The Crime of Being Basic, The Illusion of Being Unique

[@user-vw4xp5nt9f]

everyone wants to be unique but no one wants to be, like, *weird* unique. if a very specific brand of unique is fuckin popular then like... no y'all aren't unique

[@user-vw4xp5nt9f]

hi i'm a furry beat that

[@nothing-jl2dz]

More like attractive unique.. unless they got sad and don't want attention but they usually still wear makeup to appear more conventionally attractive.. btw there are some awkward teens who more want to be invisible but I don't mean those in this case

[@merrymermaid]

manic pixie dream girl…

[@YourMajesty143]

​@@user-vw4xp5nt9f - You turning this into a competition and challenging someone to "beat that" is exactly the problem pointed out in this video. Also, the furry subculture works hard to fight off imposed labels of "weird" and works to normalize it so as to stop the ostracization and negative stereotypes they're afflicted with by people outside the fandom. You reinforcing the "weird" association, as some sort of badge of honor, undermines their effort to be accepted and not misunderstood. Besides, furries are getting popular as they enter the mainstream, which proves OP commenter's point. It's no longer "unique" to be a furry. It's still fringe, but not necessarily uncommon or underground.

[@somethingunusual8456]

@@nothing-jl2dz YES. Only attractive people get the weird pass. I know it's fictional but let's face it, if Wednesday wasn't played by stunning Jenna Ortega but rather someone more conventionally unattractive she wouldn't have half of the appeal, specially on the dance scene.

[@Brokenblinds95]

My roommate’s most listened to artist was soldier boy and she didn’t know how it happened and was too embarrassed to post it. But I know when she gets drunk I can hear her blasting it from her room.

[@markigirl2757]

I’m the 69th like 😂

[@defunctdefunctdefunct]

Lmfaooo, Soldier Boy has bangers. Tell her not to be ashamed.

[@anony1596]

That's hilarious

[@janellecande]

LMFAOOO

[@hp.624]

That’s awesome lmao

[@zurileon5801]

The thing that terrifies me is that this also applies to mental health, if you regularly have thought about k1lling ys, or you’re depressed, THAT makes you “different” I stopped trying to get better because of this. Because people think healing means being basic? And that line of thought is just so horrifying, the fact that you have to be mentally unwell and unhappy with yourself because it’s “cool”?!

[@elcaa2064]

omg for real it's so scary

[@vacationbibl3school]

kinda like when artists starts releasing music that's happier sounding than their previous work and fans are unhappy,,, it's like they don't want them to be happy I'm like whuat

[@pigeondance]

@@vacationbibl3school coughs *lorde* coughs

[@carrot7911]

yes and even if you do want to get better, the whole quirky mentally ill thing has made it so people just make fun of and joke about super sad topics. Like if i were to theoretically tell someone i was feeling down, it would not be a surprise if they were like “oh lmao i wanna kms too!” (i hate the acronyms kms and kys, it’s weird that we need acronyms) it’s disgusting and sad. i don’t wanna stay how i am, and i don’t think it’s right, but when people joke about something too long it can lead to desensitization. i understand some people use it as a means of coping and that for the most part can be ok, but it’s such a widespread thing now and joking does have an effect on the public mindset, whether you want to admit it or not.

[@avaoftroy]

@@pigeondance fr!

[@grlfromvenus]

I hate when people are pretentious about this kind of stuff. I am an unapologetic lover of pop and I don't think thats a bad thing and yet, some people are way too concerned about it

[@yoginella]

Absolutely! You can talk about taste, but it's pointless to argue about it. No art or genre is superior to another. Everything created by mankind takes time, devotion, etc. For that alone I appreciate artist and their art (fascists excluded).

[@grlfromvenus]

@@yoginella exactly!! it blows my mind when people take a stance and whole-heartedly believe they are “right.” with something as subjective as this, there is no right or wrong.

[@yoginella]

@@grlfromvenus Its similar to people who claim that there is no good music nowadays compared to the great artist they listened to when they were young.

[@adventurelandexpert7148]

There’s always room to expand your taste beyond mainstream pop which is where the pretentious ppl are coming from. There’s so much more out there. Including lesser known pop artists, if you really get into them concert tickets are muchhh cheaper.

[@grlfromvenus]

@@adventurelandexpert7148 The pretentious people I’ve spoken to have come for mainstream pop and criticized it when I don’t think people should be condemned for listening to that genre. I whole heartedly agree that there is always room to expand your taste and try new things and I listen to a ton of different genres and decades. But I’m not going to tell people their music taste sucks if their top 5 artists happen to align with more popular artists

[@Mimsadoodle]

I literally got made fun of because my Spotify Wrapped top 5 were entirely FNAF songs but then my friend got made fun of for having all Taylor Swift because it was ‘basic’. Like do you want us to have a normal Wrapped or what? 😭

[@lulub517]

For real… you can’t win in this world no matter what you enjoy

[@Its_Asteria]

I saw a lot of people getting shit on when wrappeds were being posted online. There's no winning I do enjoy my fnaf music though and despite what people think, I'll keep enjoying it

[@Isabel-sr8ep]

I haven’t showed anyone my wrapped because of this

[@QueenLillyputt]

I love fnaf musicccc- Some of it is actually quite good, I hate how people say it’s “bad” or “cringy.”

[@ThiCC_Yosh]

ok but i love the fact that u have FNAF songs!! I appreciate people who listen to game soundtracks, they are sometimes forgotten abt.

[@m.c.gargamel7736]

Was arguing with my mom about this not even 30 minutes ago! She says "back in the 80's everyone had their own style and was more unique". Older generations will just always find ways to shit on the younger ones, huh?

[@mauve9266]

I’m inclined to believe the opposite considering the internet has facilitated unprecedented amounts of exploration and everything is so much more niche and fragmented now. But mums are the worst to argue with so conceding may be the smarter choice- gotta pick your battles 😂

[@katherinealvarez9216]

It's a rite of passage for old people. You are constantly critical of the young ones and terrified for them and of them at the same time.

[@AJ-cq5pw]

I never understand when people say that. People have always followed clothing and hair trends.

[@cloudycloud4171]

They had their own trends too

[@chloee.6495]

Oh and who did you listen to in the 80s mom? Madonna, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Prince, Def Leppard. Older people are funny, if most of your favorite bands have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, its kinda hard to claim they were niche and underground.

[@Mycenaea]

Being a hardcore music snob is something that gets a pass when you're an insecure 14-year-old, but it should die down when you become an adult in your early 20s.

[@Shay416]

Most adults never grow out of their insecure 14 year-old self

[@yeet8627]

literally me. i’m 16 now and know better, thankfully

[@lasantuzza777]

yeah i was gonna say any time someone acts like that it just screams, “i’m insecure and i try way too hard”. most people come around as they age. getting older typically means caring less and just doing what you like. but for some unfortunately they are never comfortable and confident enough to just be themselves.

