Setting the Vibe

The Niche Science Behind the Monthly Playlist

By Gianna Ucci

Graphic by Yeyoung Jang

What started the trend of trying to make music predict our futures?Since January 1, 2023, I have found myself dedicating the first day of every month to sitting at my desk, my bed, or anywhere with internet access, opening my laptop to Spotify, and creating a playlist titled “Current Month, Current Year.” A friend of mine once told me she liked making monthly playlists, not only to provide a snapshot of her taste at the time, but to inspire the rest of her month—and for three years I have taken that mindset to heart.I, like many others, have way too many playlists. These are all composed of various songs saved, albums to listen to, and random Shazams of music I’ve heard in the background. The monthly playlist feels like a ritual celebrating the music I love, playing like a photo album of a moment when some of my greatest feelings were captured, evoking emotion time and time again.

Looking back and listening, I find the ways my life has been captured through these songs fascinating—an almost eerie sense of nostalgia hitting me the second a song begins to play. I can tell by the songs “Kiwi” by Harry Styles and “Want Want” by Maggie Rogers that I was obsessed with pop-rock in February 2023. My May 2024 playlist reminds me of the feeling of falling in love, and my November 2024 playlist tells me how it feels to fall out of love. A trip to  Italy in April 2024 led to songs primarily in Italian, and the mid-1960s British Invasion music of May 2025 brings me right back to standing on Abbey Road.

These songs not only evoke nostalgia, but in a funny way, they replicate my old emotions. There are certain playlists I refuse to listen to. The reminder of some melodies can transport me back to the highest and lowest points of my life. Sometimes, when I look back, I feel detached from myself entirely, asking, “Why was I being such a ‘poser’ in October 2024?” and “Why did I listen to so much Bob Dylan in March 2025?”

These analyses are not only dependent on the songs themselves, but on the times at which these collections were created. I can tell which playlists were created on a night when I was bored, curated before a big trip, hastily added after an obsession, and scrambled together at the end of the month—because no month could be complete without a playlist. I’ve noticed that when they are made at the beginning of the month, I set a tone for the weeks ahead. Maybe that explains why I filled my February 2026 with disco.

However, I’ve found the best way to tackle the monthly playlist is to commit to adding at least one song a day, which shows how your taste has expanded, shifted, or whether you found gems. Speaking of—I have to get started on my March 2026 playlist now!