It felt like I was the only person in the world, just me, the night, and the path I strolled with heavy bass-reliant songs along with gentle melodies.

Notes and melodies make up most of my life now. Not a single day goes by where I don't listen to songs from a mix of numerous genres, from hip-hop, rap, pop, rock, dubstep, to the genres where it's an acquired taste. Ones like J-pop, J-rock, Vocaloid, Artcore, and all those lesser-known genres. This obsession with music came from an early age that started with my mom who would sing and dance to songs from Vicente Fernandes and Jenny Rivera. Ignorant of the world outside songs would continue to echo throughout the entirety of our house. I took after my mom, acquiring the same obsession for music. Painting, drawing, chores, and just laying around, music was always blasted from the Alexa I got from a flea market.  “ Alexa, Play my both-worlds playlist on shuffle” 

A year ago at the park with a friend, playing soccer in the middle of October with a speaker, a ball, and a goalie net. Half an hour went by and we finally made a playlist fitting our mood. We wanted something exciting, something that got your blood flowing, something that got you in the zone, something that made you feel like the protagonist. Heavy electronic bass from unknown DJs’, the fast heat stroke-inducing bars that Eminem spat in Godzilla, it was these songs and genres that made us feel unstoppable. We lost track of time, we didn't notice how dark it got after 3 hours. We wrapped up, said our goodbyes, and headed separate ways. 

 I decided to walk a lap. I don’t want to go home yet. My parents called multiple times, they gave me till midnight. With no worry of being locked out and four hours remaining. With my backpack, phone, and earbuds on hand, I pressed shuffle on my Both worlds playlist, 16+ hour playlist consisting of artists like Yameii Online, Eminem, Juice WRLD, and personal favorite Kenshi Yonezu. I began to walk aimlessly. Unlit houses, stranded streets, lonely swings, empty parks. No human in sight. It felt liberating, it felt amazing, and it felt like I was the only person in the world. Singing, walking, dancing, to the melody, to the beat and lyrics of the songs. Lost in the atmosphere that the music created, it felt similar to mindlessly floating space. From the sun the warmth of the songs you enjoy, the dark side its sorrowful lyrics. A walk that was meant to be at the very least 30 minutes turned into 3 hours. Ooops. 

 Reflecting back has made me realize that I’m really reliant on music to get things done. Multiple times I tried to go on a walk only to immediately return because I didn't like it. What was different was the reliance on music, Given my story, it would mean that my work ethic is also reliant on music. Me listening to music while working isn't special since some or most people also do the same thing, but for me, I could also say that it helps my brain focus on the task at hand. The most recent thing music has helped me with was finishing this essay, having to revise it multiple times. Nowadays it's still the same case in how I use music, still losing track of time when doing tasks such as homework, chores, and other mundane things. Navigating the hallways, study sessions in classes, work days, or just in the classroom itself, they can all be tied to my obsession with music. Music is a necessity for my school and daily life. I simply can not go a day without listening to music while navigating the hallways, it would simply be torture if that was the case.