[@Hahshdhbcbcyoutube]

I like all songs lol

[@griffon106]

last year my top song was 505 by arctic monkeys and i was laughed at for being too basic. this year my top song was sober to death by car seat headrest and people were like "ew what is that i've never even heard of them" and judged me for listening to a "weird" band. how does one win

[@hlwvyn_]

CAR SEAT HEADREST

[@jcft1408]

listen to Kanye

[@erickspoonakis]

literally thank you so much for this comment. i hadn't heard of them either and they're so underrated

[@colleenanderson6469]

Discovered car seat headrest this year and wish I could go back to my 15 year old self and share them with her. They are amazing. Also discovered deftones way too late… but what a weird feeling I impose on myself like I was supposed to, between the ages of 13-25ish have heard every band I was ever going to love 😅

[@ohshanana2397]

It’s ok to be basic. My most listened was mainly Afrobeat,Kpop, Dominican music and Melanie Martinez. My friend’s most listened was all jpop, and my other was all Taylor swift. That’s all ok. We are all totally different people, who go through different things, and like different music

[@kaleidoscopicghost]

@@hailsaep13 Hi, I just wanted to say that enjoying mainstream things is totally okay and it feels ridiculous to say it, but I totally get the stigma of having mainstream stars dominate your top charts. I used to dislike seeing very well known people as my tops, but eventually I realized that enjoying something that others enjoy too doesn't discredit my affinity for it and definitely doesn't describe me. The people who you listen to shape you, for sure, but just because somebody is well known doesn't mean that their messages and ideas instantly become bleak and monochrome. I think that labelling people as "basic" often discredits and undermines them as people with equally in depth personalities and interests as someone who isn't "basic". Don't let the media's fabricated guilt of enjoying popular things tear you down :) At the end of the day it truly doesn't matter if you like indie or mainstream artists, what matters is that you're enjoying what they make and that you're happy

[@KochinPleaseexplain]

@@hailsaep13 Honestly, Kaleido explained the reason very well but I just wanted to encourage you to listen to whatever you like. Don't care about being judged for that because no matter what you will listen to , people will still judge you in a way. My music taste revolve around Metal, Rock and Folk mostly but there are times where a "mainstream" artist's song would make me feel relaxed and put me in the right mood. In the end, music is a part of our life and it helps in our good and bad times and a song that someone may dislike might have helped someone else in their bad times. Being judged for listening to "mainstream" or appearing "basic" just tells how insecure other people are to the point that they are judging someone's music taste to feel superior about themselves.

[@GraveyardMaiden]

My top band was Ludo, top song Mary on a Cross and my overall top genere was pop punk

[@ad-wk3ud]

exactly! i don’t understand people who judge others for not listening to “underground” artists.

[@xelith6157]

I am the opposite, in a way. I was a stubborn teen, and I'm just now learning to really appreciate and let myself enjoy pop and mainstream songs and artists. It feels wonderful to let myself experience more types of music :)

[@perennementedistratta]

I've noticed that it's mostly young girls and teenage girls who get shamed for being 'basic', so I'd say that this phenomenon could be related to misogyny🤔.

[@Anna13Tonks]

It 100% is, I've been experiencing it all my life, but you'll be gaslighted into thinking it's "actually" something else

[@pissapocalypse]

Oh it is. Women aren't allowed to do fucking anything. If you're "basic", you get judged for being "basic". If you're different you get judged for that. There's no winning.

[@annahappen7036]

Thank you. I was hoping someone would call out the "like a white 16 year old girl" insulting someone with a race and a gender- a twofer!

[@BrigittePajares]

“basic b*tch” is a term that shouldn’t exist 😊

[@fg46yt13]

Men my age also get shamed for being 'basic' quite a lot. I feel like It's just because we teenagers are stupid (me included of course).

[@Ellie-yt3op]

One time my media teacher said “I genuinely do not believe you like Taylor swift” cause she saw me in a mcr shirt one time and I had to explain to her that I have been to two concerts and Taylor swift is literally my favourite artist . People can like multiple genres ma’am

[@tinybitofstardust]

I like both of those artists too! I also like two door cinema club, Harry styles, the used, paramore, and the lumineers. You don’t have to stick with one genre

[@sunburnspiastri]

Okay it’s beside the point but TWO tswift concerts?! I’m so jealous

[@drawl13]

nothing to do with anything but what concerts did u go to omg

[@queenofhorror29]

This happens to a lot of girls and women due to how society and the patriarchy sees us as one dimensional.

[@3littlebitofsugar]

yeah! i love taylor swift and punk rock, and sometimes people will look at me a bit odd

[@kyliivehearts]

my top artist was olivia rodrigo, i was in her 0.05% of listeners. a bunch of ppl made fun of me because shes “a popular and non-unique artist” but what’s wrong with that? i love olivia. i have cried and screamed my lungs out to her songs and have found peace in them and a way of honestly, therapy. her songs is something i can relate to and personally makes me feel represented and not alone. but some people make me feel like i can’t feel that way just because she’s a popular artist. she has been my top artist 2 years in a row, and both times my top songs were hers.

[@iwouldgiveyouthemoon_]

she was also in my top five!! i love olivia bc she's the artist that got me into music, before listening to her i never got the appeal. also congrats on too 0.05%! i was top 0.05% for taylor swift and it feels oh so good.

[@sophia7881]

u are soooo real

[@unicorncurry317]

The fact that that people bashed you for listening to a lot of a popular artist instead of having a standard percentile like them might be the most ironic thing I’ve seen in weeks. What a bunch of posers, I’m sorry you have to deal with that. I imagine these people are teenagers, I hope they grow out of that mindset soon because it’s embarrassing.

[@valeriehayne]

she was mine too. i blasted her album the whole year and I'm still doing it because i think it's an amazing album.

[@stargiirls]

@@sophia7881 i can’t tell if this is sarcasm

[@gin2943]

my top song this year was beethoven. and instead of losing my punk card, i think i actually transcended to the next level.

[@user-vw9lj1yn1b]

Which beethoven? If moonlight sonata or fur elise you're basic and not a real fan. /s

[@gin2943]

@@user-vw9lj1yn1b it was romance no. 2 in f major, but I am absolutely still basic and not a real fan.

[@doremigirl]

BEETHOVEN BAHAHA that caught me out off guard 🤣😭 No but honestly I don't listen that much but I like it 😂

[@glittr4brainzz]

@@user-vw9lj1yn1b what makes a person a 'real fan' in your opinion?? /gen.

[@user-vw9lj1yn1b]

@@glittr4brainzz they enjoy a good deal of the artist's work

[@phastinemoon]

The Spotify wrapped thing is hilarious to me, because - at least with my experience of Spotify - the app gives you songs and artists to listen to… but it’s almost always driven by algorithms, themselves. Of COURSE you’re going to have a lot of popular music, because the algorithms are gonna PUSH that music.

[@hannahleigh6152]

That's only on mobile. If you're on the computer you get to pick your own songs (and have it go on repeat).

[@somethingunusual8456]

Yeah! If they want us to know more underground artists so promote them, dammit

[@dogedoger2606]

Well not really. If you listen a bunch to some genre, the algorithm is going to give you more. This works with pop music and indie music alike. So I guess a lot of music you listen to will depend on the music you started listening to years ago. But I guess spotify promotes popular music at the default home screen so maybe you're right.

[@miglek9613]

Not necessarily. If you systemically tell them not to give you popular music, disliking and skipping pop music right away, they will give you the mainstream musicians within your genre instead of the top 40. Altho I somehow ended up at the top 2% of Slipknot's yearly listeners this year without ever actively playing Slipknot (my guess is autoplay favouring them over other musicians I was listening to) so maybe I'm just clueless

[@paigeh1670]

Spotify kept sending me more and more niche artists because that's how I interacted with the algorithm. That isn't meant to be a humble brag, just an example of how preferences will shape the result. It makes sense to me that more than 50% of listeners would be pushed the opposite direction since popular music is popular for a reason.

[@nobody8328]

"Can I please just be a basic b*tch in peace?" ~Tee Noir

[@alexbella99]

Yassssssssss

[@juulia3558]

ive always been called basic for being a swiftie like my entire life but id rather listen to music that means something to me and i actually enjoy rather than listen to music that doesnt make me happy for the aesthetic of being weird or quirky

[@ananyarai4607]

ik its hard for you to understand but the music you think people listen to only for the aesthetic of being weird, means a lot to them too, and and its basically what they enjoy.

