Picture this: you’ve just secured shotgun on a mild length drive with a car full of your friends. The driver turns to you and goes, “since you’re shotgun, you have to be on AUX.” The pressure is ON!
Being on AUX (aka controlling the music) has grown into something that is much more than just setting up random background noise. The responsibilty to craft the mood to several different, unique people’s likings suddenly rests on your shoulders. For some, this is exhilirating while others, it is their worst nightmare.
I will be exploring the universal pressure of being on AUX in different situations, such as a car ride, how music has grown to be seen as an extension of ourselves within society, and offering some surefire AUX songs to play.
Why is AUX so much pressure?
Music has become an integral part of people’s day to day lives, including any social events; big or small. This means it plays a large part in setting the mood in any given situation. A scenario where the pressure often falls on someone to curate fresh playlists is for a party.
There are several factors to take into account in this situation. Is there a theme for the party? How many people? What is the vibe of this group of people? What does this party consist of? The music you would play for an intimate dinner party is starkly different from the music you might play for a 21st birthday party.
Suddenly, the curator of this playlist is in the hot seat! It is easy to read if people are actively enjoying the music. This could be from them telling you directly or from you keeping a watchful eye for people mouthing the words, dancing along, etc.
Some people, such as myself, really enjoy this pressure due to our infatuation with creating playlists and all things music. Others avoid this responsibilty like the plague. Take this playlist below, for example!
There have been a handful of times where we have hosted brunch get togethers at my house with my roommates. This includes for my birthday last year, and I immediately took to curating a playlist. My roommates all contributed to this playlist, since it is all of our house, but we were able to collectively beat the AUX pressure with this.
Music as a part of our identity
If you are on AUX, worrying about the general mood shouldn’t be the only thing on your mind. Your music taste is also seen as a representation of yourself! Music has grown to be seen as an extension of our identity.
When you get in the car with someone, maybe a person who has never driven you before, you are likely going to pay attention to the music they play. It is a great talking point if your music tastes are similiar. It is also a subconscious way to determine more about the person.
Music has turned into a representation of ourselves in the same way that something more seemingly obvious, such as fashion sense, is a testament to us as people. This can be seen as both a fun and stressful thing, depending on the person.
Sometimes, we are so desperate to come off a certain way that our music taste tends to dip into being a bit performative. We start adding certain songs to our playlists and rotations for “cool points” rather than real enjoyment of listening to it.
This is okay for big social events, such as parties, where you can assume that the majority of the people there will enjoy the song. However, in more intimate moments, such as in the car, it’s important to remember to stay true to yourself.
Music is an incredible outlet and meant to be an enjoyable experience for the listeners, so we should keep it this way. It shouldn’t be turned into another front we put on for others. Whether personalities are or aren’t compatibile is out of our control; why not allow this to ring true for music taste as well?
Song Recommendations
Tasked with AUX duty in the near future? Here is a list of some surefire recommendations for songs to add to the queue!
1. “Unwritten” by Natash Bedingfield
This is an ultimate FEEL GOOD song! It instantly elevates the mood and guarantees that people will be singing the lyrics in each other’s faces. Great for a car ride with the windows down!
2. “Hot in Herre” by Nelly
Looking for a song to add to a party playlist? Look no further than “Hot In Herre” by Nelly. Good for boosting the mood and the bass! People are guaranteed to be singing along!
3. “Voulez-Vous” by ABBA
“Voulez-Vous,” or any song by ABBA, is a great addition to any playlist! ABBA is the sweetheart of music and everyone knows these songs, even if they don’t think they do. Bonus points if you manage to get in the room with some Mamma Mia fans!
4. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish
Another great option is to look at what is currently trending or has been trending in the recent past; aka, songs everyone will know. Take Billie Eilish’s “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” which was seemingly EVERYWHERE for awhile!
These are just a few specific recommendations, but I personally also love to look at other’s playlists! Search up the type of playlist you are trying to curate and take a peek at what others have created. It is often a great way to cherry pick from several different sources until you have an amalgamation of your own playlist!
And so?
Being on AUX can often be seen as a stressful responsibilty, but it’s also incredibly fun! The consideration and care you get to put into a playlist of a specific scenario, as well as gaining the opportunity to share a bit of yourself is exhilirating!
Be sure to seek suggestions from anyone and everyone you can, especially strangers on social media. Or even here on Trill where people write articles about curating playlists for a specific night out.
The next time you are deemed the controller of AUX, work to reframe your mindset. Who knows? Maybe you’ll soon forget the stress it used to put you under and fight to control the AUX, like I do now!
