Welcome to my new column, Musical Personalities! In this series I’m going to be thinking about the way a person’s music taste can represent their personality through analyzing some of my friends’ favorite songs. I’m starting off with my friend A.M (initials for some anonymity). When I think of A.M I think of sunsets, warm tea, and deep conversations. She has a very vibrant and sentimental personality and the songs she picked for her top 3 definitely reflect that.

On Track – Tame Impala

Starting off with this song, it right away made me feel nostalgic. To me, it sounds like a song that would play in an indie movie as the main character rides their bike down the streets of their city with the sunset behind them right after some big conflict in the plot of the film. This song starts slower, feeling more introspective and mystical with the few piano notes and some sound effects in the background and the reverb on the vocals. Eventually, as the song continues and more elements come in, we get to the chorus, where the drums really start kicking in, and the energy of the song grows. There is an ebb and flow between the quieter, more mystical, parts of this song and the stronger, more powerful sections of it for the rest of the song, giving it a feeling of calm and collected ambition. This song sounds like it knows any challenges I may be facing and is willing to keep going with me as I face them, which exactly matches how A.M makes me feel.

This Side of Paradise – Coyote Theory

This song perfectly represents bittersweet romance in a hopeless romantic way. The drums and bass building in the background of this song create a sense of urgency leading up to the breakdown in the chorus, where the singer’s sentimental yet strong voice depicts a fervent feeling of longing. My favorite line is “So if you’re lonely no need to show me, if you’re lonely come be lonely with me.”  This line feels like the kind of friendship where you know you can talk about any of your problems, but you can also just sit on your own within the same room, creating a sense of unspoken connection.

Tired – Adele

This song has a pretty different energy than the others. It sounds more upbeat and lively, which contradicts with the bittersweet lyrics. To me, this song sounds like walking outside on a rare warm day during winter, still in a bit of an upset mindset but trying to continue and do the things you know will make you happy, like seeing other friends and being in the sunshine. This song feels hopeful and independently strong, just like A.M.

Overall, I think all of these songs depicted strong feelings, and/or reminiscing on these feelings, with a common theme of nostalgia and compassion. A.M is a person I have always felt really cares for the people around her and feels things strongly. She’s an excellent listener and seems to effortlessly comprehend your feelings without needing too much explanation. She radiates warmth and comfort in a subtle way and I think all these songs do her wonderful personality justice.

I hope you all enjoyed this column! See you in two weeks for a look at another musical personality! 😀