In the weeks leading up to graduation college, I felt the natural sense of existential dread that follows most people before a huge life change. I had a good idea of what I was going to do job wise, but other than that I was running blind. I also spent a lot of time looking back on the previous four years, primarily coming to terms that the close group of friends I once had was gone.

One of the ways I processed this was through music. Not making music (I have a severe lack of talent in that regard), but listening to and curating songs that reflected my experiences. Before my last week of classes, I made a playlist titled “My Playlist 57” (I’m very creative). This contained songs that reflected my experiences leaving for college, losing touch with friends, accepting that life changes, and being hopeful that there is a future beyond these last four years.

I recently went back and listened to this old playlist, and I thought that it was a unique form of self expression that captures how I was feeling in those weeks, months, and years. I wanted to update this and give it more life than a simple YouTube playlist. This is the result of that.

Growing

This mix features Alec Benjamin, Chelsea Cutler, EDEN, and Tessa Violet.