modern-day mixtapes

I originally wrote this article/journal entry for an industry publication for which I am a writer. We didn't end up with a place for it, so I'm sharing here so it doesn't go to waste.

The 80’s mixtape has reinvented itself as the 21st Century playlist. With today’s streaming technology, it’s even easier to share our musical passions with others. As a Gen Xer, I remember waiting by my boombox for hours when I was in middle/high school for the local radio station to play that one specific song so I could hit “record” and complete my perfect cassette. Now, all I have to do is type the title (or even just a line from the chorus) into YouTube or Apple Music. What hasn’t changed is the need for different playlists for different environments, moods, and events. For example, our showroom mix has over 250 hours of songs from every decade and genre so that no one gets bored over the course of the week, but when happy hour comes around, a new playlist is needed to change the energy. While working from home in the quarantine, I decided to put together a COVID-inspired mixtape -- a little humor, a little commiseration, and some hope to get through it all. 

Wanda’s COVID-19 Mixtape https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/covid-19/pl.u-DdANNBeta73Kxb

Yesterday /The Beatles
Can’t Touch This / MC Hammer
Don’t Stand So Close to Me / The Police
Under Pressure / Queen + David Bowie
Changes / David Bowie
Shelter / Broken Bells
Outside Sublime / Westerman
I’m Still Standing / Elton John What the World Needs Now / Cat Power
Raise Your Glass / Pink
Party On a Weekday / MYBADD + Olivia Holt
Dancing On My Own / Robyn
Out of My Head / Fastball
Living On Video / Trans-X
Who’s Zooming Who? / Aretha Franklin
Should I Stay or Should I Go / The Clash
Miss You / The Rolling Stones
Tell Me When It’s Over / The Dream Syndicate
I Will Survive / Gloria Gaynor
Fight Song / Rachel Platten
I’m Coming Out / Diana Ross
I’ll Stand By You / Pretenders
Imagine / John Lennon