Music Prompt? Music Thingy!
Let’s Make a Playlist Together (Totally Not for Selfish Reasons, I Swear…)
At work a few weeks ago, I was using that Spotify DJ thing, the AI tool that slightly bugs me on principle, but not enough for me to boycott it. (You know the one?) Anyway, I was jamming out to songs I was familiar with, a few new ones, and then all of a sudden, I was stopped in my tracks.
A complete tone shift, the voice crooning in my ear was so utterly different from all that had come before. It was beautiful. Rough, raw, familiar too. Acoustic guitar, no drums, a lot of space to breathe, and soul-touching. I felt an empty cup inside myself begin to fill as the song unfolded. It was a magnificent moment. One of those “oh I can’t multi-task to this, can I?” moments. One of those moments I’ll remember for a while.
It got me thinking, too. Have any of you experienced this? Perhaps not with one hundred percent similarity to what I described, but close enough. Has there been a song that wowed you, even one you’d heard before, but never quite in this way?
Music is weird. It's weird how the same song can ebb and flow, being good one day and maybe, kinda sucking the next day. And lately, I’ve had a difficult time finding music I like. Like, I like a lot of music, most, I’d like to think, but for some reason, I don’t gravitate toward anything in particular. (Can we stop to appreciate how many "likes" I just used there? Moment of silence, if you please... Thank you.)
Because I work alone and need some kind of external motivator, music is kinda make or break my work day. I'm always on the hunt for a good playlist. What’s will energize, interest, and not annoy me?
And then I thought, let me turn this into a community activity. Because music is better with friends.
The Task
Send me a song that completely stops you in your tracks. Specifically, one that gets your attention after you’ve been listening to great songs for a while. The kind of song that you go, “whoa I didn’t realize it was that good until I had something to compare it to.”
Send me a song like that. (And, you know, think about it for a bit.)
Want to write an article about your song? Go for it. You could also just write a comment, though. No specs except for: I must have a link!
If I get enough for a 45 minute or longer playlist, so about twelve songs, I will make a playlist on Spotify and YouTube and share it in a new post. Feel free to write as much or as little as you want on why you chose the song you did. Note: this does not need to be your favorite song.
Here is mine, to start us off: Blue is the Eye by Ye Vagabonds.
I want this to be worth your time, so I’ll tip my favorites. Nothing exorbitant; it’s not a writing challenge, after all. But I’m very much looking forward to your responses! When I get the sense that the participation is waning, I’ll send the tips out. If you want to publish this as a Vocal Story, please do, but it isn’t necessary for the basic request of this prompt; a comment with a link will do just fine.
Not only will I get a work playlist out of this, I’ll be getting to know you all better too. What a lovely thought. ❤️
Cheers!
A/N: I know I'm posting more often than my pivot indicated. My schedule is all wonky and I'm just trying to embrace my chaos until things settle. It's just...gonna be weird for a while.
About the Creator
Mackenzie Davis
“When you are describing a shape, or sound, or tint, don’t state the matter plainly, but put it in a hint. And learn to look at all things with a sort of mental squint.” Lewis Carroll
Find me elsewhere.
Copyright Mackenzie Davis.
