Music, Time & Nostalgia
Yesterday I walked by the famous “Ed Sullivan Theater” located in the Theater District of Manhattan. “Fun fact: Paul McCartney performed on the top of this theater”, my cousin said, as we were walking by it. Immediately, I recalled a bunch of performances that took place there and it just made me so nostalgic. Particularly, “Who’s Loving You” performance by Jackson 5 and “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Surpremes. It also made me think of life before the internet. People would have to wait to watch performances on the T.V. or listen to them on the radio. Now everything is live streamed.
MTV and VH1 was my “YouTube” growing up. I remember watching music videos after I was done getting ready for school in the morning. Whenever I hear Mesmerize by Ja Rule & Ashanti, I can see my ten year old version sitting in the living room couch of the two bedroom apartment I grew up in. There are songs that trigger such vivid memories in my life. The ones that take me back to my childhood always get me so nostalgic. For example, “Hate That I Love You” by Ne-Yo and Rihanna, I remember the exact phone (gray Motorola gray razr flip phone) I had and who I was texting when I was listening to that song. I wish I had kept the CD’s I burned as a kid. I have tried to recreate them as playlists but my memory only goes so far.
As I get older, I appreciate listening to throwbacks so much more. Throwbacks serve as time machine capsules for me. Some songs are so emotionally charged, I get super introspective and in my feelings after listening to it lol… Vallenatos and old romantic salsas always do it for me. Specially because I was such a hopeless romantic even as a little kid, and I would anonymously dedicate songs. I remember listening to them in my room, which I shared with my two sisters. I remember going in the walk in closet we had, to hide from my family so they wouldn't see me singing along. However, I did not always hide. I actually also have videos of me singing along and performing with my little sister little skits with music in the background. Although I get embarrassed looking at them now, I am glad I kept them after all these years. They are hilarious but cringey as hell at the same time.
What about you? What songs trigger vivid memories in your life? I hope you enjoyed my rant and that you too take a trip down memory lane through the avenue of music.
Here are some playlists with some good throwbacks.
