As much as I hate to admit it, my music taste has been heavily influenced by my dad. Years of saying “No dad, that music sucks” have now come back to bite me, because a lot of his music tastes are actually very good. A couple years ago, me and my dad listened to Alt Nation on SiriusXM all the time. Every drive in the car was soundtracked by those songs. The first one that comes to mind is one called Chaise Longue by Wet Leg. I was instantly obsessed. Once Wet Leg released their self-titled debut, I listened to it on repeat for three months straight. That was back in 2022. Now, it’s 2025 and Wet Leg released their newest album, moisturizer. It was my soundtrack over the summer, and I couldn’t get enough. I forget how easily I obsess over my interests, because I find that I never have enough time to indulge in them. The only reason I was able to get so intensely into moisturizer was because it was easily accessible. It was available to me every time my engine turned over. Even for the ten minute drive from my house to work, I could be invested into this album. The commodification of labor and art has easily made the world so difficult to create and be creative in. Mainstream media has taken out the pure creativity required to make powerful art, and with music being a commodity, it takes away from the experience of immersing yourself in music, but I had this one moment that belonged only to me, cruising down the beachside highway with my windows rolled down. It was exactly what I pictured my summer would be. But I didn’t have time for anything else. I can count the times I saw my friends over the summer on one hand. I had to give up my free time so that I could pay for my responsibilities. I had to make enough for car insurance payments for the next year, which I did, but I missed the time I could’ve spent on my interests. In all honesty it really sucked, but I had to do it. Working is the future, which I hate, but it is required, no matter what. Music is therapeutic, and definitely helps me to not think too hard about that. I’m grateful that I had any time at all to indulge even a little bit over the summer.
