Hi. I'm back.

I didn’t know what to write today. Actually, I opened this blog with zero ideas.

Like… less than zero. Empty mind. Full head. If that makes sense. (To be fair, I was tired studying and I was on a break, just like Ross and Rachel enjoying my chai and live concert videos)

So this one’s about the music. My music. The kind most people my age don’t listen to. The kind that isn’t in every Instagram reel or sped-up for some 15-second Instagram trauma dump. The kind that came from old aux cords, not algorithms.

It’s not a superiority complex, you know. Okay, it is, maybe just a little bit. But mostly it’s because I just don’t relate to the *new* sound. I don’t want bass drops. I want meaning. I want that scratchy, live-recording sound. The kind of music that makes you pause mid-scroll and go “wait, WHAT did they just say?” and then rewind five times because it’s that good.

To be fair, I didn’t choose this taste — it kind of chose me. Grew up hearing it around the house thanks to my dad, and like every self-respecting tween/teen/Gen Z kiddo, I rolled my eyes at first. But somewhere between being forced to listen and secretly Shazam-ing guitar solos, it became something I craved. Not just the songs — the feeling. The honesty. The grit. The way it didn’t try to impress me, just existed. This post is for music that doesn’t trend, but stands the test of time. The things I wasn’t supposed to like but somehow grew to love. The songs with guitar solos longer than my attention span and lyrics that don’t loop every six seconds. The kind that makes you pause and feel something, even if you don’t know what it is. (I don’t half the days)

And now? Now I live in this weird cool “my” space where my go-to playlist has Scorpions, Guns N' Roses, Bryan Adams, all sorts of thrash metal, Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits, and artists like The Vengaboys and Boney M. — while everyone else is fighting over who dropped what at midnight. They’ve got new hits; I’ve got six-minute sagas with banger Slash solos that could cure depression.

Which is great until you're in a group setting and someone lets you connect to the Bluetooth. You know, what happens when “Sweet Home Alabama” comes on instead of “Cruel Summer”? I’ve seen people physically flinch. Like my music personally insulted them. And no, I don’t think my music is better — it’s just *mine*. It’s how I study (read: procrastinate), clean my room (ineffectively), or headbang and sometimes tear up over literally nothing. It scores the parts of my day that feel too quiet. It makes me feel like a main character even when I’m just brushing my teeth.

Try playing “Sultans of Swing” in a room full of 16-year-olds and someone’s gonna ask if you made the song on GarageBand.

And then there are the rare few — you know who you are — the ones who message me after I post a 10-second snippet of a song, saying “Hey, I listened to that track you posted and dude??” Who don't ask me to skip the “long intro”. That right there — that’s the dream. That’s the connection. Those are my people. Instant friendship. No explanation needed. If we can bond over '80s guitar solos, we’re soulmates. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. 

So yeah. This post wasn’t planned. It’s not sad, or deep, or advice-filled. It’s just me sitting here, letting the music guide my fingers on the keyboard. A hello from the sadness of the year to a more casual, honest, slightly snarky take on the stuff that’s helped me study, cry, enjoy, romanticise life, and stay just a little bit sane. A small shoutout to the music that doesn’t trend on reels but plays in the background of my core memories. And maybe — a request. To anyone who thinks, “I just don’t get rock”, or “old music is overrated” — just try it. Put it on when the lights are off and the day’s been too long. Put it on when you need to feel *something*. Put it on when everything else feels fake. (and don't come at me for not playing Kendrick or The Weekend or Seedhe Maut or Taylor Swift after a long day. Trust me, I tried, shifted to Eminem after 3 songs! [I would have shifted right after the first, but I tried] )

Play a track. Let it play *all the way through*. Let the build-up hit you, let the lyrics sink in, and tell me it doesn’t make your current playlist feel a little… empty.

So if you’re up for it, here’s my Spotify 

Click the link, explore a bit. Pick a random track. I dare you not to fall in love.

No pressure. Just vibes. And maybe your next favourite song.

As ever,

Ambika