[@maitealfaro9116]

@@ananyarai4607you didn’t understand, she means that she rather hear music she likes not music she should like to fit in the aesthetic. Never once mentioned anything about ppl listening to “aesthetic” music not actually liking it.

[@sidneylemon1951]

Obviously haven’t finished the video since this is such a recent upload. But this topic is so interesting and almost frustrating because it’s really sad people feel they can’t publicly show off their greatest joys. Music is a lot of people’s favorite medium of art, and even for those that it isn’t, it’s still a huge comfort.

[@greynotchristian]

you're making it sound like being generic is some adversity :D

[@AlexaPlaysGames_BS]

I love that you discussed this... While I was abroad in Asia where most cultures are extremely collectivist, I had such a hard time explaining why Americans think "basic" is an insult hahaha I would say, "It means you only like what everyone else likes" and they would respond "isn't that a good thing? Don't you want to fit in?" Hahaha this is such an American concept

[@chuwbaca663]

I’m sorry I absolutely hate people who think because someone or something is liked by a large amount of people that that means it’s not good art/media anymore.

[@xzxzojkeymtzxzx7712]

Or that smth that is only liked by small number of ppl Has to be good. It can be, but it doesn't make it automatically more worthy bcos its "less mainstream"

[@c4tl0verr50]

It always confuses me cause what’s wrong with a good artist getting attention💀

[@bertramwinkleofficial]

like, there’s a reason they’re popular.. usually because it’s really good

[@greynotchristian]

there's one thing to like popular stuff and another to be reductive and devoid of critical thinking

[@greynotchristian]

@@bertramwinkleofficial but that's literally not reality ;D

[@yasminprosser4085]

For a short time this year, I started listening to music on Spotify for the sole purpose of having it show up in my Wrapped. I wanted to be able to post my Wrapped and be “proud” of the songs and artists that showed up. Honestly, I think the whole idea of a public wrap up fucked me up, the same thing happens to me on Goodreads. I try so hard to present myself a certain way online and I’m sick of it, not doing it anymore

[@eguls98]

Omg same, I would not read the romantic sappy books that I thought people would make fun of me for on Goodreads, just to look “intellectual” lmaoo

[@yasminprosser4085]

@@eguls98 literally, I started picking up books I wasn’t that interested in just so I didn’t feel embarrassed about the genres I enjoy most

[@faiRy-2003]

literally how it was for me. i changed my insta bio several times a week, just to make it look aesthetic and trying so hard to impress others with my pretty account. all this because of what other people might think and always curating everything for others to perceive me in a certain way. it’s insane even writing it down now holy shit lol

[@maryfreegirl2029]

yeah lol im kinda like that too

[@RegstarRogstar]

my dad told me the story of him having a jazz snob friend who wouldnt listen to anything else and always put 'lowbrow' music genres down and my dad whos also a jazz liker was like, why would you be like that? a good song is a good song no matter the genre. liking jazz doesnt mean you cant like dangdut or pop music, like what you like instead of trying to show off how "sophisticated" you are. and i think this is like a core memory that shaped my personality ever since, not just with music but everything. i agree with this video, great work

[@masteroffear5762]

I never really liked Dangdut and it's definitely not my cup of tea and it's hard for me to liking it personally since I grew up listening EDM, Hip-Hop, RnB, Pop and liking some futuristic sounds and industrial sounds. But I hit a life stage where trashing other genres are just pathetic to me and instead of acting that you're protagonist, while not just accepting that people just have different world of music in their mind

[@ouchyeouchzowie]

my problem was that in middle school was bullied for being too weird, and because of this i took on the whole "basic bitch hater" persona where i claimed to not like "basic" people because they listened to "mumble rap" and followed celebrities when in reality i hated them because they reminded me of my bullies

[@PiranhaTeeth]

Real.

[@danaenaegod5203]

people who complain about mumble rap are actually the worst

[@Andyatl2002]

@@danaenaegod5203, people don’t like something you like that makes them the worst? I think you need to prioritize what makes a person actually bad.

[@danaenaegod5203]

@@Andyatl2002 the term has racist ties so nah

[@Andyatl2002]

@@danaenaegod5203, the term was coined by Wiz Khalifa, was it not? Any rapper including white rappers can mumble rap so I don’t exactly see why it’s a racist term only that it probably depends more so on the person. It’s just describing how words aren’t emphasized properly in some rap songs, I like knowing the lyrics of a song and this extends to other genres too at least for me.

[@nyxfilms3]

i was just soo confused by what happened. I didn't listen to spotify that much in 2022. the most confusing thing for me was probably that ppl were literally shy/embarrassed to share their spotify wrapped. Like when our teacher asked us, bc he is cool and we had a conversation about it during a lesson, he literally asked "if ure fine with sharing" and i mean okay, i understand, but he asked it like it's some trauma or something bad like what?

[@aizichi]

or maybe he's just asking if you want to share or not....?

[@nyxfilms3]

@@aizichi yeah but generally it seems like something touchy to talk about just because of the judgement...

[@emperorliz]

My music taste is so random , one song would be a goth rock and the next thing you know Katy Perry starts playing right after. These people on twitter find it weird apparently but it's normal, I don't get to control what song I'm into this week and it's just a spotify wrapped it's not a big deal.

[@pigeondance]

i think it's the best way, because with that taste you don't limit yourself and can experience all the best things from any genre!

[@saul_goodmanirl]

im like this too, i listen to a slayer song then after that i listen to nicki minaj 💀

[@saul_goodmanirl]

im a big fan of metal music but i love me some shakira

[@masteroffear5762]

I listen to Blackpink and BTS after went through my "King Crimson" or classic rock music or dark ambient obscure era like The Beatles, Swans, Brian Eno, Twin Peaks ambient music or Pink Floyd. Look how random was that lmao

[@nineinchthread]

I relate to this

[@juliannaslyfe]

as someone who went from a ‘weird girl’ in middle school and then became a ‘preppy basic girl’ in high school…this is 100% correct

[@twenty25five]

Similar story here. In 6th grade, I was such a “weird” kid. I liked video games, silly music, and I didn’t care what other people thought about me. In 8th grade (now), I’m a “basic” girl. I play lots of sports, I wear lululemon, I have a Stanley, I do my skincare, but I feel happier since I’m taking care of myself. You can’t win though. 2 years ago I was harassed for being different, now I’m attacked for being basic.

[@ellarieee]

My therapist and I talk about this way too often, probably because I used to be one of those people who would judge those who are more mainstream (I’m sorry I already know LMAO). I think it all stems from just being so insecure, seeing all these people online (mainly tiktok) being cool and different and seemingly secure with these cool tastes in clothes, music, movies, etc,. It is all based in insecurity in yourself. The more I realize that I, in fact, do not dictate what is cool because being insecure is anything but, the more I accept people for what they really like, and in turn making me feel better about what I genuinely like. It took me a lot of time to realize that a lot of my issues are interpersonal, and stemming from me wanting to be “cool”, but I had to realize that being “cool” just is, and you cannot prove that to people. You just simply are. No matter what people think, life is short and you have to make the best of it. Like that popular band or movie, like the Beatles’ worst songs, cry to Taylor Swift, hate all the filmtok movies… it really doesn’t matter unless you think it does. Basic isn’t real, and knowing that can make your life SO MUCH BETTER.

[@kimlip_tree2009]

my spotify wrapped top artist was taylor swift and i was in the top 2% of her listeners. and my other top artists were twice loona itzy and little mix. i really like girl groups so this makes sense for me.

