My Soundtrack to 2026 Q1
I’ve been feeling a little extra motivated to pump out content, so I decided I want to lean a little more into the song recommendations. I’m also learning that people care a lot less about what I think about things and more about what I’ve been listening to.
Now, to me, that’s arguably the same thing. But, hey, I’m just drinking the content creation Kool-Aid.
A friend once taught me that consistency isn’t always the key to success; it’s your passion for the work that carries you farther than any other source of motivation. We’re always growing and learning from our failures, so why should our productivity patterns be any different? That’s the key to true success, and ultimately, happiness with the work we’re doing and the lives we’re building.
I like to look at my music taste in that same way. It has a funny way of reminding me that nothing is permanent in my life, and that there’s no such thing as “my favorite song”—only the next one. I continue to surprise myself with whatever I decide to treat my ears to on any given day, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
So, in honor of that friend and the ever-changing nature of what sounds satisfy my brain, I present to you my top tracks from this first quarter of 2026.
I first heard “His Master’s Voice” by Monsters of Folk on Instagram in a clip from the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. It was a weird pairing given the tranquil nature of the song and the brutal ass-kicking that Sam Rockwell’s character gave in the clip. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with the song and its ability to yank me straight out of any stressful mood. It builds with a certain subtlety that contemporary folk audiences have grown so used to, and the chorus’ release of the tension built up in each verse is extraordinarily satisfying. Those of you with an appreciation for folk music need to give this one a listen—you’ll thank me later.
Everybody knows Band of Horses from their 2006 album, Everything All the Time. Songs like “Funeral” and “Part Two” are household titles, but their subsequent projects have never lived up to the standard that the audience holds. Unfortunately for them, I think they’re seriously missing out. “Ice Night We’re Having” is an upbeat, driving track that makes you want to get up and dance. Band of Horses really flexes their pop-rock muscles on this one, and they mesh a little too well with their folk-rock bones.
The only time I really listen to rap nowadays is in the gym. Otherwise, my passion for the genre died with the stoner rap phase I went through during my freshman year of college. However, the occasional track slips through the confines of my local Anytime Fitness and into my daily work commute rotation. “SWAT TEAM” is a true banger, with Rocky once again firing off his signature aggressive, braggadocious flow, and it’s aimed at everyone and everything. Throw it on while you’re working out, on your way to work, or even on a walk—it’ll get you fired up, no doubt.
I’ve been on an early-2000s alternative kick lately, and I’m not even a little bit ashamed. It’s cliché, cheesy, and so much fun. I feel like this era of alt is a little overshadowed by the rise of contemporary pop. Lucky for us, it’s not at all due to a lack of quality, but rather a culture change. The appropriately titled “Rewind” feels like the song that plays just before the credits roll on a 2007 rom-com, where the camera floats away from the two main characters to show the sun setting on a city skyline. It’s nostalgic in all the right ways, admittedly making me miss 2000s pop culture.
Much like my early-2000s alt revival, I’ve been revisiting electronic music during these first few months of the year. I credit a recent ski trip I made to Vail, Colorado—electronic/house just feels right to me in that setting. My regulars have been Fred again.., Flume, and RÜFÜS DU SOL, but funny enough, the track that’s been on repeat comes from someone I’d never heard of before. “Feel” is a rhythmic masterpiece. you’re never sure where the drums and bass are going to take you next. One minute it feels like a soft pop track; next, it’s a house head-banger; then it’s driving pop-rock anthem. It’s like an eloquently told story, and I highly encourage you to soak it in.
It’s fun going back to my roots. My writing career began with blog posts sharing the music I’ve been enjoying, and it feels like I’m right back where I’m supposed to be. There’s a vast array of music out there, and there’s no shortage of my desire to explore it.
Ready your eardrums. Create a new playlist. Sit back, relax, and open your mind to whatever’s so inclined to enter it. Finding new music is one of the strongest ways to connect with others, even when you don’t realize you’re doing it. A shared song becomes shorthand for a feeling, a moment, a version of yourself you didn’t have the words for yet. If even one of these tracks finds a home in your rotation, then that connection has already done its job.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the next one.
