Music has always been a factor driving people together. It unites cultures but also differentiates people from one another. Being a teen, I haven’t found exactly what I like so many genres pique my interest. My favorites include rap, pop, R&B, rock, indie, etc. Though listening to music is a hobby of mine, it takes trust to discuss my music taste with others. Sharing my favorite songs or artists seems very intimate like I’m revealing a big part of myself. I'm always nervous to hop on aux or sing a song because I fear others' disapproval. Though this holds me back, when I do talk about music, I find it is one of the most rewarding experiences (which could explain why I love December 1st, the day Spotify wrapped is revealed). The feeling when you and a friend love the same song is unmatched. There is a connection that happens so quickly without having to explain anything; you just know. One of my favorite memories related to music occurred with my friend Ella just a few weeks ago.

Ella and I have gym together during eighth period on A days. Being two of very few girls in the class, we partner up for every activity. We walk together, stretch together, and hope to be on the same team when playing games. One day we were playing wiffle ball, a sport like baseball but with less official equipment and rules. Since neither Ella nor I  play baseball, swinging the bat and hitting the ball was intimidating. We would shy away from the front of the line and instead gun towards the back where we immersed ourselves in good conversation. 

I knew Ella liked Frank Ocean because she mentioned it to me in the class before while we were outside playing pickleball. That day we discussed our favorite artists and we had many in common. I decided to mention Frank Ocean again, asking her, “What are your top five favorite songs by him.” As the line got shorter and shorter, we listed the songs we preferred. “Self Control, Pink Matter, and Pyramids are amazing,” I said. “I know it's controversial, but I don’t like Pyramids or Novacane,” Ella countered. As any Pyramids fan will understand, these accusations alarmed me. This talk of music transported us into a different universe, but wiffleball still awaited in the real world.

Luckily our team wasn’t great, so we had accumulated three outs before Ella and I were up to bat. Our gym teacher called, “Switch it up!” so we walked to the outfield. There our conversation shifted. Instead of the favorites talk, we started listing off as many songs by an artist as we could. Ella said, “I bet we could name at least fifty Taylor Swift songs since she is so popular.” “Definitely,” I said, “Plus she has so many albums that are recognizable.” We agreed that Taylor Swift wasn’t our favorite singer because she was overhyped, but she deserves respect because of her massive success. As we predicted, fifty songs were listed off easily, especially because we worked together and sang lyrics to each other, hoping we would remember song titles. The time passed quickly, and before we knew it, we were back in line to bat.

There, Ella said to me, “Name twenty SZA songs.” “That’s going to be so hard Ella,” I responded, “She only has like two albums.” I tried my best, but twenty seemed like an impossible feat. I love SZA, so I just shuffle all her music, not worrying about specific songs and their names. I recalled lyrics in my head and rattled off about ten, including Supermodel, Ghost in the Machine, Normal Girl, Doves in the Wind, and more. Suddenly my mind went blank. Ella and I were at the front of the line. I heard Ella say, “Come on you know more than that!” as I walked up to the base to hit the pitch. With two hands on the blue bat, my body towards the side, but my eyes looking dead on the ball, I slammed it in the air. I ran the bases as the ball came back toward the ground and saw my classmate catch it. “OUT!” cried my gym teacher, so I went to the corner where the others sat if they met the same fate as myself. For the few minutes that Ella was separated from me while she was hitting, I only desired to continue our conversation.

“We suck at wiffleball,” she exclaimed, “but I definitely know more SZA than you.” As we walked to the outfield, she listed a few more songs like Prom, All the Stars, Low, and Kill Bill. Suddenly, I sensed an itch in my brain. I had listened to a SZA song a few nights prior and made a mental note to tell Ella about it. I pleaded with Ella, “What's that song that goes like hmmhummhauum…” She had no clue. I wracked my brain for the answer, but it could not be found. It was killing me, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to remember the title for the life of me. “Drew Barrymore?” Ella said. Instantly it clicked in my brain. My shout echoed through the vast gymnasium, “ELLA YOU ARE A GENIUS!” I was so excited that she remembered that I grasped her shoulders and shook her while I jumped up and down. “OMG, how did you know! I love your brain!” I said with enthusiasm. Ella said nonchalantly, “I don't even know, I’ve never listened to that song in my life.” Of course, I knew I would have to make her listen to it, so I said, “Once we’re in the locker room after class, I’m playing it for you.” “Bet,” she responded.

All the fun had made class pass quickly, and soon enough our teacher yelled, “Pack it up!” We speed walked to the locker room, logged into Spotify on Ella’s phone, and played Drew Barrymore by SZA. “I’m adding this to my playlist,” said Ella. “I know right? It's so good,” I agreed. As the bell rang and Ella and I walked to the buses, I felt so accomplished for not only sharing the song that I loved but also for bonding with a friend. Hopping up the bus stairs, I heard a guy sing the lyrics, “I’ll be your boyfriend…” in a familiar tone. I pulled out my phone and texted Ella, “You’ll never believe this, but a guy on my bus was just singing Self Control by Frank Ocean.” It was the icing on the cake, bringing me back to one of the songs that started my good friendship with Ella.