Life works better when accompanied by music

March 28, 2023 — by Michelle Wan
Graphic by Michelle Wan
Listening to music is euphoric.
I didn't become addicted to music; instead, I have chosen to make it a way of life.

Imagine this: You’re peacefully sleeping when all of a sudden, the obnoxious beeping of an alarm clock jolts you awake. While you still haven’t fully awoken, your arm sluggishly moves to your bedside table as you palm your phone. Sitting snugly in your ear, an AirPod from the night before begins playing the tunes of one of your countless sad playlists on Spotify.

This has been my morning ritual for the past few years.

On most weekdays, I typically listen to up to seven hours of music. Classes are unbearable without the comfort of Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, and numerous other artists feeding directly into my ear like caffeine after a sleepless night. 

Unfortunately, a single AirPod only holds so much battery and usually dies by noon. As a workaround, I usually swap to my other fully charged bud in order to continue working at maximum efficiency. 

To many, this may seem like a worrying problem. However, listening to my favorite songs day after day provides me with the extra dose of dopamine that I desperately require to power through the insufferable AP classes I forced myself to take. For me, listening to music nonstop isn’t an addiction that I’ve developed, but a lifestyle that I choose to live by.

If anybody were to ask me to choose between my favorite apps like Netflix, YouTube and Instagram, Spotify would always come out on top (with the exception of Snapchat), because why have friends when you can have Taylor Swift? 

Personally speaking, driving without music is absolutely unbearable. How can anybody drive down a road with only the sound of uncomfortable silence around them? Similarly, I can only study at my maximum capacity with soft, sad music playing in the background. Why is that? Well, with sad music, sadness creeps up into my emotions, reminding me of how sad I will be if I don’t get my homework done in time. 

My 24/7 music lifestyle is a kind of therapy. It helps transport me to different dimensions and comforts me as I process various emotions. Spotify and AirPods, a beautiful combination, are among my best friends — a strong shoulder to cry on and the world’s best study buddy.

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