I Used to Hate This Song

The Prompt

You had strong opinions about this song. None of them were good. Now you’re turning it up, singing along, and hoping nobody remembers what you said.

Tell us the true story of how it won you over. Maybe someone played it for you at just the right moment, a live performance changed your mind, or you finally understood a lyric you’d been rolling your eyes at for years. It might have taken one listen in a different setting or a thousand reluctant ones.

What bothered you about it then, and what do you love about it now? You don’t have to defend your entire music taste. Just explain this one suspicious addition to your playlist.

In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:

• A nonfiction piece about music (any style or structure is welcome)
• Between 600 and 3,000 words.
• Submitted to the Beat community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
• Submitted before December 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
• Your work must be original and unpublished.

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $1000
• 4 Winners: $200 each
• 10 Honorable Mentions: $15 each

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 3,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until December 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The I Used to Hate This Song Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.

To be eligible to win, you must be over the age of 13 and reside in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.