Not to be cocky, but I have the best taste in music ever. Diverse, yet focused; lively, yet endearing; hip, yet classy. Whenever people get in my car, the first thing they often say is “has it always smelled like this?” But then that’s quickly followed by “can you please stop texting while you’re driving? I’m getting really nervous.” Eight or nine sentences later, they will eventually mumble “this is kind of the most incredible iPod ever.”
I couldn’t agree more.
I’ve always taken immaculate pride in my music collection. I treat new albums as additions to the family. I place them next to their siblings in my playlist (who just so happen to be kept in alphabetical order). I take my iPod everywhere I go. Everywhere. Sometimes I even bring my speakers into the bathroom while I take a shit just so I can have a soundtrack to my bowel adventures.
Perhaps that was an overshare?
Anyway, what I’m trying to establish is that my iPod and I are besties. Last night, a certain individual (who will remain anonymous for this next series of posts) and I decided to switch our iPods, convincing each other that our own music collections (which somewhat overlap) are far superior than the other. Knowing that mine is the best, I felt pretty confident going into this competition. We will listen to each other’s iPod for one week. I told this person to take notes, make comments. I want a full debrief at the end of the week of likes and dislikes.
I listened to the nPod (new iPod) last night on my drive home. Since it was so new to me, everything sounded great. The first song came on– “At Last”. How romantic and idealistic. Then I heard some r&b and JT and things were good. But on the drive to work this morning, I put it on the “Top Rated” playlist and I just couldn’t find anything I wanted to hear for the morning. It bounced back and forth between hip-hop, techno and soft rock. So what did I do? Find the CD I burned this individual and listened to it. I needed stablity for a groggy morning mood. I totally wimped out. I’m ashamed to admit it… but denial is always the first step and I had to plunge through it.
On the ride home, I manned up and gave the nPod another try. I listened to the Top Rated mix once again and enjoyed it more. Slowly, but surely. I still skipped through a few songs that I felt sounded like ones I had already heard, but I did come across a few beauties I wanted to share:
1) Burn — Usher (Axwell Version)
2) Piano Song — Meiko
3) 4am — Our Lady Peace
4) That Was Then — Jesse McCartney
And the techno music that annoyed me in the morning came in handy when I was cooking this evening. It was good background music as I focused on the vegetables I carefully cut for my pasta sauce. It put a little pep in my step for a normally ordinary task.
At the end of Day One, I feel a little better. I feel like I went through the first three months of living somewhere new in twenty-four hours. The quick excitement, the reality that things aren’t the same, and the small discoveries that make you feel comfortable but challenge you at the same time.
nPod: I look forward to what you bring me in the next week. May the best pod win.
