We could've all done better in 2007 when it came to Britney Spears. The new documentary, "Framing Britney Spears", makes that clear, while also leaving a lot of questions open about how conservatorships really works. In the first half of this episode, where I first analyze Britney's 2007 song "Piece of Me" as it relates to what was to come in her life. In the second half, I got some answers for a lawyer about how conservatorships work and why Britney even qualified. 

The Super Bowl is this Sunday! I've always loved both the game itself, and the halftime performances. So, I decided to revisit the halftime shows of years past! I go into a little of the history of the halftime show, I talk about what factors make an amazing performance, and then I rank my top 5 performances of all time! Listen to hear if we have the same favorite! 

In honor of my birthday coming up, I decided to do another episode about songs I listen to on my own time! I dive into my "Songs I Need" playlist that I've been working on since 2011 and possibly before, and what criteria I use to put a song on that playlist. Maybe hearing why I love the songs that I do can give you insight into why you love the music that you do! 

Spotify playlist of songs mentioned: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7sGMaidMGAbC6MhyJEfOPZ?si=_qsTkAQMS6en7CwkRKM5MA

I decided to take a break from dissecting mainstream music for a week to talk about my day job - my life as a music therapist! January is "Music Therapy Social Media Advocacy Month", so I begin the episode by talking about some of my approaches to music therapy advocacy. Then, I talk about what my work as a school-based music therapist looks like! It's not all fun and games, but there is a lot of fun and games! 

Olivia Rodrigo's song, "driver's license" has been out for a week, and is already smashing song streaming records. I only wanted to make an episode about the song if I felt like I had a unique perspective on it, and I wasn't sure that I would, but then I heard the bridge. I found the bridge in this song so fascinating that I had to dedicate an episode to it! Hear about why this bridge sounds so childlike and so mature at the same time!

Because I had so much fun making an episode about the Bachelorette premiere, I decided to dive into the music of the Bachelor premiere episode that first aired on January 4th, 2021. This time, I focused exclusively on limo exit music to see if the music can predict the contestants' futures. I also look to see if there are any racial biases found in the music, because there seemed to be some last season... This episode is spoiler free (except for the ending of the premiere)! 

Instead of doing my own "music of 2020  year in review", I decided to ask my friends what their favorite songs were that came out this year and why. They gave me some interesting picks all across the musical landscape, so I made it my mission to find a common thread! I look at the genres, musical elements, and lyrics to see if these very different songs have any similarities. Did your favorites from 2020 make my friends' list? 

Spotify playlist for the songs mentioned in the episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0bVRS21TGNk17ws03PC86L?si=BYncy0C4R8epsw46sbV_6Q

In my final episode about holiday music , I look at 10 brand new, original, holiday songs that came out this year. I then decide if each song will end up in my permanent Christmas rotation, or if this is the only year I'll ever hear these songs. I talk about songs by Dolly Parton, Lil Nas X, the Jonas Brothers, and more, but do they make the cut? 

Spotify playlist of songs I talk about can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3UuZDM9NoRGCiYbi1FOJ9x?si=iMTYtom5TwCKDFygvqCS7g

I thought I couldn't handle any more surprises in 2020, but this one was a good one! Taylor released her sister album to folklore, evermore, this past Friday, so I decided to do a bonus episode to break down the album! I had so much fun going through folklore track by track and then talking to my friend Lori, a life-long Taylor Swift fan, that I did it all again with this new album! First, I go through each song, and then Lori joins me to give her perspective on what made this album so great! I hope you enjoy my longest episode yet for this very important 2020 surprise! 

I think during this year, we all need a little more festive cheer! For this episode, I dug deep into my Holiday Music playlist and found the songs that I think are the most underrated. I tried to narrow it down to my top 5, but I couldn't, so here are my top 7 most underrated holiday songs! I also give two honorable mentions to Christmas songs that I think should be on everyone's lists. 

Spotify playlist of all the songs mentioned: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nQtBDNQYcceMx1V83UDl6?si=o8wUotw_QdGGo3zkukkcqA