For this week’s challenge, I decided to broaden my horizons by listening to music genres I have never even considered listening to before. With this challenge, I was taken out of my comfort zone with the music Spotify suggested to me. However, I have now found a new love for some of the songs that I listened to over the past five days. What this challenge taught me was to experiment with different genres, no matter how much I found them cringe-worthy or not worth listening to before.
Day One: Dance/Electronica
What better way to start off a Monday than listening to dance/electronica music to uplift the soul? Sango’s “Engenho da Rainha” was definitely a song that allured to my senses. The heavy Latin drums and guitar mixed with the “Babyface” sample, along with the song’s smooth crescendo, felt like a euphoric out-of-body experience. The smooth transition between the R&B/Hip-Hop and Latin trap beats exist to create a song that can either be used to chill or dance to in a serene setting.
Rate: 5/5
Day Two: Alternative Rock
Tuesday was a little edgy for me so what better way to end it with an alternative rock song? The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony” was definitely a mood for the day. The symphonic chords mixed with the bass guitar and drums gives a bluesy yet powerful punch to the song. The lyrics not only flow well with the instruments and orchestra, but contain a powerful message about how cruel and awful life is.
Rate: 4.5/5
Day Three: Classical
Wednesday was a little bit calmer, so listening to classical music was the route to go for this day. “A Model of the Universe” by Jóhann Jóhannson is a brilliantly composed and orchestrated song. The soft piano playing within the first minute and a half then ending with a decrescendo into the strums of the harp was ultimately soothing to the senses.
Rate: 5/5
Day Four: K-Pop
Thursday: One day closer to Friday (a.k.a. the weekend)! To match my high-energy mood for the day, I listened to K-Pop (short for Korean Pop). Super Junior’s “Sorry Sorry” was a high-energy song mixed with contemporary R&B and funk beats. Although I couldn’t understand what was said in the song, I couldn’t help but jam to the song’s blasting techno funk beats.
Rate: 4.0/5
Day Five: Indie
Finally, indie music was the way to go to lead into the weekend. On Friday, I listened to Dreamer Boy’s “Falling for the Wrong One.” The song starts off like a Beach Boys or Beatles song, then finishes off with a disco/80s beat. While the lyrics of the song are pretty gloomy, the song’s psychedelic chords are enough to put one in a trance with the smooth melody permeating the music.
Rate: 4.8/5