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First Click: Let me play you my new favorite song

July 7th, 2015

12

This is my new favorite song. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My new favorite song is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my new favorite song is useless. Without my new favorite song, I am useless.

Some of you may recognize the above as an adaptation of the Rifleman’s Creed — a poem that US Marines must learn as part of their training. Its usage felt appropriate because discovering a new favorite song fills me with the kind of devout fanaticism militaries love.

Julie Adenuga introduced me to my new favorite song on July 2nd during her inaugural shift on Beats 1 Radio. I was only half listening, as you do to the radio. Within two minutes my passive listening went active. Within three I was raising the volume. By the end I was as breathless as Adenuga, who said something like "Whew, I need to calm down now." Not me — I found the song and immediately started looping it.

It’s been years since I’ve felt such passion for a new song. I’m not sure why, but I think the intensity is partly fueled by the process of discovery and the nostalgia I feel for the radio shows of my youth. My new favorite song has never appeared in my Spotify recommendations or the curated playlists that too frequently spoon-feed me songs from the same artists I already like. It took a DJ celebrating her favorite music to bring a new song to my attention from a ten-year-old band I didn’t know.

I’ve probably listened to my new favorite song 50 times since then, often back to back to back; often making friends, colleagues, and family listen along. Sometimes they like it because they have great taste. Sometimes they don’t because they are wrong. I don’t care: it’s my new favorite song.

This is my new favorite song:

Five stories to start your day


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NSFW Creed of the day