ANNE MARIE TO STEPHEN:

AM: What is your favorite song?

SB: I see you trying to hide the hotsteppers in the back! Waiting and Undone are killers but I feel like I gotta give it to Feels by Lauren Faith because of the rhythm and natural sounding instruments creating it.

AM: Have you heard any of these tracks before?

SB: Just Urge by Calista Del Toro.

AM: I’m feeling all kinds of nostalgic these days as The Matrix Resurrections is about to come out because I have all of these memories of going up to our local theater for movie drops and sitting in the front row (because we got there late and there was no reserved seating) and seeing a third of a movie screen (because we were in the front row, far left) and still, even then, feeling wild eyed and in awe of some of the movies we saw. I can remember looking over at your face, too, to see you with the same expression. The parking lot discussions after.

I recently re-watched all 3 Matrix movies on the long plane ride home from Prague and when the lobby scene came on in The Matrix, I couldn’t help but laugh. I remember rewatching this with you over and over. It was one of the first times (as a young person) I felt like I was watching something where music had a massive, memorable impact on the scene. So here’s the question, what other songs and scenes come to mind as things you saw when you were younger that made an impression on you and stood out because of both?

SB: Wow, great question. Part of me wants to throw out any scores because I feel like that would just be an unfair advantage to the greats like John Williams anytime Darth Vader entered the room or the T-Rex broke out of Jurassic Park. So I’m going to keep this to more traditional music. Also, have to eliminate any musicals because that’s also unfair. While there are a lot of great songs in movies, for me, so much of it comes down to timing and hitting at the perfect moment to cap off a vibe or feeling the film is trying to convey. And the cherry on top is always seeing the expressions of the actors while it’s happening. That’s what always gets me.

There were definitely some incredible ones in 500 Days of Summer like Sweet Disposition on the train ride or even both karaoke songs at the bar. There’s the Garden State headphone scene as Zach looks at Natalie. The final drum solo in Whiplash. Seeing his dad for about 3 seconds through the door window finally realizing why his son has poured so much of his life into this. And we’ll round it out with Edith Piaf playing in an empty town towards the end of Saving Private Ryan as the small, exhausted company waits for the German army.

STEPHEN TO ANNE MARIE:

SB: What is your favorite song?

AM: I gotta give you props this month. Your whole list had this sleepy, romantic quality to it. It transported me away from my end of year rush to get all of my work done before Christmas. In that way, it reminded me of your September ‘15 list HERE. I remember being in Paris for that one and just really having a whole moment to it. It’s funny how some lists hit you like everyday lists and some just really knock you out. And I really needed to be knocked out. So thanks.

The winner is (all of them but ok if I have to) HYBS Dancing with my phone. It reminded me of all of the hours that we use to spend listening to music lying on our bedrooms floors, killing time before the next social event in our little lives (school, sports, the movies). It also made me think about how now we’re really always doing two things. Listening to music…while out for a run. Listening to music…while driving to work. Watching a movie…but also breaking it down for work. Talking to friends…while also booking that flight we need to get before that great deal goes away. Having a great time someplace…while also checking social media to see if anyone’s having a great time elsewhere. Looking back I remember thinking as teenagers, is my life ever going to really start? Well, I wish we could go back in time and tell ourselves that it has and it’s going to be great.

SB: Have you heard any of these tracks before?

AM: Heard other tracks by Twin Shadow and another track by Terrace Martin but not these.

SB: Spotify’s Wrapped Playlist takes into account a full year of listening. Once your new one drops, what surprises you about it?

AM: I think every year I have a similar revelation to the year prior. There are always some artists that pop up every year that I have loved for forever. John Mayer I think was my #1 this year. And then half of it is new artists that I remember having a song I repeated for a couple weeks, loved, and then moved on from. Khi Infinite DEEP END was one of those. “They say home is where the heart is, guess I’m in love again.” Man, what a great opening line. He has some other great lines throughout that song. Sort of like Magic City Hippies’ lyrics, he just makes you want to fall in love again.

My point is, I like — I love! — seeing that each year I have tried and true loves on my Wrapped and new additions. I hope I never get to a point where it’s all one or the other. The point is to keep growing and changing, expanding my world view, my perspective. But the point with music is also to be able to cope when you need to as well.