The Soundtrack I Have Been Growing Into
February 20th, 2026
Writer: Dora Wells
Editor: Eliza Marsh
For as long as I can remember, music has been a saving grace for me. When I first got a phone, I ran through my family's data plan in one car ride, watching music videos that were probably too mature for my pay grade. I obsessed over learning the lyrics to every Rihanna song, down to the last adlib. This escape has never left my side; music still helps transport me. When I feel anxious, I turn to music; when I walk to class, I turn to music. Music helps me whether I need a boost in my energy or a calm melody to match a sad mood.
Music has always met me exactly where I am. It has filled the quiet moments I didn’t know how to sit with, and amplified the ones I wanted to feel more deeply. Music has become a timeline of the phases of my life and has helped me find the words I struggle to describe. When an old song comes on shuffle, I am pulled back into the past and reminded of a feeling I thought I had outgrown. Sometimes this is nostalgic and comforting, but it can also strike a nerve I’ve avoided. Regardless, that shuffle icon serves as a reminder of how different songs have marked different eras of my life.
My taste in music has never really fit into one genre. I listen to whatever feels right in the moment. Some days I want music that makes me feel calm and safe, and other days I crave something loud enough to drown out my own thoughts. My playlists reflect how life is constantly changing through all different kinds of music.
Music has become my most reliable confidant, helping to explore and hang onto every moment of my life. My taste grows with me, but I can always count on "Umbrella" by Rihanna to take me back to the backseat of my mom’s car, windows cracked, belting the chorus with no sense of time or responsibility. Many moments in life are uncertain, but my diversely extraordinary playlist will always be by my side.
