I love character playlists. allow me to rant. allow me to share and give a comprehensive guide to MY METHOD AND ART FORM!!!
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anyway— these are the points i consider before even adding a song:
1) establish the OVERALL VIBE. consider the character and the world they come from. is it horror? whimsy? are they a workaholic, unable to sit still, relax, and are just constantly stressed?
if the latter is true, maybe indie/alternative rock/pop works best! these genres tend to create a mood where there's a sense of movement and purpose. the beat is heavy and the rhythm is quick. capture the essence of the character. btw, if you can't tell, im using my riz gukgak playlist as an example.
(im so feral normal about him. so so normal)
(fair warning, i go on a TANGENT)
2) keep it COHESIVE. ofc, not ALL the songs need to fit this vibe. there will always be outliers that will still be good choices! but by doing this, it’ll be easier to return to and enjoy. this way, the playlist itself will outlast the character hyperfixation that fueled its creation in the first place.
if you can see yourself enjoying the collection of songs OUTSIDE the lens of that character, you’ve done it correctly!!
for example, even when im ACTUALLY normal about riz gukgak, i’ll still listen to the playlist when im in the mood for indie rock. or when i need to get something done. because riz gukgak is so task oriented, and the songs reflect that, i too feel inclined to get shit done.
and would you look at that? the playlist doubles as both my blorbo mind playground and task kickstarter.
3) choose songs you actually LIKE. no matter how fitting the song is for a character, if you see yourself skipping it later on, don’t add it!
this is one of the biggest reasons why i opt to just make my own playlists rather than listen to someone else’s. but also i just enjoy the process. a lot.
4) AT LEAST 2/3 of these things about the song must make sense for the character:
- title
- lyrics
- vibe (required for instrumentals)
5) EXPLORE the character with your songs. get into all the complex aspects of their appearance, behavior, lifestyle, identity, relationships, journey, and ISSUES. GOD THE ISSUES!!
run with it. have fun with it. go wild.
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OKAYY!! those were just the guidelines for MAKING the playlist. now we must cover my favorite part.
methods for ✨finding songs✨includes, but is not limited to:
animatics; if someone was able to make a full blown animatic that shows just how fitting a song is for a character, it prolly deserves a spot on the list. i found ‘Explode!’ by Mother Mother through @/wormtime123’s amazing animatic, and it is by far my most favorite song in riz’s playlist 🫶 they also made the art i put on the album cover :D
spotify’s recommend songs; once you’ve got at least one STRONG song for the character, you might be able to find more by just refreshing!
edits; essentially the same principle as the animatics. the songs are just generally not as strong of a pick ;p
search “[character name] song” here on tumblr; a few people make posts about songs that are “[insert name] coded” which is literally me. i am guilty of this. i found ‘Rule #18 - Lion’ by Fish in a Birdcage using this method. the post.
wrack your brain for fitting words/phrases and put them through the spotify’s search tab; this is where most of the trial and error is at, but its also my fav part. i’ll give a few examples for this process.
riz doesn’t sleep much and drinks coffee, so ill probably start by searching up things like: coffee, insomnia, restless, and caffeine. simple as that!
riz has a gun. i probably try searching ‘pistol’ or ‘armed’ before adding ‘Bang!’ by AJR to the playlist.
riz is aroace. i add ‘arrow’ by half•alive and ‘Aces’ by dkj (IN THAT ORDER). i also throw in ‘This is Love’ by Air Traffic Controller for good measure.
stalk the discography of song artists; if there is a repeat artist in your playlist, or you just Really Like that one song, see if more of their stuff fits the bill!
straight up steal songs from other people’s character playlists 👀; EASIEST METHOD BY FAR LOLOL. use the hard work of others to your advantage. CHERRY PICK TO YOUR HEARTS DESIRE! FEEL NO REMORSE!!!
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side note: listing out all my reasonings for riz gukgak’s songs itched a part of my brain that i did not know needed to be itched. i see myself making a post explaining all 49 songs in the future.
istg i am normal about him. so completely and utterly ordinary and casual about his very existence.
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another side note: my earlier example about the horror/whimsical vibe was about kim soleum and max blunder respectively. it’s important to me that this was explicitly stated.
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once a character playlist reaches at least 2 hours of songs using this method, you’re GONE. you’re officially past the point of no return. blorbo is not even rent free anymore. they’re literally your subconscious atp.
and that’s all i’ve got. thanks for sticking around for my semi-coherent rant sesh.
Okay but "Pink Pony Club" by Chappell Roan gives Sirius and Walburga.
Santa Monica is, like, Gryffindor and the Order; the good side of the war
Tennessee is the Black household, the Death Eaters, and the pureblood beliefs
Because, Sirius belongs there, despite what his mother thinks. He doesn't belong in Tennessee with all the Death Eaters and racist murderers. He belongs at the Pink Pony Club in West Hollywood, with all of his friends, and fighting for what's right, despite the shame it brings his mother, back home in Tennessee.