[@samaraangeline5779]

Purrr #stanloona

[@kimlip_tree2009]

@@samaraangeline5779 YESSS stanloona :) and bring back chuu

[@anyone1111]

Twice!!!!! And little mix!!👏👏

[@EverydayZer0]

hell yeah stan loona (but remember to boycott 😭)

[@samaraangeline5779]

@@EverydayZer0 justice for chuu

[@bimpadimp]

when i heard people talking about curating what music they listen to to make their spotify wrapped look a certain way i was so baffled, i love the authenticity of sharing raw statistics about my music listening habits on the internet. it's especially nice just because i am someone who listens to a lot of weird music, but generally considers it more of a hindrance than a flex in real life conversation about music taste. that's a nice thing about social media i think, having an outlet for your interests without needing anyone to understand enough to hold a conversation about it with you.

[@SaphInfection]

tbh I kind of curated my playlist, but only bc i wanted to be the top 1% of my favorite band's listeners, because I like them so much

[@tinyghostdoodle6230]

> but generally considers it more of a hindrance than a flex in real life conversation yeah, i dont relaly get why people think its so great to listen to "weird" music. when i tell someone what i listened to all year and show them some of my favorite songs, and they look at me like im the weirdest person theyve ever seen and go "oh... its... different" im not proud, i just get sad. it feels bad to be isolated from music taste conversations. thats why i like talking about it on the internet, theres always people who will connect with you and share the same interests and not judge you for like things that are "too weird". i guess im in the same boat as you

[@tinyghostdoodle6230]

@@buddleia yeah, I know that and I'm working on it. Now I have a set of friends who dont judge me, after years of being seen as weird and being excluded. Though, it's still hard not to feel sad when someone looks at you like you're crazy after showing something you deeply care about. But still, i don't censor myself nearly as much as I did in the past, and I'm only getting better at being myself, so I consider that a win.

[@greatwave2480]

I'm upset that people just can't let people enjoy things, without labels and prejudices. It's like your worth is constantly being evaluated and your personality is an unpaid full time acting/smm job.

[@greatwave2480]

i'm not "basic" or "quirky", i'm just a person.. people are not fictional characters and cannot be strictly categorised by any label or an archetype

[@ventingmachine101]

honestly! people can't seem to understand that other people are people and not objects to categorize.

[@lulub517]

@@greatwave2480 I love this. Yes! We are people! Everyone is different. That is LITERALLY something we learn in kindergarten… So weird how we never really grow out of this “Basic vs Quirky” shit

[@StarlightMoss]

I listen to weird, kinda obscure music and whenever I played it the people around me hated it and changed it to something else. Then my friend showed me their Spotify wrapped this year and we found that we have similar interests so we shared artists. It was super cool and definitely a highlight of my musical experience. Not sure why anyone would want to be so UniqueTM that no one else likes their music

[@crelative9]

this is literally me too, except i've never met anyone that likes my music taste :( last year my sis bashed my favorite song and said it had "no melody" and "wasn't music," ever since then i hardly ever share my music w anyone. i wish i liked pop or rock so i could actually relate to people.

[@linsi9135]

Dont be shy share your "weird" music taste

[@savantisq4549]

that was a beautiful note to end on. i am a goth person, i love metal, rock, etc etc., so oftentimes i run into people who do have this very elitist mindset. my last ex was a great example of such. he told me multiple times that people who listen to "enter sandman" by metallica are "basic", or that people who only like "supermassive black hole" by muse are just "girls from tiktok". he even went as far to try and forcefully input his own elitism into my fixations. i'm neurodivergent, and have been fixated on bang dream for nearly 5 years now, which is a series centered around music and bands. he went as far to say that people who dont like roselia/afterglow (fictional bands in the series, centered around goth/rock music) are somehow less than i am because i tend to like those bands more. it gets very irritating, especially since i like things other than metal and rock too. i like pop music, idol music, even some country music (love you carrie underwood), because i am a person with broad and ever changing interests. some days, i am in a "2000s hot girl mood" and i play some good pop music, sometimes im in a "classic rock mood" and throw on some fleetwood mac. anyway, to cut a long point short, i kind of wish that this "i am different" mindset would fizzle out.

[@ayior]

@Cincoat And then you have Metal Subcultures like, within metal. People specifically being into JUST Viking Metal but NOT Folk Metal or JUST Black Metal and everything else is untrue or whatever and just stick to that. I never managed to truly feel home in any specific subculture because those elitist make it feel no different from the "basic" people that wouldn't accept me back in school. Like mates I'm just trying to find a place to vibe not a different flavor of conformity. Got a cool circle of friends with overlapping (but still divergent) tastes these days.

[@amliamatovu364]

All that aside, YOU LIKE BANG DREAM TOOO????? OH MY GOSH MY GOSH I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE DHEVEJDBSKS

[@leahshannon759]

Also can we talk about how capitalism works into this. Brands try to convince us that they can help us become more cool/unique/beautiful/fashionable/on trend. The only thing businesses cannot monetize is our personalities, and that’s really the most important thing to keep unique. Being unique is not defined by the music we listen to, clothes we wear, stuff we own, what hobbies/skills we have, and how we do our makeup. Being unique is defined by how we express our innermost self-how we act, how we love, and treat others.

[@dreadwolfrising]

I grew up in west coast canada, and I've been a huge fan of mother mother for a decade or so - they were pretty big here in BC and a bit less in Canada, but still fairly well known. When they started getting more international attention among younger gen z queer people, I knew soo many people here bemoaning how "they listened to them before they went mainstream and became tiktok music" and started side eyeing me for saying they were my favourite band. Meanwhile I was the one laughing bc the new fanbase revived a lot of popularity towards their earlier style, leading to them releasing an album that was super true to their roots, and similar to my favourite album by them! When I went to a show on their most recent tour, it was amazing to see so many young queer and trans people finding connection with their music

[@BlackCatWithCap]

I have LOVED Mother Mother since 2017 when my ex-best friend shared them with me. Their music has helped me so much an I genuinely very much enjoy it. In 2018, I made the mistake of sharing Bit by Bit with two girls who I thought were my friends. They litterally just went "Eww what is thaaat", laughed and went on to have a conversation, as I sit there with my confidence shattered. By the time of 2020 I thought I was pretty over that situation but when Mother Mother got popular on TikTok, those same girls started listening to Hayloft and Burning Pile and blasting it outside. They tore open the wound they had made and rubbed salt in it. I thought I was over it, but the rage and hurt it made me feel for awhile was awful. I know it's pretty pathetic but I'm still not quite over it. I'm 18 now, and still scared to share my most favourite things with anyone because of those two and some other bad experiences :(

[@dreadwolfrising]

@@BlackCatWithCap I'm so happy to hear that you love their music and it's so meaningful to you! Bit by Bit is one of my faves as well, alongside Problems. Yeah, I don't get where people get off on insulting someone's music tastes when it's such a personal thing - of course it would feel horrible to have the thing that you get a lot of meaning from be mocked, and it wouldn't make you want to share your music with others. Hopefully those girls mature and stop doing that to others, and recognize the irony of what they did and their current tastes now. I'm 25 and had people mock other music I liked similarly when I was a teenager, and I can say the hurt does get better with time. It becomes a lot easier to not let people's (bad) opinions affect your enjoyment and desire to share music - I went from feeling dread whenever anyone wanted me to play music or make a playlist at a party etc, to loudly and proudly blasting my music (latest was people questioning why ABBA was on a playlist and I was like "is it not a bop though" and they had to agree with me lol). Keep listening to Mother Mother and other music you love, and know that you're objectively way cooler of a person than anyone who judges others for music. Hopefully you get to see them in person bc they do a hell of a show

[@BlackCatWithCap]

@@dreadwolfrising Thank you!! I don't really know how to reply well but your comments were very comforting to read! Happy Holidays♡

[@dreadwolfrising]

@@BlackCatWithCap happy holidays to you as well!

