A beginner’s Spotify titles in a nutshell

I must admit I am a beginner in the world of curated playlist titles, but don’t we all start that way?

Up until last year, every Spotify playlist under my name had a title limited to its surface-level genre, whether it was “Salsa Mix,” “Old School Reggaetón” or “Bachata Favs.” But as I continued to expand my music interests — whether from going on more car rides with my dad, watching early 2000s TV shows or learning a new language —the innovative gears in my head began to turn.

The following playlists are my proudest achievements so far. As a fan of curation, I will say that the playlists’ contents follow a common thread — genre, language or decades — but what matters is the overarching umbrella of the playlist title.

main library

My favorite study spot on campus deserved its own presence on my Spotify account. The best part? Its description:

“i would like to thank papi, smallville, gossip girl and the radio”

Once I have found a vacated table on the second floor of University Library and taken out my slate blue headphones, I devote the next two hours and one minute to this playlist. Characterized by its Linkin Park, Lifehouse, Christina Aguilera and Nelly Furtado songs, it makes me wish I could have been a teenager when they released all of their iconic titles.

Half of the playlist is just me fangirling over songs stemming from my binging of Smallville, having started it with my dad over the summer, and Gossip Girl, which I wouldn’t mind re-watching a few months from now.

If you were to ask me my favorite song on that playlist, I would struggle to choose between “Blind” by Lifehouse, “Say It Right” by Nelly Furtado or, a classic, “All That She Wants” by Ace of Base.

A simple and understandable playlist title for some, but out of my zone of familiarity for me.

marianita [boot emoji, lilypad emoji, sparkle emoji, ticket emoji, hot pink heart emoji]

I was bound to include the diminutive form of my name at some point. And the emojis? Just a random selection I seemed to find fitting.

This all-Spanish playlist encompasses my yearning señora era – señora being my inner middle-aged mother who can’t stop listening to the first CDs she bought when she was 20. This playlist is an ode to the artists my mom and dad introduced me to, but that I am now embracing to the fullest in one hour and 46 minutes. “marianita” is who I was when I first heard these songs and who I hold onto when none of today’s music has the pizzazz I’m needing.

From Alejandro Sanz and Enrique Iglesias to La Oreja de Van Gogh and Laura Pausini, the Spanish and Italian talents have gotten a hold of me. If I could choose a song from each, my holy grails would be Sanz’s “Amiga mía,” Iglesias’ “Dímelo,” La Oreja de Van Gogh’s “Paris” and Pausini’s “Volveré junto a ti.” The songs may differ in rhythm, from Sanz’s yearning ballad to La Oreja de Van Gogh’s pop rock, but they’re surely addictive.

Palavra favorita: Caneta

Uh-oh, uppercase usage.

To introduce the third language living in my Spotify, in comes Portuguese. More specifically, Brazilian Portuguese. In honor of my Portuguese minor declaration anniversary, I present to you a one hour and 36 minute-work in progress.

In learning Portuguese, I’ve made the experience more fun and fruitful by expanding on the music I know in the language. I’ve come to love Brazilian sertanejo, a music genre influenced by rock and country, and pagode, a subgenre of samba. If you were to ask me which artists I recommend you begin with, it would have to be the late Marília Mendonça and Luan Santana.

One of my 2026 New Year’s resolutions is to accumulate 50 songs in this playlist, and I am happy to say we are (slowly) getting there, with 30 and counting.

Naming this playlist was harder than making it. I named it the word I would obsessively say a lot when I began to learn the language. “Caneta” translates to pen in English, and although we might not consider it a niche word, the pronunciation just sat right on my tongue. Will I at some point change my favorite word? Perhaps. Will I make it reflect the playlist name? Definitely.

tirate un paso

Although this title literally translates to “take a step” in English, in Latin American culture, it can mean to break into dance.

This playlist houses my favorite cumbias villeras, a subgenre of Argentinian cumbia. Led by a song called “Tirate un paso” by Los Wachiturros, the playlist starts strong and gets more addictive as the tempo and rhythm of songs vary. It already seemed fitting to title it the literal first song, but having it also be a cultural reference made me think I was a genius.

While it is one of my newest additions, only 52 minutes, the title gives justice to how selective my cumbia taste is. And yes, I will break into dance anytime I play it.

The bottom line here is: naming Spotify playlists that intend to be memorable is a tough act, so I applaud everyone who has made me go “wow” every time they have shared a title to one of their playlists with me.

It has been an honor to learn from your craft.