The People of Spotify

 The People of Spotify 


Put your music player on shuffle. As songs come on, write about the people the beats conjure up—and how it emanates the spirit of your relationship with them.


Song one, “From the Islands” by Jason Derulo and Tomo, reminds me of my friend David Black. Indeed, I had briefly listened to the song and its remix many times previously on Instagram reels and TikTok. Yet, due to SZA’s new album overflooding the Spotify charts, a sudden affinity for Tory Lanez’s legendary “The Color Violet”, and a Le Sserafim / KATSEYE comeback, I never found the time to play “From the Islands”, uninterrupted and unencumbered, for myself. That was until one day, driving back from a late night H-Mart run, David took control of my vehicle’s aux. He turned on iPhone, navigated to the Spotify App, and played the namesake “From the Islands”. 


The rest is history. 


Why “From the Islands” captures David and my relationship so well is its infectiously upbeat and surreal energy—just like our relationship. David and I both love to live vivaciously, dance to songs on the radio when they come on. Just like how “From the Islands” begins with a vibrantly loud trumpet blast, David enters rooms with deafening volume—always the loudest in the room. Together, I’d like to think we create a cacophonous dynamic, just like the two vocalists in “From the Islands”.

Song two, “Wants and Needs”, reminds me of Sean Lew, a prolific online dancer who has toured the world and won many national competitions. “Wants and Needs” by Drake and Lil Baby is an incredibly popular song, yet I never listened to it seriously—until I saw Sean dance to it, pop to the drums, capture the flow. Indeed, Sean and I have no real relationship—I know him, yet he doesn’t know me back. However, Sean is the reason why I, despite never being a dancer or trying out dance for myself, watch dance covers on YouTube. Sean is the reason why I fell in love with the art of dance—how it looks to capture the music through dynamic body movements and facial expressions. Sean is the reason why I’ve explored other dance covers of his—namely, “Rodeo” (choreographed by Bada Lee), Isis (self-choreographed), and Greedy (self-choreographed)—grappling in awe each time. 


Song three, “Rolex”, captures the spirit of RiceGum, a once prolific Asian YouTuber that garnered attention due to his relentless “flexing” of luxury goods—think Gucci, Supreme, et cetera.—and homes during the Logan Paul era of YouTube. Indeed, “Rolex”—a nostalgic synth that blends together 2016-esque lyrics and an accompanying 2010s music video—reverts me back to my childhood days, when YouTubers like RiceGum and the Paul brothers dominated the YouTube scene. It is a song that triggers intense nostalgia for me, a song that transports me back to the days when Minecraft YouTubers were popular, when fidget spinners were the craze, when water bottle trick shot videos amassed millions of views regularly. “Rolex” is a reminder that the past, though etched permanently in time, still stays with us—motivating our spirits, giving us life.

Comments

  1. timMay 7, 2025 at 2:22 PM

    Oh Rxbert,

    Fantastic essay. I like how you expand beyond friends and peers, but also influencers and people you see whenever (online). I also like how, for each person, it does not follow the same format: David -> relationship, Sean Lew -> interest, RiceGum -> nostalgia. It is cool how you connect each person to a different aspect of yourself. Maybe to tie everything together, you can explain what makes certain songs connect to certain people. Lyrics? Melody? Memories? I know the prompt was random songs, but I think it could connect the three unique stories. Overall, good work!

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  2. Bruce TangMay 8, 2025 at 12:37 PM

    Hi Robert,

    I enjoyed reading your post and the personal stories behind each of the songs. It is interesting to see your relationship to the different people reflected in the songs. I was intrigued to see various internet personalities reflected in two of your paragraphs, specifically Sean Lew and RiceGum. I would be curious to learn more about what these internet personalities mean to you, as even though you do not have any direct contact with them, they clearly have had a significant influence on your life. Overall, I thought your post gave a thoughtful and detailed response. Keep up the great work!

    ReplyDelete
  3. TuckerMay 9, 2025 at 12:00 PM

    Hello Robert,

    I like the simplicity of the essay. It does not say more than it needs to, and it keeps you engaged with the changing songs. My only real critism is that is does not go more in depth. I would have though that you would have kept on talking about your relationship with David and why the song reminds him of you. Otherwise this is a great essay!

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