It"s no secret that if you know me, then you know I have a very broad taste in music. From a young age, I was exposed to different types – R&B and soul ranging from the late '60s to the '90s – thanks to my parents. From early '90s rap to 2000s booty shaking hip-hop, thanks to my sister. Of course, there were also hymns and gospel music thrown in by the family and my attending church and then a private Christian school for a year and half.
As I grew older, I was introduced to different people who would either come into my life and stay or only come for a short visit. These relationships influenced the music I listened to, and my music library continued to grow as well. The years leading up to my tween years, I started watching more Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
I know what you're thinking. Don't hate. Radio Disney had some bops back then. I'll still jam out to them now, and I'm 23.
"Beautiful Soul" made me fall in love with Jesse McCartney. Then, there was an era of Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows that everyone wishes would have its own channel for reruns. Stars like, Raven Symone, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miranda Cosgrove, The Jonas Brothers, etc. were born. Granted, many of them obviously had careers beginning at a young age, but this was a time when their singing careers were taking off. (I somehow even discovered Britney Spears. I don't know how, but I have her first album on CD that I still jam to in the car.)
During this point in my life, I admit I was a little embarrassed because I knew the lyrics to songs like, "Why Not" by Hilary Duff but had never seen MTV in my life. I even knew the lyrics to my favorite TV shows but not actual songs. Go ahead. You can laugh. All the music my parents played in the car or the house, I would sing along to but never knew the artist(s) or name(s) of the songs.
In either the fifth or sixth grade, I went over to a friend's house to hang out. She turned on the TV and to my surprise, it was MTV. I'm talking old school MTV. You know, when they actually had music videos and countdowns. The video was "Fallin" by Alicia Keys, and I honestly believe that's when my music gears started turning. Obviously, I had heard the song before. But like I mentioned earlier, I never knew artists or titles. I stared in amazement as Alicia was killing it on the piano, swinging her braids back and forth. ( I went through a period in my life where I wore my hair braided every day, so that made me love her more. ) From then on, whenever someone asked me my favorite singer, I would say Alicia Keys. Even though I only knew that one song (or so I thought) because I didn't want to say anyone from Nickelodeon or Disney.
As I aged into my preteen years, my love for those child stars' music never faded. I just kept it on the down low.
From the seventh to the beginning of eighth grade, I had an identity crisis. I experienced what many may call an emo/skater phase. I'll own up to it now. I was a poser. I've been on a skateboard twice in my life, and it didn't end well. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to learn. I still do. But at that time, it wasn't happening. So I wore my ugly flare capris, collared shirts and Etnies. (Yes, I still have them. Why? Because I'm a nostalgic hoarder.) I covered half my face with my hair, even though I didn't have bangs. But that's a story for another time.
It was during this time that I was introduced to artists like Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Good Charlotte and The All-American Rejects. They all had a completely different sound than what I was used to hearing, but I loved it. I used to think you had to fit this certain stereotype in order to listen and enjoy certain music. I couldn't have been more wrong.
My emo/skater phase started fizzling out halfway through the eighth grade. You're probably thinking, 'Wow, Alexis finally realized she can just be her true self and people will love her no matter what.' WRONG. Lol. Nah, I just moved on to my preppy phase.
I traded my Etnies and Converse for Wallabies and Sperries. I started wearing brighter colors (so I could be noticed more) and ribbons in my hair. Yikes. This is when my love for popular music began. I loved anything and everything that played on 106.7 WKMX (shoutout to my Enterprise peeps). Ke$ha (the dollar sign was important back then) and Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson and The Black Eyed Peas – oh my! I upgraded Jess McCartney for breakout star Justin Bieber. (Yes, I was a Belieber. I'm not ashamed.) My love for pop music would continue throughout the rest of my high school career and until this very day. However, my preppy phase did not. (Thank God) I continued wearing the Sperries and Wallabies but brought back my Converse and ditched the ribbons around the tenth grade. The Etnies never made a return. RIP.
College rolled around soon after, and it was finally my opportunity to start over fresh with people I didn't grow up with. My music library continued to expand, but my nostalgic butt always wanted to take a trip back to the early 2000s. The late '90s and early 2000s had some of the BEST music ever. You can disagree, but I will fight you on it. My go-to Pandora stations include "90s R&B Radio," "2000s Pop Radio" and "Summer Hits of the 2000s Radio." Now, in 2018, I probably know all the lyrics to 90 percent of the songs that play on any of these stations. I think this is me making up for my childhood years of not knowing. Yeah, probably.
Lately, I've been interested in songs that are more lowkey. The ones that don't necessarily make it to number on the iTunes or Billboard charts. But that doesn't mean I've given up on the well known ones. Artists like Hailee Steinfeld, Telana, Ed Sheeran, G-Eazy, Banks, Daniel Caesar, Cardi B, Sam Smith, CL, Halsey, SZA – the list goes on. It's simple. If I like a song, and I can vibe to it, – whether it be slow, fast, rap or alternative – I'm most likely adding it to my playlist.
It's interesting to see how music changes one's attitude. We like to listen to upbeat music when we're in a good mood. We listen to sad music sometimes when we're feeling down. We find the perfect song that explains how we truly feel in one instant because it feels relatable. When we grow as people, sometimes our music grows with us. Of course, we never forget the songs we grew up listening to. I can remember the lyrics to a song I haven't listened to in five years. I'll sing it like I just learned the lyrics yesterday.
If someone were to take a look at my iPod now, (Yes, I still have my iPod Touch that I got in the ninth grade) they'd be shocked at what was on it. Part of me is kind of embarrassed, just like I was when I was younger, but there's a part of me that doesn't care. My music is a part of me. Music is one of the most beautiful forms of art. It brings people together. It creates memories. Music can heal a broken heart. It can make a fun adventure worth remembering. Music can speak to one's soul.
"My music will tell you more about me than I ever will."
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