[@mr.perezident9381]

I find myself obsessing over not being basic a lot. Like whenever I listen to a new artist, I’m almost compulsed to make sure I listen to more than just their biggest hits. That’s how I ended up memorizing the lyrics of every P!ATD song, considering how heavily that band is carried by singles. Ofc what I should’ve realized as an angsty teenager is that no matter how much Panic I listened to, they will still always be reserved a spot on the hot topic t-shirt wall, so I would still be basic either way, so I should just stop trying so hard.

[@alemefu]

I use to be "not like other girls" as an early teen, and it was a chore bc i wasn't naturally like that. I was considered weird and bullied for that, so at some point i turned around and decided to embrace it and found a way to feel good about being different, and i... It didn't really work, and i gave it up in a way, in part bc i found a group of friends where i was allowed to be weird and different without being rejected, so yknow. There's always something to be said about finding your place in the world. Anyways, i was like that, i forced myself to be different and scoffed at what was mainstream and then maybe secretly, privately, enjoyed the bits of the stuff that i mocked, and eventually i realized i was no better than the ppl i was mocking if i had to chip away pieces of myself to be me. A complain i developed as i grew up is that ppl are ashamed of being weird and they pretend to do or like stuff, and i was Different™, i was one of The Few Ppl that were Honest, except i wasn't. If i wanted to listen to story of my life by one direction i did it in secret and if i got found out i looked for an excuse. So i stopped Which also got me push back, in part bc of my own actions, bc you don't get tl spend years mocking something only to turn around and like it, that's not how it works, but also bc... If i admitted to liking what i too considered "basic" (although that's not a term that was part of the vocabulary of 2015 in my Spanish speaking country), i received mockery from others, and they didn't believe it, and once again i found myself looking for comfort in being different, and i can admit even nowadays i do that, and when i decided to stop chipping away from what i liked and cherry picking my interests to conform to the idea that i had constructed of who i was, i changed my understanding of Different™ to be more of what i was trying to become: not someone that actively goes against trends, but someone that enjoys whatever it is, *regardless* of trends and popularity, so if i happen to like the most popular movie in the world? Yeah, so what. And if i happen to like the weirdest, most fucked up little gremlin of a singer in the world? Yeah, that too, what about it, and it helped me stop feeling morally superior to those that were "basic" to my eyes, bc now i allowed myself to reach a common point with them in my honest interests It took me some more years to realize that everyone is like that, actually, that everyone wants to feel unique and usually thinks they are unique, and depending of how you see it, that's really the case, but also, it's not the end of the world if I'm like everyone else. If I'm part of the 70% of ppl that look up bc everyone else is looking up, if i like the song that everyone else likes bc it was made to be popular by design. It's... Fine Nowadays i do mock a certain sort of basic-ness, but usually with the irony of mocking exactly what I'm doing. My most listened to song was an extremely basic one from fucking tiktok, and that's funny, i find that funny, I'd mock someone else for that and I'm willing to mock myself fornit as well, because i listen to a lot of things, but the one i listened to the most was that one, and I'm not even surprised, and I'll listen to it again I do have a problem with getting in on the popular thing as it explodes, but that's more of a self aware "i want to be different" thing that i also mock bc "wow, you (i) want to be different so hard 🙄", but also because I at a point of honest exhaustion with many industries (music, tv, movies, etc) where i honestly just don't trust what's popular and i don't want to contribute to stuff like Netflix having ppl binge watch a series or face cancelation, or everyone going over how amazing this movie is and you have to see it RIGHT NOW BEFORE THE SPOILERS and then I'll just... Wait. I'll watch it, maybe, if I'm interested in the concept, but i refuse to play into the viral aspect of media consumption, not bc of my issues with being basic, but for my issues with capitalism lmao, but i do know my mockery of playing into the hype of capitalism does overlap with my mockery (sometimes self directed, sometimes truthful) of what i consider to be basic

[@user-vw9lj1yn1b]

Jesus Christ. You could've expressed all of this in like two paragraphs.

[@disneybunny45]

It's a very strange and lonely experience not being part of social media. There is so much that occurs on there, so many discussions that I don't even realize are happening. I don't compare myself to people because I have very few people I interact with but I don't have many social connections either.

[@brittnylaurel]

People need to top taking this stuff so seriously. There’s more to life than this 🙄

[@itsnotthatdeepbro8219]

I don't have any social media accs save for a Pinterest acc (if that even counts) and I'm pretty happy about it. It's peaceful because i literally do not know what's happening so i can't be mad or sad about it. Ignorance is bliss.

[@Quon]

hyperconnection was supposed to be a good thing, but they managed to only show humanity's worst traits

[@no1legobatmanfan]

Disconnecting myself from social media actually made me enjoy my interests much more. Im not constantly liking something just for others. i just like things.

[@rarediamond1011]

Don't worry, you're def not missing anything. There's a reason why so many people have to go through social media "detoxes" to feel somewhat sane again.

[@YouNeedJesusx]

I’ll always love pop and idc what anyone says about it. I’ve cried, danced, laughed and created good memories from pop songs so it’ll always have a special place in my heart

[@kathrynhornburg9259]

Dude! I had an ex tell me I was basic because I was now dating a guy with a big fluffy dog. Everyone is Basic at something, so it means absolutely nothing. It took me a long ass time to be like oh yeah those others opinions don't actually matter. I don't have to be "not like the other girls" to be valid.

[@AnarchicOrder]

I made a list that relates to this subject: Likes/dislikes the thing (Normal) Dislikes the thing because others like the thing (Contrarian) Dislikes the popular thing because it is popular (Not like other girls/boys) (Hipster) Likes the thing because others dislike the thing (Edgy Contrarian) Likes the thing ironically (Ironic) Likes the thing ironically for so long that it doubles back and becomes unironic (Double Ironic) Knows that liking the thing ironically will make them truly like the thing, so skips the irony and just likes the thing (Meta Ironic) Likes the thing before others liked the thing and boasts about it (Hipster) Disliked the thing, but only likes the thing now because other people started to like the thing (Bandwagoner) Likes the popular thing ("Basic") (Normal/Trendy) Didn't like the thing, but now likes the thing because tastes change (Normal) Likes the thing and takes it upon self to deem if others truly like the thing and can be in the liking thing community based on standards made up in their head (Gatekeeper) Genuinely likes the thing, and doesn't care if others dislike the thing because they understand everyone has their own taste/preferences. (Normal) Genuinely dislikes the thing, and doesn't understand why others like the thing but doesn't boast about it. (Normal) Does not necessarily like or dislike the thing (Normal) Likes the thing obsessively (Fanatic) (Stan) Dislikes the thing obsessively (Cynic) Likes the thing and thinks they're better than others because of it. (Elitist) Likes the thing and thinks they're smarter than others because of it. (Intellectual™)

[@AnarchicOrder]

At the end of the day just like what you like and be kind. Its okay to like or not like things, just be kind towards the difference in others.

[@lulub517]

@Cincoat Exactly! So sick of the whole “Oh what you like X movie? You have terrible tastes!” Instead of idk having an opinion about instead of personally insulting someone for their opinion. People need to use their words better instead of acting so high and mighty. Saying something like “Personally I did not enjoy it” instead of “AnYone Who ThInks THiS X Is GOod Is Too YoUng To UnderStand rEal Art11!” Which is just so snobby and contributes to nothing but an elitist complex.

[@BebeHey]

The intro is literally what I stay up at night dreading

[@snowpocalypse69]

I'm glad you talked about people being bullied for being unique too. I feel like this is where NLOGs usually come from - usually young girls who have spent their whole youth thus far being rejected and bullied by other girls for not being like them, turning that shame and anger into a badge of honor as a coping mechanism. Which is also why most girls grow out of it as they get older and more secure in themselves & find other women with similar interests who appreciate them and don't make them feel afraid to be themselves.

