On song association

Certain songs, smells, foods, etc. have the power to take you back to a specific moment or an era of your life. They'll change your mood entirely each time you encounter them — jolting you back to a previous version of yourself.

For me, one of those songs is (funny enough) from an artist I didn't even realize I liked until recently. I had heard Lizzo in a preview for a movie and decided to listen to more of her stuff. Instantly, I loved her style, talent and variety.

Then one song came on shuffle and I was jolted back to my college apartment on a warm weekend afternoon.

It took me a little while to place why that song felt so familiar, so comforting, so uplifting. I couldn't figure it out, so I looked it up to see if it had been used in any movies or TV shows. In fact, it was in a season opener of Broad City. The first time I heard that song, I knew that episode (honestly, like all others) was going to be a good one. I knew that the next 30 minutes of my life were going to boost my confidence and general mood. I loved that song over a year ago and didn't even know what it was.

Now whenever that song comes on, I'm reminded of what it feels like to drive with the windows down for the first time in the spring. I feel like when someone doesn't think you can do something, so you do it anyway and you do it even better. I'm called back to watching Broad City for the first time in college and feeling like I could do anything.

Every time I hear the intro to that song, I'm reminded that my life is my life — so I'm going to make it a good one.

So thanks, Lizzo. Thanks, Broad City. And thanks, college-era me.

"Let ‘em say what they gonna say."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd4aLl6A_o4