Everyone knows the power of music. It has the ability to take away pain, make you feel happy, transport you into another world, another time. But I didn’t realise the power of a good playlist until recently. I absolutely despise running, I see it as a punishment. Like if you were late to Gym class then you had to run laps. Not my cup of tea at all! That is until I was scrolling through TikTok, and I stumbled upon a girl who claimed to have a perfect running playlist. She said it made you feel like you were in a fantasy book charging into battle, or like you were one of the Avengers in the final battle in endgame. I listened to it and immediately felt the urge to go on a run. I didn’t even own a pair of trainers but I truly wanted to use this playlist and live my battle fantasy! So I bought a pair of trainers, and when they arrived I went on this run. Now the fact is, I am not good at running. It was more two-thirds walking and one-third running, but this playlist inspired me to do something I hate doing, and that is amazing. It made me think about the way a playlist can really affect us.

I know that this statement is a bit out there but nothing is more magical than a truly good playlist. I personally have a playlist for when I am sad, a playlist I play before exams, and a playlist full of the songs I listened to in 2016 (which is pretty awesome if I do say so myself). And all of these have power in their own right. By the time I am done listening to my ‘bad day’ playlist, I feel better. By the time I finish my exam playlist, all my nerves are out of my system. And when I listen to my 2016 playlist, well I am a 14 year old again crying over whatever drama was going on in The Vampire Diaries. And when I listen to this battle running playlist I actually feel the need to run (or speed walk at least). I am sure what I am saying is nothing new, everyone has a playlist for something but I think that they sometimes get taken for granted. That is what I have been doing, taking them for granted.

I truly believe that music is one of the most powerful things in this world. It can take you to places you’ve never been and recall memories you forgot you had. But a beautifully crafted playlist, that is infinite power. One song can take you to a place but a playlist full of songs can keep you there. Everyone claims to ‘have the best playlist’ but unless you can get me to want to go for a run, I’m sorry to tell you that your playlist is just okay.

Also the playlist I am talking about is on Spotify and it’s called ‘Meija’s Army’ – go for a run and try it out!