[@estrelinhaNove]

I used to be the girl who would judge the others girls for liking things as Twilight, Brazil Funk (Idk how this genre is known outside), Kpop, etc or for being fussy, enjoying typical girly things and don't play rigth dodgeball. I was kinda of that stupid trope "I'm not like the other girls", but I over it. Anyways, it is weird to notice that it was something bigger than just the desire of being different, it was prejudice, it was hate. And it turns ever weirder when I just wanted be different than the others girls for somehow subject machism, like, "you want me to like pink? Fine, I'll like blue" and it turns out just being more machism. This is so fucked up.

[@iforgot7165]

im ngl, i actually used to be one of those people that got disappointed over their underrated artist becoming popular. i didn’t wanna be seen as too basic or too different (which is literally what this video explains) so i just thought everything “basic” or popular was bad and strayed away from it. im sad i did that and im actually glad i watched this video. thanks, shanspeare

[@캼벨켈런]

I feel like the email stating that the "Basic/Plastic" concept largely stems from growing up in a culture that is so heavily rooted in individualism was an excellent point. I notice that "being unique" often has to do with fast trends. So much has changed in the past decade alone because our survival (in the States anyhow) relies on making money, and if you aren't keeping up with trends and making whatever you sell stand out in some way, then you're not selling. Our survival is treated as individual endeavors; you can come out on top by being different from the crowd. It feels so competitive. The need to be "unique" is pushed on us at such a young age. I think it's important for people to understand that it's okay to be human, and that being apart of a community, being open to other people will not diminish your importance as a human being. As matter of fact, other people will make you stronger. But it can be really hard to find such communities; that's where (ironically) underground subcultures come into play. Underground subcultures are typically comprised of individuals who understand the importance of taking care of each other. Nowadays, however, these subcultures have been mostly taken over by people who want to be different from mainstream culture, yet don't look out for others and are very self-centered, or individualistic, and they cause more harm by pushing out people who have already been outcasted by most of society. So, it's become harder to find folks who are genuinely compassionate, and passionate about the movements because it seems that EVERYTHING has become a trend to monetize. It'd be nice for us to stop focusing on consuming trends, and as Shan put it, simply exist.

[@alliesupersallie9390]

The antithesis of the basic girl is the manic pixie dream girl, a character created in direct response to the seemingly identical "plastics" of the world. Now, though, even the manic pixie dream girl has been characterized as similarly basic, another uniqueness clone in the steadily growing community of anti basic girls. The manic pixie dream girl is also beautiful by conventional standards, making her no different than the "plastics" of the world, except for her style and personality. However, in the real world even "basic" women have vastly different personalities and style variations, so the manic pixie dream girl can only exist in a world where basic women are only caricatures, in fiction. Since the manic pixie dream girl, a direct opposite of the basic girl, can only exist in fiction, by extension, the basic girl also exists only in fiction, because no woman is ever truly identical to another. By the way, I would love to see you make a video on the manic pixie dream girl!

[@pigeondance]

such a great comment!! reminds me of the reason why i always get annoyed when guys call me "nOt BaSiC aNd uNiQUe". i'm like, have you ever really talked to any other girls than me? no? and it shows lol

[@OrinSorinson]

A postmodernist world where everything is analysed to death and in a world of 8 billion people that are hyper-connected, everything is a trope. Wonderful! People should get back to the ancient tradition of minding their own business and letting other people enjoy whatever makes them feel happy.

[@MAjaLeahHB]

misogyny really played a huge role for me. a few years ago i was judging everyone who liked "basic girly things", but then i fell in love with kpop and had to get over it. shaking this internalized misogyny was a process but now i'm freeeee and i let myself and others enjoy things without inner judgement. this wasn't a "not like other girls" situation it's more like i was judging taste in media though a lens of misogyny.

[@satohime]

i didnt even know this was a problem man ive been living in ignorant bliss. last year i streamed 60,000 minutes of a band from japan with like 12 fans total whose discography i have proudly memorised despite hating their music but just wanting to support their members who i am vague acquaintances with....cringe culture is dead who cares how popular or unpopular your music is, you like that shit thats SO AWESOME!!!!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU FOR LIKING THINGS FUCK THATS SO AWESOME HELL YEAH show off your 3 straight months spent listening to ariana grande thats all that matters thank you goodbye

[@Cats_N_Doodles2018]

Who’s the band from Japan? I wanna give their music a try!

[@satohime]

@@Cats_N_Doodles2018 the madna! theyre definitely not as small as "12 fans total" like i said but some japanese bands i like that really are that small would be z clear, larme belladonna, and dennou himeca❤️

[@Cats_N_Doodles2018]

@@satohime thank you!! Will definitely look into these later!

[@prochacho3750]

sorry if it sounds weird but you seem rlly cool, just the way you talk/type exudes confidence I love that. there's not enough people like that fr (including me, but I'm working on it)

[@satohime]

@@prochacho3750 THATS SO SWEET💚💚 thank u random youtube person have a wonderful day, hope u can learn to be more confident it's beautiful even just to try!!!

[@SabrielBlack]

Sigmund Freud is looking stylish with the V-neck/ suit combo

[@kee0613]

the character development i experienced when i went from being NLOG to just liking whatever and not giving a shit what other ppl liked when it came to music whewww like now i proudly post that i was in the top 0.5% of BTS listeners on my spotify wrapped bc i feel like music is such an intrinsic part of a lot of ppls identity so there's nothing for me to be ashamed of. like knowing that ppl will see me as basic and "liking the mainstream" actually has a greater importance to me bc i feel more proud that artists from the global East are getting enough recognition to even BE CONSIDERED mainstream. ok anyways that's not the point of the video but as always, another day another slayyy!! i love ur videos sm they verbalise a lot of feelings and thoughts i wouldn't be able to verbalise myself

[@penumbra6853]

I don't leave comments very often, but this topic always fascinated me. When I was younger, I didn't really listen to music. My main source of it was the morning country music channel on Sundays and edgy rock AMVs every now and then. It wasn't until 2020 that I began doing so again, so my instinct is to assume all music I find out about is mainstream or well known about, which makes it a surprise when I come across people who tell me my taste is "unique." Like nah man, I'm pretty sure a lot of people have heard of Breaking Benjamin before, you're not fooling my ass. I think in this sort of basic bitch fingerpointing, a lot of people often forget that subcultures exist. Some people flex listening Mitski as if she's this super obscure indie woman, but on the side of the internet I'm on, it seems like everyone and their grandmother have been listening to her for ages. Mother Mother has been around for years (I remember seeing a lyric video for "Oh Ana" back in 2018), and it's only now I see people complaining about kids always putting it on their fandom playlists as if fandom babes weren't already making full animation projects to their songs for a while. Whatever's considered basic can be extreme obscure to another group of people by the mere existence of the fact that these smaller communities have their own set of standards and stereotypes. The alt community in particular is famous for crapping on newer alt kids or budding alt subcultures because of the hypervigilance around posers. The term Mall Goths, for example, was coined as a sort of "basic bitch" label as it was meant to deride kids who dress in alternative fashion because it looked cool and just "didn't understand the culture, man." The joke was that they spent all their time in mall shops like Hot Topic, and now it's considered an actual alternative subculture. Absolutely bonkers.

[@silliestbillyXD]

this will probably make me sound as pretentious as those people, but i can’t stand that uquiz users/makers automatically assume that people who don’t listen to mitski, lana del ray, and deftones are “basic” because 1) categorizing people who don’t have a very specific taste in music as “basic” defeats the purpose of being anti-basic. (plus those artists are already very popular) 2) those people seem to forget that versatility exists. i listen to bands that range from 19M mostly listeners on spotify to about 100. listening to weezer and radiohead doesn’t automatically make me basic/a poser, and listening to bands with my similar following to the soundcloud rappers in my area doesn’t make me superior to anyone.

