I believe that, given enough data, our musical preferences could be used as an authentication method. I imagined a world where, to authorize a transaction, you would have to present your Spotify playlist. It sounds ridiculous, if we think about the potential problems, but at the same time, it sounds amusing.
I didn’t fully understand what musical taste meant until Amanda insisted we listen to her playlist while we were in the car. I reluctantly agreed, as I always listened to my own music.
And so, I listened to Amanda’s music. It wasn’t long before I found some songs that I really liked. So much so that I now listen to them repeatedly, I automatically hum them in my mind, and I wake up with them in the morning.
And I finally understood. When I want to understand someone’s musical tastes, I need their entire playlist. One or two songs are far, far too little for that. So little that I risk forming a hasty and erroneous opinion.
To continue the idea about Amanda’s playlist: I noticed the differences between our tastes. I greatly appreciate the technical aspect, the rhythm, the sounds used, while Amanda appreciates the lyrics and melodies more. I discovered songs in her playlist that were extraordinarily good from the perspective of the lyrics and the melody, and which I would have missed simply because I would have rushed to assume I didn’t like them.
I haven’t finished listening to the entire playlist yet, but I’ve already added about 15 songs (a number I accumulate very slowly), which highlights the common ground in our tastes.
Ultimately, the conclusion is that our musical preferences show how unique we are. I bet there aren’t two people who have an absolutely identical playlist. But surely any two people can find a song they both like.
The second important conclusion I take from a video on the Speeed YouTube channel (number 9): assume you like things and go from there.