Monthly mixtape, curated to be listened to in order. We always end it classy here.
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I’m so excited you’re here with me this month! For my longtime fans, you may have already noticed that I’ve made some “upgrades” to the newsletter. When I first started 25 on 25, I always had the vision of approaching it like building a product, constantly looking for ways to improve the look and feel of it to bring you a better experience. So this month, I’ve decided to do a redesign to make it more fitting to the overall vision I have. Do you like it? Hate it? Please reply and let me know!
I have a lot of big future plans with this monthly mixtape + newsletter combo meal, so if you know a friend who enjoys good music, please forward this email to them 🙏 !
Starting this month, I’ve also added a few neat new features ⭐️:
- Theme of the Month Cover Photo: We all know a picture says a thousand words, but when paired with the right music and soundtrack, it now tells a full story. I want to find the perfect imagery every month to pair with the themes I’ve chosen. (If you’re an artist, illustrator, or creative of any kind and would like to collaborate on something, please let me know!)
- Song Highlights: Even though I select 25 songs to feature every month, the truth is that some songs have more significance to the theme than others. In fact, oftentimes one particular song has inspired an entire month’s theme. This section will allow me to spotlight a few of them for you.
- Playlist Archive: Due to popular demand (and by popular demand I really mean two people), I created an entire archive of all 40+ monthly playlists I’ve curated in the past years. You’re welcome!
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Theme of Month:
🍥 I Had a Dream That Asians Took Over The Governors Ball, Part 2
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It would be easier to say that I’ve curated an all-Asian playlist to celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, but the truth of it is that it’s so much more than that. This playlist isn’t just a celebration of the incredibly diverse talent of these artists, but it is also my way of responding to the increase of anti-Asian violence we’ve seen in New York City and across other parts of the country. It makes me sad not only to read and hear about the incidents happening in the city that I live in and love, but it also breaks my heart even more to see how it affects the psyche of my friends, loved ones, and the community.
It may seem cheesy to use music to engage in conversations about love and optimism—especially in the face of such unfathomably hateful acts—but the simple gesture of listening to and celebrating these Asian artists reminds me of the power and resilience of people. We live in an age where the barrier of entry to create and distribute art is lower than ever before, but for individuals to turn their passions into livelihoods still requires an unimaginable amount of courage, patience, and perseverance. The cherry on top is knowing that a lot of these artists have gone against the grain of societal and parental expectations just to create a piece of auditory beauty that now amplifies our spaces of comfort and enjoyment. When I get to each song, I close my eyes and imagine the series of challenges it has taken just for me to have this moment. I can’t help but smile, feeling the strength of other creators and passionate individuals passed on to me. Join me, and I’ll take you from one virtual stage to another, one music style to the next, and show you how powerful we all are.
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It’s bewildering to me that in the sheer vastness of what is available to us in music these days, I’ve only just discovered this Filipino rock band and song, even though it already has over 110 million streams! The light, almost mystical guitar riffs pull me deeper into the song with every listen.
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I have a soft spot for covers, not for comfort in its familiarity alone, but also in how it encourages us to hear the lyrics in a new way. I’m already a fan of Radiohead's original, but this cover got to me.
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Never Go Back - Aiobahn,Mick Mazoo
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This track made me do my first 360 turn on the computer chair this year. It’s that good.
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Big Country - Emile Mosseri
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Believe it or not, I started creating my playlist with this last track in mind. The angelic, choral melodies paired with the steady piano notes, and backed with the softest touch of strings embodies the type of music that soothes me most: one that conjures the imagery of an expansive meadow teeming with warmth, love, and growth.
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Thank you for being part of 25 on 25 newsletter today ✨
I'm
Andrew
and I curate this newsletter every month in my free time as a labor of love and as a tiny form of creative expression.
This newsletter is free because I get so much joy from sharing my appreciation of music.
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If you liked this volume of 25 on 25, why not forward it to a friend? 💙
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