Shake to Shuffle

In this week’s reading, Levy (2006) discusses the notion that one’s iPod playlist is a strong reflection of their personality and a key indicator to their level of “cool.” Being the first to like a band and stumbling upon a rare b-side place you at the top of the heap but whipping your hair along to Willow Smith will have your reputation falling faster than you can say Kings of Leon.

This is where the iPod’s privacy comes in handy. What you’re listening to is a deep dark secret and for fear excruciating, sometimes permanent judgement you choose to keep it that way.

I am prepared to go out on a limb and use myself as an experiment, by listing here the first five songs to appear on my shuffle playlist. Hopefully my faith in my library and the shuffle function pays off as this small sample (5/14540 songs) will now be public, but we all have our guilty pleasures.

Tame Impala – Lucidity

The Strokes – Metabolism

Nirvana – Negative Creep

Letter to Spain – Here Come The Capsize

TISM – Whatareya

That was a nervous few touches of the screen, but ultimately it portrays as accurate a reflection of my library as I could hope for. Thank God (or Jack White) that Ke$ha didn’t appear, or I would have to leave the country and change my name.

References

Levy, Steven. 2006. The perfect thing: How the iPod shuffles commerce, culture and                       coolness. New York: Simon & Schuster.