Keeping up with trends can be hard sometimes, and music is no exception. Sometimes, there can be so much new music released within such a short amount of time, that it can be overwhelming and you may not know where to start. Other times, maybe you’re still bumping that one classic project just because it’s that damn good, thus making it hard to take out of your rotation. Of course, it could also be because maybe you’re not just aware of the new music that’s out there.
In the streaming era of music, playlists are slowly becoming a legitimate barometer for what’s hot and what’s not. In an interview with Tuma Basa, the curator for Spotify’s Rap Caviar playlist, Genius noted several hit rap songs that were placed in Rap Caviar months before they became chart-topping singles. Much like how streaming has become the most convenient way to listen to music, curated playlists are becoming the most convenient way to stream and find new music.
I’ve personally found myself listening to more and more curated playlists after realizing I’ve been bumping too much of the same ol’ same ol’, which isn’t inherently wrong, but a part of that is because sometimes I don’t even know what to listen to when I open my music app half the time. I usually just replay the last album I listened to most recently.
When it comes to looking for the ideal playlist for you, you have to find what type of music you’re looking for obviously. The majority of what I listen to is Hip-Hop and R&B. Although both are technically two separate genres, but have historically been so intertwined with each other thanks to similar influences, crossover stars, and collabs, that their considered to essentially be in the same music family. However, since they’re still different, finding playlists with both of them combined are a little tricky, but I do have one go-to.
Hip-hop/R&B Nation is a playlist that I found to be perfect to get a look at what’s blowing up these two respective music forms. It’s not just limited to today’s popular artists though. They throw in plenty of throwback hits, and if you’ve might even be surprised how smooth “Legacy” from Faith Evans and Biggie Smalls can transition into “Relationship” by Young Thug and Future. I like variety in my music, so that’s something I definitely look for in any playlist I want to listen to.
Playlists are also great for discovering new songs and artists. I have a bad habit of sticking to the same collection of artists, or sometimes when I do listen to someone new, it’s usually a local artists. Playlists can help put you on what the rest of the country is listening to, and has actually put me on to some of my favorite new artists like NBA YoungBoy and SahBabii.
Don’t sleep on curated playlists just because you think that industry guys are behind them, which surprisingly is not always true and are actually curated by music vets, such as writers or even artists themselves, who are just junkies for new music. They were made with the intention of being attracting new listeners to new music. Even if you don’t like some of the songs, odds are that there are going to be a few that catch your ear. Once that happens, then you can even earn that awesome self-righteous feeling that every hardcore music fan seeks, which that you were able to listen to the game’s biggest and best starts before they blew up.
