my favorite Taylor Swift album

After years of soul searching I am proud to say that Fearless is my favorite Taylor Swift album!

a girly 2000s playlist

Here's a mini playlist I compiled of songs that make me feel like I'm in a cute little 2000s rom com! Take the playlist for the songs themselves or read my thoughts on them and why I love them so much.

!. Everybody by Ingrid Michaelson (2009)

I'm only really familiar with two of Ingrid's songs but I mainly know this one from the movie adaptation of the book Ramona and Beezus. This song is just so upbeat and makes me think about fun summer memories and childhood innocence. The chorus is so catchy and I love the stomp and clap style breakdown that happens towards the end of the song as well as the layered vocals in the final chorus. This is a rather simple song with heavily repeating lyrics which makes me afraid to play it for other people, but someone with whimsy in their heart will appreciate it for the sweet simple song it is.

2. Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson (2001)

Anything by Jack Johnson is immediately giving summer nostalgia. His song Upside Down as well as his collaborations with Curious George are what he's most commonly known for, but his other albums that aren't directly catered to children are also equally wonderful. I feel like this song manages to keep his iconic sound and the nostalgia attached to it while also getting to cater to an older demographic, especially through more intricate lyricism. I love how the song starts slower and builds up through tempo and layered instrumentals. This blog post is really making me take the time to read through the lyrics of these songs and I've never actually noticed how nonsensical? some of the lyrics are. They're very playful and are unafraid of getting a little silly. The instrumentals are so warm and comforting, as is the case for many of Jack's other works. This combination of cozy instrumentals and playful lyrics produces a listening experience reminiscent of childhood hope. 

3. Something That I Want by Grace Potter (2010)

First off, I love Rapunzel! Tangled is in my opinion my favorite Disney princess movie. I remember watching Tangled as a kid and loving the whole animated end credit sequence featuring this song. This song just fills me with instant nostalgia. I love the use of storytelling and references to the movie as well as the use of the line "Something that I tell myself I need" in the chorus. While searching up the lyrics I read that this phrase is supposed to directly tie into one of the themes of the movie which is the misinterpretation of goals. This was something fun that I discovered that will definitely change how I listen to this song and view the movie. Instrumental wise I love the use of chimes? across the song; it produces such a fun detail that makes the song sound unique. I also love the bridge so much and the way it ends on a high note that transitions to a fun dance break. I picked up on the sound of what I think is a synthesizer of some sort during this music break and again think this song's production uses really interesting sounds that people wouldn't directly associate with a Disney movie. Overall this song just makes me wanna dance around it's just so upbeat, much like Rapunzel herself and the movie Tangled as a whole. 

4. Brighter Than The Sun by Colbie Caillat (2012)

This is the first of the two songs I have on this playlist by Colbie. I enjoy how the lyrics  focus on themes regarding fate and unexpected love as well as some of the metaphors she uses, including the title itself "brighter than the sun". She also plays around with some more witty and niche comparisons in the second verse that I got to dive further into understanding. She explains how two people can go together like "peanuts and paydays" and "Marley and reggae". The Marley comparison is rather obvious but the other one is a play on the metaphor of getting paid in peanuts, but she gives it a positive twist by making it a week metaphor for love. I also adore the instrumentals featured in this song and love the rustic stomp clap style beat that mixes with acoustic guitar to produce a warm undertone. Some of my favorite instrumental details are the use of higher pitched guitar plucking in the verses that highlight the underlying melody of the music, as well as the use of a xylophone in the choruses. The xylophone is so playful! I also wanna note how the song fades out on a repeat of the chorus with an emphasis on harmonies because it's such a pretty choice for an outro.

5. Pheobe by Audrey Hobert (2025)

This is the only more modern song on this playlist, but something about Audrey's vibe and the imagery of the song feel so 2000s coded. I had only heard bits of this song before but once I sat to listen to the whole song I realized it was named after Pheobe from friends which just blends in perfectly with the story telling and overall theme of the song. Aubrey's lyricism is one of her biggest strengths with her music as well as her relatability. I enjoy how this song essentially focuses on her relating to a fictional character which is something I and many people often experience. She is also very emotionally vulnerable in this song and openly discusses her insecurities and how they affect her relationships which further contributes to an honest and engaging narrative. I love the spin on the final chorus where she sings about her insecurities but echos over it with words of encouragement such as "beautiful" and "gorgeous".  Pheobe Buffay is one of the most iconic whimsical weird girl fictional characters of the 2000s and is such a good choice of a muse for this song due to her unabashed nature and authenticity. I stan Audrey Hobert and can't wait to see what she releases next!