I have pretty lukewarm feelings about summer. Mainly because it's always way too hot to function and sometimes breathing in walls of dust isn't exactly fun. But one thing I do enjoy are summer mixes. There is just a different vibe to them compared to any other mixes made through the year. Sometimes they can be fun and upbeat and other times they can be chilled out and relaxed. This one is more chilled out and relaxed. Mix no. 17 was inspired by long, dreamy summer days. The days where nothing sounds better than relaxing in the pool with a cold beverage. Sadly that's not plausible every day, but still, I wanted this mix to have that feel.

As I sit here writing this I can't help but wonder where half of the year went. It seems like just 5 minutes ago I was really hopeful about the year ahead, and now that's half over I feel pretty bummed out. I'm definitely not anywhere close to where I thought I would be 6 months ago, but I guess that's how life works. Posting another What I'm Listening To after just posting one last month seems like a bit of a cop-out, but I have a good reason. There have been so many good new releases this past month and just some songs I've had on heavy rotation lately. 

I truly can't believe it's (almost) June. On the one hand, I'm excited about all the new music June is bringing (Hello, new Father John Misty!) but on the other hand, I'm incredibly bummed. Mainly because I feel like much of my time is being wasted by situations out of my control. It doesn't matter what I try that feeling just doesn't go away. Rather than keep harping on it, I'll get to the point of this post: my current playlist. Ultimately I try to make playlists sparingly. The more you make, the more mediocre they become sometimes. I know that is a bold statement considering my mission to create a monthly themed mix for this blog.

Happy Memorial Day fellow Americans. It's the unofficial start to summer and that gave me an idea. There has always been a "song of the summer" every year since they began tracking songs way back in 1959. The Song of the Summer is chosen every year based on chart performance data. Usually, by the 3 or so week of summer, the song is usually apparent whether we like it or not. Just think about how many times Despacito was played last year. Of course, throughout nearly 60 years of keeping track, there have been good ones, bad ones, and annoying ones.

Obviously, I grew up in the 90s and teen movies taught me everything I thought I needed to know about life. Long gone were the days of watching the 80s teen movies my mom loved (and would watch constantly). It was time for me to learn about what being a hip, cool teen in the 90s/early 00s was going to be all about. There was cliques, dating, proms, and everything in between. I spent many years, as did most people, soaking up these movies although my high school experience truly was nothing like these. While the high school experience wasn't exactly translated perfectly to real life, the music is what truly made these movies awesome.

Another month has come and gone. Right now I would be in the midst of making a birthday playlist filled with popular songs from times gone by. Usually, 90s music from that reminds me of when I was younger and life didn't seem so hard. I definitely don't feel inspired to make one this year (hello sad funk). But, I figured another installment of What I'm Listening To was in order.

This is my very first blog post on my new domain name. Although I fear I may end up changing it once more before anyone even reads this. Choosing a domain name is hard. Mostly because I have to define what this blog is about while making people interested. Some people are really good at nailing this, and I'm just not. But Nicole, you are a marketer. You should be able to sell your personal brand better than anyone! Yeah, I wish that was true. I might be able to sell others, but selling myself is a little different. How do you define yourself in a short, catchy name?

We spend so much of our lives curating the person we want others to see, and sometimes it can feel draining. Not to mention when you hit emotional lows and feel like you just can't really show that to other people. It's almost like the masks I (we) continually wear have just been exposed revealing far too much to the outside world. This feels way too deep for a measly little post about a playlist I made, but hey what can you do?

Now, how did I stumble on such a niche theme like love songs from the 1970s? It's relatively simple: Fondue parties. Oh yes, that wonderful, dinner party staple from the 1970s is back. Okay, maybe it's just back for my friends and myself, but I've been to a few fondue parties in 2018 so that's where I got this idea. It came to me because while enjoying melted delicacies with a long stick dipped into a hot pot, we frequently listen to music from the 1970s. Get where I'm going with this?