NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

Spotify Wrapped probably flooded your social media right last month. Two years ago, I got jealous, so I subscribed to Spotify. Apple Music started Replay in response to that Wrapped jealousy, but I still don't see many people posting their Replay stories on Instagram.  I never stopped listening to Apple Music, though. I have different habits for listening to Spotify and Apple Music, and today I'm going to discuss the differences between those two listening habits. HONESTY WAITS HERE FOREVER .  I started using Spotify last year. I decided to start linking the artist, album, and songs on Spotify if available because it seems that Spotify has more listeners than Apple Music. Last year, I used Spotify mostly for my blog and didn't listen to it much. I listened to Apple Music on my own time, and whenever I was in the middle of writing my blog and needed to listen to a song, I listened to it on Spotify. This year, I listen to Spotify for my blog but I also switched to Spotify at

The ‘90s in rock music started quietly. Hair metal was still around, but vibey New Wave tracks had gained traction in the late ‘80s. It was an eclectic time without a clear direction for a musical style. Of course that all changed in the fall of 1991 when  Nirvana  burst onto the scene and Alternative and mainstream rock listeners determined that grunge would be the collective musical trend. Just as disco didn't die in 1979, the New Romantics sound of the late ‘80s carried over into the early ‘90s. In fact, in the early ‘90s,  New Order ,  The Smiths ’  Morrisey , and  Depeche Mode  enjoyed their peak success. For Depeche Mode, that success came from a dark pop song, which crossed the Alternative Rock band over to the pop charts with the single from their seventh album  Violator , “ Enjoy the Silence .” ALL I EVER WANTED, ALL I EVER NEEDED IS HERE IN MY ARMS.  Produced by the now legendary Mark Ellis, better known as  Flood ,  Violator  was years of dark electronica in the making.

  We’ve come to the end of this year’s Anberlin : Seasons series. It’s been a big year for the band from the release of their second post-hiatus EP, Convinced . The shift in direction to post-hardcore didn't necessarily translate to the band's live show, as they only performed the lead single " Lacerate " live. The band played many legacy shows, including Hawethorne Heights' ...Is for Lovers and Furnace Fest. In August, Anberlin played a show in Dallas without lead singer Stephen Christian . Filling in for Christian was Memphis May Fire singer Matty Mullins . Then in October, the band announced that Stephen would be taking an indefinite hiatus from the band's touring schedule in 2024 with Mullins taking on lead vocalist duties for Anberlin's touring schedule. Stephen played his last show in North America last Friday, though he will tour with the band in Australia in early 2024. 

Today, I’m going to share the songs that I have listened to the most on Apple Music. I can't actually share the playlist because of Apple Music settings, but I found it surprising what made my most played. I think a lot of the plays come from playlist placements, particularly my Coffee playlist that I listened to at work until this year. I have blogged about most of the songs on this list, but today's song is the most-played track I haven't blogged about yet.   I’VE GOT FAITH IN NOTHING. I’ve blogged about 17 of the 25 songs listed. The number is approximate because there’s several technicalities that I’ll address as I write link to each blog post. Then at the bottom, I’ll post a shareable Apple Music playlist.   1. “ Far ” by Canopy Climbers . I’ve posted this track twice, first in January 2021. Many of the songs on my list are kind of background music that don’t intrude with my thoughts.  2. “ How to Love ” by Cash Cash ft. Sofia Reyes . I haven’t written about today’s