#spotify audio

First song I streamed on Spotify (March 3rd, 2017):

"This Love" by Maroon 5, released in 2004, is one of the band's most iconic tracks and their most recognizable and signature song. It blends a funky, soul-inspired piano riff with rock energy to tell a story about a relationship that is as physically intense as it is emotionally draining.+1

Here is a breakdown of the song’s background and core themes:

1. The Inspiration: A Real-Life Breakup

Lead singer Adam Levine wrote the song during what he described as the "most emotionally trying time" of his life. It was written on the very day his ex-girlfriend (the "Jane" referenced in the album title Songs About Jane) moved out after their breakup.+1

Levine noted that the song captures a specific conflict: he was devastated by the end of the relationship, but also "ecstatic" because the band was finally heading into the studio to record their debut album. That mix of heartbreak and creative adrenaline is baked into the track's high-energy sound.

2. Core Themes

The Emotional "Toll": The chorus, "This love has taken its toll on me," highlights the exhaustion of a cyclical, on-again-off-again relationship. The lyrics describe a partner who says "goodbye" too many times, creating a sense of instability where the narrator feels he has "no choice" but to keep trying to fix what is broken.+1

Sexual Tension and Intimacy: While the song sounds like a standard pop-rock hit, the lyrics are notably more explicit than most radio hits of that era. Lines like "sinking my fingertips into every inch of you" and "keep her coming every night" deal directly with the physical passion that kept the couple together even when the emotional side was falling apart. Levine has stated he wanted to be as explicit as possible without being banned from the radio, aiming for lyrics that would "hit his ex-girlfriend like a ton of bricks."+2

Love as a "Game": The song explores the idea that the relationship had become performative. Phrases like "kept playing love like it was just a game" and "pretending to feel the same" suggest that the partners were going through the motions of intimacy to avoid the pain of a final goodbye.

3. Musical Style

Musically, the song is built on a "strutting" piano line and a heavy R&B beat, influenced by artists like Stevie Wonder.This "soulful" approach helped define Maroon 5’s early sound—a mix of rock, pop, and blue-eyed soul that felt different from the post-grunge and boy band sounds dominating the charts at the time although they had shifted their sound to a more mainstream pop style

4. The Visual Legacy

The music video also played a huge role in the song's success and controversy. It featured Levine and his then-girlfriend in intimate scenes, using creative camera angles and lighting to imply nudity without actually showing it. It was considered very provocative for MTV at the time, reinforcing the song’s themes of raw, physical desire.

My all time streamed artist:

Song that garnered more streams from my playlist:

If rebellion and resistance were a movie then rage against the machine would be a part of the soundtrack.

Rage Against the Machine (RATM) is a seminal American rock band known for being the primary Trope Codifier for both Rap Metal and Funk Metal. Formed in Los Angeles in 1991, the band is as famous for its aggressive, innovative sound as it is for its unwavering commitment to radical leftist politics.

The "Machine" and Their Philosophy

The title has nothing to do with actual machines like a dishwasher or a computer but The band’s name refers to the "machine" of global capitalism, institutional racism, and government oppression.

Political Stance: They identify closely with anarcho-syndicalism and Marxism. Their music is explicitly designed as a vehicle for activism; album liner notes often included reading lists and contact info for activist organizations.

The Lineup:

Zack de la Rocha (Vocals): A high-energy frontman known for his "Political Rap" and intense "Metal Screams."

Tom Morello (Guitar): A Harvard-educated political scientist who uses his guitar to mimic turntables and synthesizers, often through "Not the Intended Use" of his gear.

Tim Commerford (Bass) & Brad Wilk (Drums): The rhythmic backbone that provides the "Funk Metal" groove.

Lyrics and Themes

RATM’s lyrics function as an "Author Tract," where every song serves a specific political message.

Anti-Police Sentiment: Their most famous song, "Killing in the Name," was written in response to the Rodney King beating. It contains the iconic line, "Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses," equating certain law enforcement members with the KKK.

Historical and Literary References: They frequently use "Shout-Outs" to revolutionary figures and literature. For example, "Testify" quotes George Orwell’s 1984 ("Who controls the past now controls the future"), and "Wake Up" features a spoken-word bridge reading an FBI memo about the targeting of civil rights leaders.

Corporate Critique: Despite being on a major label (Epic/Sony), they remained fiercely critical of the industry. Their song "No Shelter" (from the Godzilla soundtrack) even insulted the very movie it was promoting: "Godzilla, pure motherfucking filler / To keep your eyes off the real killer."

Impact and Cultural Significance

RATM’s impact is defined by their ability to bring radical political discourse into the mainstream.

Political Activism through Performance: They were known for "Performance Videos" and stunts. For "Sleep Now in the Fire," they played an unpermitted concert on the steps of the New York Stock Exchange, causing the building to go into lockdown.

Controversy and Bans: They were famously banned from Saturday Night Live after attempting to hang upside-down American flags (a sign of distress) on their amplifiers during an episode hosted by billionaire Steve Forbes.

Musical Legacy: By blending the groove of funk, the aggression of heavy metal, and the lyrical flow of hip-hop, they paved the way for the Nu-metal movement, though few of their successors matched their level of political intellectualism. So basically without them groups like linkin park, limp bizkit and korn amongst others (i.e run the jewels) would have never existed

The "Killing in the Name" Christmas No. 1: In 2009, a UK-based fan campaign successfully propelled "Killing in the Name" to the top of the Christmas charts to prevent an X Factor winner from taking the spot—a feat the band supported as an act of defiance against corporate-manufactured pop.

So we’re gonna do a challenge (I think it’s called Spotify draw but I’m doing Apple Music draw cuz uhhh Apple Music user)

how to participate

yall send a ask to @kipper7 with a number 1 - 100 and a character(can be fandom, my oc, or ur ocs[if ur like a moot or smth] Or just don’t put a character I’ll pick myself!!!)

and I’ll try and draw something relating to the lyrics

That’s it

will I be showing what songs your picking from? No.

will I draw it if I can only find meh matches? Maybe

should you do it anyway? Of course

if yall really like this next year ill do it again for 2026 (or use my favorites list which currently has 289 songs)

(Also I stole this game from @thewisestdino cuz it’s a genuinely great idea)

Also @/ing the moots because it’s been like awhile with no asks

86??!?! Bro WAT ;_;

I just happen to like older / vintage songs ;p;

(thanks to what I watch)

After listening to Phil Rosenthal describe the food at his new diner, all I can think about is how much I want one of their hotdogs! 🌭