Having friends with differing music tastes can lead to the discovery of new songs and artists, especially ones you wouldn't expect to like. For my friend Klarke and I, this was different. We are both very specific about the music we like. Klarke is a die-hard fan of Tyler, the Creator, and Steve Lacy. She mainly listens to rap and R&B, and loves songs that have melodic interludes in the middle, such as “PUPPET” by Tyler and “Pyramids” by Frank Ocean. I love artists like Vampire Weekend and Father John Misty, who all lie in the subjective category of “indie-rock.” While the lyrics in some of these songs occasionally go over my head, as Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend often uses very niche pop-culture and literary references to build his songs, I have to admit that my favorite parts of these songs are their exciting bridges or pretty-sounding verses, like the second verse of “Bambina” by Vampire Weekend.
Klarke and I were usually able to live our musically different lives in harmony until we encountered a bump in the road during freshman year in Ceramic Sculpture. Each class, we had the opportunity to listen to music of our choosing, and since Klarke had a bad habit of leaving her headphones at home, we often shared AirPods as we worked. Whenever class time rolled around, we could never figure out what to listen to. She was adamant on only listening to her favorite artists, and I was too.
One day during ceramics, Klarke had lost her AirPods again. After begging me to listen to a song with her, I finally agreed. This monumental moment in art class introduced to us the first song that we both loved: “Sundress” by A$AP Rocky. The track, which samples “Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?” by Tame Impala, is a blend of indie, rap, and R&B. The song begins with a simple drum beat, followed by Rocky’s melodic humming. Towards the middle of the song, A$AP Rocky raps while piano and organ notes highlight the tones in his lyrics. Sundress allowed us to realize the benefits of letting go of our stubborn ways surrounding music.
We continue to navigate the fine line between our differing musical preferences, now searching for a common ground. As I was relistening to Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend's fourth studio album, I rediscovered a song that featured Steve Lacy: “Sunflower”. This particular track stands out as an example of Vampire Weekend’s ability to change their sound without losing their distinctive flair. The song features Lacy both on guitar and scatting through the song. I find that Koenig’s playful imagery through lyrics and euphonious vocals are skillfully woven into this R&B-infused collaboration.
As of 2023, Klarke and I have found multiple songs that intertwine our two distinct music preferences. Our favorites are “Sacrifices” by EARTHGANG, Dreamville, and J. Cole, “Survival Tactics” by Joey Bada$$, “Sierra Leone” by Frank Ocean, and “Supermodel” by SZA. Our newfound similarities within music preferences have strengthened our friendship and have led to more shared discussions surrounding albums and tracks.
- Klarke Johnson & Arden Glick '26