[@penumbra6853]

@@silliestbillyXD You don't sound pretentious at all. In fact, I'd say the word pretentious is often overused in place of a far better term, but that's neither here nor there. You actually do a really solid job at proving my point: Lana Del Rey, in the circles where I run, is the biggest "basic white girl signifier." Summertime Sadness was one of the biggest songs when I was in middle school, so it's fascinating to hear you say that people act like she's some underground artist. And as a metal fan myself, Deftones is also "experimental metal 101" to a lot of folks in the community, so saying you listen to Deftones is like "dude, me too, tf?" A lot of these people likely feel like outcasts in real life and sort of revel in the romanticism of the refined art connoisseur on the outbreaks of the world to cope with the true loneliness of that reality. So when they get the chance, they enjoy being the gatekeepers rather the ones turned away from the gate to begin with. Shame that so many (including myself, I have to admit I do it too) approach art and our expression of love for it as some status symbol to lord over others, but that's really not something new. Also I've been out of the loop; when did Radiohead become basic lol? Tbh, I'd lowkey take being called basic that people telling me I listen to "male manipulator music" any day, so that's kind of good.

[@howdyitsren]

I’ve spent the past 5.5 years studying music. I am a passionate believer that if you love music, whether it’s niche or top 40, that’s wonderful and im happy for you! It’s nice to enjoy things! It’s great how people enjoy different things! It’s cool that niche obscure music finds enthusiastic listeners and great that popular artists can generate such a passionate community! Let’s love the love of music!!

[@cammythings1901]

I remember being picked on in school because I listened to Kpop. I still listen to Kpop, but now when people ask me what kind of music I listen to I feel nervous-and sometimes even embarrassed-to tell them because of what I went through in school. Although at the same time, back when I was in school I felt "unique" and "cultured" for listening to Korean pop music, and not your "basic" top 40 artists like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. Now I can say I've grown up and I've expanded my music taste a bit more (I even enjoy a few top 40 artists). Life is so much better when you just focus on your interests and respect people that have different interests than you.

[@glitchberry327]

I’ve meant some “basic” people and they are absolutely wonderful, it doesn’t matter if you’re “basic” or not, as long as you don’t hurt anyone, you’re chill👍👑💙

[@jotarokujo4829]

I was in the top .05 of Sabrina carpenter this year :) Her new album is so good and her new christmas nonsense????? I listened to that on repeat idc😭 Taylor was my number 4 also cuz goddamn I love her- but I wasn’t a “person who listened before she was popular” tbh. I thought I was super basic for only listening once her new album got popular but... popularity helped me find great music so I’m no longer ashamed

[@Kay_lahM]

Ah u got taste

[@melmarie1494]

the dababy joke caught me so off guard😭😭 you are hilarious

[@kayagiorgione7346]

wait stopppp. i’m so happy I found ur account. you’re amazing. 🌸💞🦋

[@emilyfishie]

i think you brought up an interesting point that this representation of who you are is through the things you consume, the products you display on your shelf, etc. i think this representation is aspirational, or representa the persona you want to present to the world. especially in a highly individualistic culture, it’s a natural instinct for people to want to appear/be different, bc it’s so highly valued. so i dont fault people for wanting to be different for the sake of being different. they just lack self awareness to realize theyre not really “better” or “more intelligent” than anyone simply bc they consume different content. in order to be “different”, youd have to keep up with the trends & the mainstream in order to subvert or defy it haha. their behavior is dictated by the mainstream just as much.

[@Gymnastics_Brasil]

I feel that during the pandemic I’ve come in contact with a more introverted side of myself, and since then it really changed my taste in music / consumption of media. Since I was little, I found a lot of joy in pop culture, and still do, but specifically in music. I grew up amazed by Ariana Grande, tv stars and etc. Also, I was a very extroverted child, and grew up feeling comforted by big communities. As Shan shows us with this ✨lovely✨ production, a big part of the illusion of being unique is, ironically, the desire of fitting in and being loved. During the pandemic, I feel like I found a place in myself as an introvert that made me happier then ever, and part of that was wanting to belong to smaller communities, and whit that, I kind of shifted away from the mainstream. During this process I don’t think I ever doubted the feeling of satisfaction that I received from being nOt lIke oThEr GuYs, but this video really made me think about where these sensations come from. I feel that my introverted self both likes to be different and is afraid of being in big communities, and it all comes from the way I desire to belong / am afraid of being too different. I’ve been trying to free myself a little bit, and just consume the media that makes me the happiest! I’ve been blasting Britney and enjoying literature of popular stories. I’m trying to find balance between my pop culture fan and my inter Ukulele Banjo Boy. Anyways… Thank u for this, Shan.💚

[@theblurryblackcat]

As someone who is terrified of sharing what kind of music I listen to, I'm so tired of people making music taste into this big introspective thing about your identity. Sometimes I just like to listen to Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga to get me confident or feel a little nostalgia.

[@215ariley]

17:45 i have found that even in subcultures and more niche groups that they always have trends. There is always something considered the thing to do, wear, or buy. I think this is a fixture that has come in part from the idea that in our capitalist society there has to be a winner and loser. That then feeds into this moral superiority complex that people sometimes need to feel better about themselves, the things they're doing and consuming. Loving your thoughts on this topic!

[@ayellowpapercrown6750]

This opening skit is speaking to my soul, my top artist of 2022 was One Direction, and my second was Taylor Swift because I famously went through a rough patch in January.

[@DoughnutWolf]

Your delivery is so consistently engaging to listen to, and I'm happy to see a video about this LOL... Spotify Wrapped shame is too real. It's interesting how many personality archetypes get prescribed to people just based on the kind of media they are consuming, even though often times their personhood can't be tied just to the things they enjoy. Individuality should hold hands with community, so many different people can be part of so many different communities at the same time, and no one defines them concretely... But it feels like it's very much divorced from that now.

[@shaneclements1305]

Thinking that liking stuff based on examining it critically is just for the sake of being "unique" so they're "not basic" is the most amazingly basic thing I can think of. To think that people like things that aren't popular just so they can think they're better than you so you can avoid thinking about why you like what you like is the most amazingly basic thing I can think of. It is okay to think critically about stuff and to like things for critical reasons. It is okay to critically examine something and end up with a low opinion of it. To act like people only like things that are "unique" just to be unique just to be better than you just to be "not basic" just becase you're desperate to avoid thinking about anything you enjoy is so fucking basic it hurts to look at. It's extremely pretentious and extremely thoughtless. People pretending to be "smart" about anything is a fraction of the phenomena of people that actually enjoy something very niche that gets ruined because it starts pandering to the lowest common denominator for easy profits. Our society doesn't value being or even seeming original at all. It's extremely unprofitable and our society is profit driven. Being original is mocked exactly the way you're mocking it now because anything that makes the average person think about what they're doing or why they like what they like makes them uncomfortable. Our society values in-group out-group signalling and extrapolations of it. Straw Man and Ad Hom at my comment without making any kind of substantive rebuttal and prove my point.

[@Spades1010]

I feel like this can be applied to aesthetics too. People want to live aesthetically pleasing lives with aesthetic rooms and clothes- and it fits them in this box where they HAVE to always like certain things and can’t like different things that don’t match their aesthetic. Really interesting!!

[@chiyu.tamade]

NEW SHANSPEARE VIDEO JUST DROPPED

[@BebeHey]

WAKE UP PEOPLE

[@clartblart3266]

Woooo!

