Let’s analyze Hillary Clinton’s first Spotify playlist
Well well, it looks like the music streaming wars have heated up. Though Apple Music is set to join the market soon, Spotify has landed a high-profile supporter: 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Indeed, the former Secretary of State has made her music taste public on the streaming platform, and the 14 songs on her official playlist are an interesting mix of mainstream and indie (though it skews heavily to the former), from artists of all different genres. The one thing these songs have in common: They’re all songs meant for rallying people; in her case, certainly for rallying supporters, and apparently fans of the band American Authors.
So, what’s a public playlist for, if not for examining what the song choices say about the person sharing them? Let’s take a look and analyze what we can about Hillary’s list. Here’s what we noticed:
– The only artist with more than one song on the playlist is American Authors, a Brooklyn-based alt rock band that sounds like a cheerier Imagine Dragons. Both of their songs feel and read like they belong in the background of an inspirational montage, so it makes sense why they’re here.
– Exes Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez are both represented on the playlist, with Anthony providing the Spanish-sung “Vivir Mi Vida” as the playlist’s cap, which everybody knows is the most important placement.
– Nobody’s safe from the “Happy” bug, not even one of the most powerful people in the world.
– “Break Free,” by Ariana Grande and Zedd, is a playful and powerful choice — especially given Grande’s epic feminist statements of late.
– Both Sara Bareilles’s “Brave” and Katy Perry’s “Roar,” two songs that, as many have pointed out, are quite similar, are included. Clinton launched her campaign with “Brave”; perhaps she’ll save the “Roar” entrances for later on in the race. Hey, Katy Perry’s already on board!
– Speaking of “Roar,” there are two other songs on here that reference making noise: “Let’s Get Loud” by J. Lo and “Wake Up Everybody” by John Legend and the Roots. Fitting, since Clinton’s going to be doing some good old-fashioned rallying for the foreseeable future.
– American Idol may be no more, but two of its alums (Kelly Clarkson and Kris Allen) have caught Clinton’s ear.
– Clinton’s clearly ready for the fight to come, with tracks like “The Fighter” by Gym Class Heroes and Ryan Tedder, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Clarkson, “Pumpin Blood” by NONONO, and “Fighters” by Allen.
– When you think of “Beautiful Day,” you instantly think of the U2 song, no? Not for Clinton, who put on a new Jon Bon Jovi track of the same name.
– The oldest song on the playlist is “Let’s Get Loud,” from 1999. Clinton’s keeping it recent — a smart move, given her courting of the youth vote.
While we’d love to see some, you know, Queen Bey or Adele, Clinton’s first playlist is wise to keep things on a motivational, upbeat trajectory, and to appeal to as wide of a group as possible within the mainstream pop spectrum. We’ll keep an ear out for her next music curating efforts — maybe hubby Bill can record something on the sax?
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