (real or fictional). For me, a standout playlist could be as straightforward as twenty acoustic renditions of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well.” Writing this paragraph took fifteen minutes because I kept pausing to relive the emotional intensity of that bridge, over and over.
While Spotify’s “blend” feature is handy for discovering shared musical tastes, don’t overlook the thoughtfulness of manually crafting a collaborative playlist. Unlocking shared memories through music holds immense power. Plus, I’ve stopped worrying about whether my Spotify Wrapped appears “cool”—I lost that battle the year I ranked in the top 0.1% of Lin Manuel Miranda listeners.
I’m not alone in advocating for emotionally-driven collaborative playlists: Science backs me up. Music is a vehicle for spreading “emotional contagion,” a phenomenon Psychology Today describes as the ability of music to evoke the same emotions in listeners simply by conveying them. With this insight, the best move is to create a shared playlist that overwhelms your loved ones with profound emotions.
Music fosters connection
Music’s unique power to unite people transcends physical distance. In a WIRED article, journalist Amy Paturel explored how a collaborative playlist helped her family feel connected to her late father. To begin, Paturel asked her relatives two questions: “Which songs remind you of Dad?” and “Do you associate specific memories with each song on your list?”
As part of her research, Paturel consulted anthropologist and Boston University professor Luke Glowacki, who explains that “music activates the brain’s emotional core and is deeply linked to memory. Hearing a song can instantly evoke the emotions and experiences tied to past moments when you heard it. It’s a direct sensory reaction, unlike spoken language.” Paturel also references studies, such as one published in American Psychology, which highlight music’s role in strengthening social bonds, even across physical distances. In short, music unites people.
How to enhance your playlist
Let’s embark on a journey—more specifically, a flight. This idea comes from Bobby Carter, an NPR Tiny Desk producer, who suggests structuring your playlists like a flight:
Think of a plane’s journey: it takes off, cruises at altitude, and then lands smoothly. This arc should guide your playlist’s structure. Consider the role each song plays, then arrange them to create a seamless flow. This approach can also spark new song ideas, as your mind begins to fit tracks into specific sections of the journey.
Pay special attention to the advice about defining each song’s role. Instead of naming your playlist something vague like “mood” or “vibe,” try pinpointing the exact emotion. Is it nostalgia? Longing? Unreciprocated love? (And no, I’m not projecting—why do you ask?)
My suggestion is to brainstorm a central theme or question for your playlist, similar to Paturel’s “Which song reminds you of Dad?” Here are some straightforward prompts to get you started:
traveling back in time to comfort my younger self
realizing the love of your life has been by your side all along
feeling the wind rush through your fingers during a cross-country drive in a borrowed car with an unexpected group of friends who’ve become your ride-or-die crew
if these songs aren’t played at my funeral, I’ll come back to haunt you
the instant you understood your parents were imperfect humans, just like everyone else
this heartbreak is made-up, but the emotions it stirs are genuine
pump-up tracks to get you ready for the game
These are just a few spontaneous ideas. At its core, a shared playlist is about bonding with someone special and reliving memories unique to your relationship. So, fire up that group chat and prepare for an emotional journey. After all, that’s what music is truly about.
How to begin collaborating on your playlist
Unlike the automated “blend” feature, creating a collaborative playlist involves handpicking each track. This feature is available on most streaming platforms. Here’s how to do it on Spotify:
Choose the playlist you want to collaborate on (note: you must be the owner).
Click the Add user button in the header to enable collaboration.
Invite others to contribute songs or podcast episodes via social media, messaging apps, or by sharing the playlist link.
For those still worried about appearing trendy, here’s a final tip: Keep your playlist titles in lowercase. This carefully crafted casual style is what’s popular among younger generations, and we must trust their judgment—after all, if we don’t, how will we recognize when we’ve become uncool?
Enjoy your listening experience, and more importantly, embrace the emotions it brings.
