Music to Make By...

I've had some discussions lately, and have seen others asking for suggestions, about what creative types listen to while they're being creative. I've found that at work, when I'm creating words and sentences and coherent thoughts and ideas, I have to listen to music that doesn't have many words. I have a couple of stations saved on Pandora and Spotify that are instrumental and acoustic. They create a little white noise so that I'm not completely alone with my thoughts, but they don't distract me.

At home, it's a different story. I need something with a tune to hum along with, and words to sing along to, and sometimes even a mood that will put my creative mojo into a place that brings about some inspiration.

I knew that Justin Timberlake was releasing a new cd (um, could anyone miss this information? He's been showing up EVERYWHERE lately!) so I pulled up The 20/20 Experience on Spotify to give it a listen. I also pulled up Justified, his 2002 release. And boy did THAT make me feel OLD!!! It was released over a decade ago, for pete's sake... and 12 years ago I took my then-6-year-old daughter to see N*Sync in Little Rock. I have to say, I think Justin has aged pretty well. :) I'm sure everyone has heard the song Suit & Tie, it's been playing on commercials, he's been singing it on guest appearances on television... and it's probably the most straight up "bringing sexy back" Justin Timberlake tune on the cd. I think it's my favorite, but I also really like Mirrors and Strawberry Bubblegum and Pusher Love Girl. The lyrics on the album are primarily about romancing a woman, and in that way it reminds me a bit of a dance version of John Legend music. I wonder what a collaboration between those two would sound like... hmmm.... *daydreaming*

I confess that although I love my mobile Spotify app, and am all about keeping up with the new technology that is popping up every day, I still want to own the actual cd. Maybe it's because I'm in my 40s and still have a stack of vinyl from the 80s in my closet... or maybe it's because I have lost photos and other stuff I had saved on my computer and on my phone, so I'm still skeptical of the permanence of anything I am not actually holding in my hand. I'm also a collector, and enjoy keeping things around me that help define who I am. I only recently added an electronic reader to my list of gadgets, but have hardly used it. I just love holding a BOOK, and browsing the aisles of my favorite used book stores. By the same token, I enjoy looking through my cds to find just the right music to inspire me as I sew, paint, or clean house. I am always reminded of a concert I attended, a road trip I took, or someone special who gave me a particular cd (or all three). I've never had that experience scrolling through my .mp3 files.

So, while I was doing a little shopping for last-minute Easter swag and dishwashing detergent at Walmart, I saw a poster for the CD and decided to grab it. I put it in to play while I made dinner tonight, and smiled as I looked at the liner and the CD itself. Way to go JT, he's not only brought sexy back, he's bringing vinyl back... sort of. :)

So if you're looking for a good groove to make by, I give a thumb's up to Justin's new release. Want to see more of my shopping trip? Click here. Get your own without the trip to the store - order it online! You're welcome.


I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and #JT2020 #cbias #SocialFabric. That said... I really do love me some Justin Timberlake. ;)