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Comments (32)
So...been listening to this a lot. One of my favourite bands of the last few years...their first single from their forthcoming album (Going to get tickets to see them in October - I think) Starburster by Fontaines D.C. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHocVRUlvkk
Good Idea
I've been thinking about this for a looong time. There are just so many. I finally decided this one stands out because: I was a Simon & Garfunkel fan from "way back" and was never a metal fan. A friend finally convinced me to listen to Disturbed's version of The Sound of Silence. The emotion in this is absolutely chilling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4
Love this idea!! I am so in awe of this song both lyrically and how passionately it is sung. https://youtu.be/QBK6xymmKHM?si=4jupdnQzsZPZatDh
Congrats on Top Story! :)
Khurangbin - People Everywhere (Still Alive) 🥰
LP’s live cover of Beyoncé’s “Halo” gave me chills, and I’m not saying that as a figure of speech. My body physically responded to the beauty. https://youtu.be/L6X0PqIWfzQ?si=F_PSNQpsoU3VbIvr
Congrats on TS! Great prompt. These songs came pretty easy for me and span several eras and genres. I could come up with a bunch more... Places and Spaces - Donald Byrd Crucify - Tori Amos Arms of a Woman - Amos Lee Hypnotize - Sleep Token Over the Moon & Under the Stars - Angela Bofill After Hours - Swing Out Sister (stay with it - the coda is amazing) Can't Let Go - Lucinda Williams Windowpane - Opeth
This is fabulous! Congrats on the top story. I will kick it around, music is such a transporter
I love this idea! I'll have to think on this one! What a lovely duration, MacKenzie! A well deserved top story! ❤️❤️❤️
When you first posted this, I got excited and wanted to contribute immediately. And then of course, life happened, and I forgot. Thank goodness this got Top Story! (Congrats 🤗) I decided to make an actual story because I got so inspired: https://vocal.media/beat/will-we-know-when-the-end-is-near
Roads by Portishead: https://open.spotify.com/track/2sW8fmnISifQTRgnRrQTYW?si=IpaIveamQL-YC0dS3D4D2w Congrats on Top Story!! This has happened to me a handful of times, one being with this song above. Her voice gives me chills, and the instrumental is just heavenly. “Retrograde” by James Blake is the most recent experience I had with this! Also such an amazing song. I love the haunting beauty of both these tracks so much, they remind me of how essential music is to life. https://open.spotify.com/track/2IqjKEBiz0CdLKdkXhxw84?si=VW-bXk8JTt-ShqbuhDUZ2g
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
https://youtu.be/MQuxz-veOdY?si=MW5ZEyWMB9dd6uxR "Thang" by Esperanza Spalding was released in/around 2018. In short, this song is about loosening up those hips and walking in your own unique stride and just doing your own 'thang.' Esperanza's voice is amazing. She sings in crystal-clear tones and hits those high notes to perfection. Esperanza Spalding says, "For moving into the fullness of one’s individuality, their “thang” expressed in the unique gait of an uninhibited stride."
Well, I enjoyed the one you chose, so that's a good start! This is a tough ne for me, not because I can't think of one, but that so many come to mind. I'll give it some thought.
Also, congrats on top story!
I love this idea! The song that will always stop me in my tracks is Saturn by Sleeping At Last. One of the reasons it's so personal is that I was introduced to it a few months after a friend passed away, and it was like he was reaching out to me through the lyrics in that moment. It was a long time before I could listen to it without sobbing, and even now it makes my heart twist a little. But it's also just a really, really good song. There are others too but that one gets me every time! I have a whole playlist for the ones that really get to me haha. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7t5qM3MUzOeDJl888uw6Vo?si=87fa108558c84f6b
Yay! Congrats on a Top Story!
Oh, I've got one. I love a good Broadway musical and one of my favorites is Waitress. I'm a big fan of the whole soundtrack but one of my favorite songs is Bad Idea. My favorite version is from the 2023 Waitress: The Musical sung by Charity Angel Dawson. Her voice is just so incredibly soulful and she puts her own flavor in it. Unfortunately, its not on Spotify. The best video I've found is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxJIprvPNTU If you want the song on Spotify, Keala Settle sings it and does a great job as well.
Congrats on the TS. Now, let's see what you've got here.
Congrats on Top Story, Mackenzie!
Okay… maybe one more? Different vibe… but absolutely heart connecting… https://open.spotify.com/track/2tRxHjEkdgGMv9kZbOyqOH?si=ltbYEgWMQga61CMKmYRI_w
It’s hard to narrow down to just one track, I have so many. Music is everything in my world. It always has been. There are still a few that stop me completely in my tracks - no matter how many times I hear them…. This is one; https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZilhIkx5dOgRSi7GdnKqp?si=DVzbKvXKSKeB5OOtOStVtw
I run a regular (roughly weekly) playlist largely devoted to bands and artists local to me. One of the first tracks I wrote about was this beauty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A73yMsJcPU I just find it haunting, I love the northern accent in her voice and the video is great fun too (full disclosure, I slightly know the puppet theatre that shot the video with her).
Hmmm, I don't know if I have a song like that. I'll have to think about it hehehe