Soundtrack 1, The Bonus Tracks

So here I am … one week later, and the Songbird Soundtracks — the playlists I’ve been building — officially begin. An admission: I’ve been working on the first playlist for over a month … ever since I decided to start the blog. I had a rough structure and even some songs in mind when…

The Stranger Things finale landed on New Year’s Eve 2025, closing a story that began on July 15, 2016, and captivating viewers of all ages with a decade of bikes, flashlights, mixtapes, malls, and monsters. If the show’s impact on pop culture ever needed proof, it’s this: Stranger Things didn’t just resurrect an era ……

A few weeks ago, I did a crazy thing. No, I’m not talking about clicking “Publish” on the first Songbird Soundtrack post, although I’m sure some would call that crazy, too. This crazy thing started about the same time I began compiling playlists and outlining the first couple of posts for the blog, though. And…

Some “NOs” arrive like thunder. Others arrive cool, clear, and long overdue. This playlist leans into both: the theatrical refusal, the bright pop shutdown, the stylish brush-off, the final curtain. Most of these songs live in the world of romantic relationships — breakups, dismissals, and the moment someone realizes they don’t owe someone another chance….

Welcome to the B-side. Well, I’ve already been unable to achieve my goal of writing a post a week. That’s actually only partially true, as I’ve been working on this post for well over a week. I’ll tell you now that it’s another long one, so if you plan to read, make sure you have…

Here I am, “putting my records on,” as the song says. But why? Why a Soundtrack? Like many of my stories, this is not a short one. (Yes, I’m painfully self-aware about how I can ramble when talking about something I care about or to someone I care about!) In fact, you could probably say…