STOP PLAYLIST-SHAMING!

I was watching some series a friend of mine had suggested for me called High Fidelity. First episode was just meh, took me weeks to get myself to watch the second episode. When I finally watched episode 2, I fell in love with it, right at the beginning, Zoe Kravitz said something that caught my attention.She was talking about music and playlists. These were her words, 

" Making a playlist is a delicate art, it's like writing a love letter or better in a way. You get to say what you want without actually saying it, you get to use someone else's poetry to express how you feel...The most important track is number one, it's gotta be familiar but also unexpected, most importantly its gotta make you feel good".

Her words took me back to high school when I got my first phone.'I was happy' would be an understatement. I was elated. I could finally get my own memory chip, load some music and 'gospel videos', buy earphones and transcend into another world. An imaginary world. With the right playlist, walking a distance of 10km+ to and from Matoranhembe High School wouldn't be problem.Music made me feel high, I felt good deep inside. I liked listening to Move Your Body by Beyonce, it made me feel like I was dancing yet I knew I was just fast pacing to get to school on time.I could break free from reality, feel the tension being released from within and heal. Most of all I could dream. Music worked like magic then and it still does.

Music is a universal language. Songs are a form of art, lyrical poems that are meant to be appreciated by people who relate or just enjoy what's being communicated.You are supposed to identify something that speaks directly to you for you to truly enjoy music. Under no circumstances should anyone be expected to listen to music that they fail to connect to, I mean, it defies the very purpose of its existence in the human society. There is a reason why music has been around for 35-40 000years now.

The main problem we have today is 'playlist-shaming'. As always I'm not sure if it's a thing but I defined it as making someone feel other than or less of a human being because of the music they listen to or artist whose work of lyrical art they resonate with the most. It has been happening over the years, I'm sure, but it has never been taken quite seriously. Well, this is me taking it serious because it's not cool, at all.If you listen to Gospel, or it's Pop, Jazz, Sungura, Rock, Deep House, Indie Pop and/or any other genre, it should do one thing. Make you feel good. If you are a guy and you are a big NF fan, there is no need to restrict yourself from listening to Ariana or Jah Prayzah if you feel like it. I have actually realized that playlist-shaming is mostly common among men, they dis each other's music.It appears its socially unacceptable for a guy to subscribe to an artist that does not affirm their manhood.

I remember asking my cousin why he didn't like soft music, he responded, "...it makes us(men) feel vulnerable and guys don't like feeling vulnerable."Of course our immature society still believes that emotions are for women only, there are feminine and men don't do feminine. Such toxic masculinity! I guess 'real men' listen to sexist, misogynistic and homophobic music.Again, toxic masculinity in its purest form. Personally I have what i call a 'hybrid playlist', it includes all songs that i dig regardless of genre or the popularity of the artist. Is the music speaking to me? Do i like the vibe? Those are the only questions that matter.I try not to let society dictate who I listen to , why I listen to them and you should try that as well. Music is highly personal and it's highly inappropriate for anyone to mess with your personal space, not even your loved ones. Listen to who and what makes you feel good. Lizzo, Kwaye, Hopsin. Chiwoniso, Beyonce, Lil Baby, Hozier, Hugh Masekela...the list is inexhaustable, the point is if you are feeling it then go for it.Whatever the next person thinks is their business. To hell with fitting in when it means giving up your happiness while you are at it.

I'm aware that we usually don't give that much thought to what is in our playlists but it's imperative we do. Music shapes cultures, personalities and/or politics.It perpetuates ideas of feminism, sexism, homophobia, misogyny, spiritualism, individualism and many other important aspects about the human society. Music is a big deal and so should be your playlist. In a way it's a reflection of your true self, treat it with that much importance.

I know I might sound trivial but think about it, take a close look at your playlist. Is it really yours? Do you fully enjoy it as you should? Were you not bullied into downloading that song? Just make sure you are the owner of your playlist, own it and don't let anyone shame it!