[@aggressivewolfie2452]

Awesome video- I feel like I gotta keep reminding myself to not have an INTERNAL pretentious streak, and stop getting on my own ass for enjoying some popular stuff. Also I fuckin love how you styled those curls, they’re so exaggerated and illustratorly- super fun and gorgoeus!!!

[@NijiOfNatsu]

The wrap is never a win situation, too "basic" and you will be bully online, but "too niche" and no one will know or care about your wrap since part of the social aspect of it dies

[@subekyuuke]

I've basically only listened to various forms of J-pop (mostly Vocaloid songs), future bass and the kinda stuff you hear in rhythm games for like three years so that's what all my Wrapped was this year... I didn't, like, obsessively curate it or anything I just so happened to listen to like 3000 minutes of Masa Works Design and also listen to Cute na Kanojo over 300 times (it's a short song okay). What I was confused about was Ai no Katamari (a song I didn't even fully REMEMBER) being in my top 5 instead of Soredemo Ii nda yo or Kanzen Houki Sengen or Kareshi no Jude or any of those even though I KNOW I listened to them more than that one???

[@onthefridge-w7p]

Omg i love vocaloid and Masa too!! You should check out Umbrabyte they’re super underrated i also like Kikuo and Pinocchio-P a lot

[@gratedparmesan_]

I think this is the most based comment here

[@gratedparmesan_]

@@onthefridge-w7p I'm also a super big fan of Pinocchio-P! I got his best album CDs for Christmas. But I think my favorite producer is Hachi... I also really like Masa too, Ageha Glow has me in a chokehold.

[@ten1982]

listening to rhythm game music outside of rhythm games is Very Based it's been one of my top genres for years now

[@silliestbillyXD]

i listened to totemo itai itagaritai, an average length vocaloid song, over 200 times lol (i don’t even like that song that much). i wonder if it’s just an unusual habit pertaining to vocaloid fans.

[@emperorliz]

People were really saying "that's so basic" like wtf just because it's popular doesn't mean it's basic, it's famous for a reason y'know.

[@anatomicalvenus]

Tbh I was embarrassed abt my wrapped this year bc it was so disjointed - I feel like there's so much focus on having a particular "aesthetic" and a curated identity and that my wrapped really didn't reflect the sort of style I go for in my day to day life. Ik that having diversity in tastes is a good thing, but most ppl in my life think of me as a granola/folkie type and while I do love folk music, there was only 1 artist in my top 5 who reflected that.

[@Cassowary_eating_mammals]

This video is oddly comforting.

[@gloss2468]

this called me out so hard ngl. this year I was so…scared of like sharing my music (even tho I generally dislike sharing my music taste). like my fourth most listened artist was ed sheeran. and while I dont listen to him anymore and it „was just a phase“ I did really listen to him and I really enjoyed his music and it made me happy. but nonetheless I was still scared of telling people that I listened to him, because he was such a mainstream pop artist (while he do is seen as a kinda ironic figure).

[@lauraanttila371]

This is a very interesting topic and I think everyone should watch this video to unterstand how "basic bitches" and "unique snowflakes" have actually the same kind of mindset; not wanting to be seen in a certain way and almost forcing themselves into doing things because of that. Personally, I try my best to be open for all kinds of music, both the mainstream and the less popular things, as well as not to categorise people into being basic or unique. That's hard, of course, but it's the mindset I'm trying to live with :).

[@polpyyy4593]

the quality of your videos is unreal and girl this lipstick is out of this world

[@plive8385]

Girl, I listened taylor foi 8k minutes. Actually, I'm proud of it. I love her and she really made me feel better throughout the year, so yeah, I don't mean to listen less taylor next year. Although, there's many songs which I can't stand anymore. I may try to expand my music taste to some rock and indie, but because I want to and found comfort in those. Anyway, being basic is pretending to be someone you're not, have personality and bear what you like.

[@Danibashira]

I feel no shame in the fact that 8,470 minutes of my life was spent listening to Toby Fox and being in the top 0.05% of his listeners. It's a badge of honor. Seeing my wrapped, whatever it is, is so pleasant. It is a timeline of my year, the ups, the downs and what music I listen to as I progress through both.

[@lilpetz500]

I love this channel, and literally only realised about halfway through this that they're nonbinary, I need to get in habit of checking bios more. I love supporting NBI creators!!

[@katlificati0n]

i am a diehard mitski fan and I listen to a lot of her songs, including what some consider less popular/only what fans would know. my (heavy sigh)… apple replay… reminded me that I only came across her this year, so I felt a little silly when my top song was washing machine heart. it’s a great song and popular for a reason, but I feel like it’s also used to spot out ‘fake fans’. i realized feeling silly about that was ALSO very silly and just appreciated the fact I listened to her music so much to begin with. but I think we just want to appear as cool and be appreciated for our individuality in a world where there’s SO much content and stuff (this could also relate to labeling ourselves with aesthetics). in some cases being that cool person is carefully curated, but when your ‘true self is outed’ it may feel scary to possibly change your image and how you want people perceive you.

[@Reiiven]

Fellow Mitski fan here :) My favourite Mitski song (for the most part) is me and my husband, but I’ve learned that even though it’s her most popular songs it has that status for a reason. It’s a great song, and im glad i realized that it doesn’t make me a “fake fan”

[@unseenorchid8740]

hey mitski gang! washing machine heart was my number 5 (her highest song on my wrapped was francis forever at only 3, however i listened to 32k minutes of mitski alone this year gimme a break haha) but like goodness that song is so good like its popular for a reason!

[@alexelion7084]

Honestly, thank you for this video!! When I was younger I was what you called a „media elitist“ (if I remember correctly). I would reject certain „mainstream“ things, deprive myself from them and look down on people who didn’t. I was proud of „being different“. Now that I’m discovering some of these things for myself I often feel like other people will judge me for that like I used to do and I still have to avoid falling into the trap of dismissing things as „just mainstream“. I blame the pressure to conform for this, because rejecting „mainstream“ was my way of rejecting conformity which ironically lead me to create my own set of rules I had to conform to. I think this type of forced uniqueness and conformity are two sides of the same coin. Also, now I turned out to be nonbinary, neurodivergend and queer, and let me tell you, being different from the „norm“ like that has its bright side’s, but a lot of the times it just sucks!

[@CJ-ge5jm]

Mitski was my top 4th and 5th song and I realize that I’m still depressed

[@deborahbolden4631]

Haha! She was my number #1👀

[@CJ-ge5jm]

@@deborahbolden4631 my number 1 and 2 was kali uchis. I FUCKS with her hard

[@KM-bn7dg]

I upvoted just bc of the title. I have a feeling ur about to put into words what I can barely bring myself to think about these days. ….ag. People. We all just. Yea. We all have a lot to learn. I won “most unique” my senior year in HS. Now I’ve aged. My tastes are broader. And I’d rather blend in w/ a crowd than stand out in one. I took my septum piercing out (that I did MYSELF with a safety pin when I was 14, thank you), I don’t outwardly express myself or accessorize like I used to. Standing out, at the end of the day - has only ever made me a target. & It’s not just in the way I present myself, how I carry myself and feel about myself has changed. Sometimes I get sad that none of my clothes are cool anymore and I always look/feel “basic” (oh, the horror), sometimes I get worried that the music I like is out of date .. I don’t play it for anyone anymore. In fact, I don’t even have friends anymore - but a few scattered around the world. But I’ll say this theres is… a level of peace to blending in / fading away that is both terrifying and absolutely blissful. And I love listening to music by myself. Good over-ear headphones are a godsend. Most people would look at me now and think “yea she’s a basic bitch” but that’s ok, because them thinking I’m a basic bitch is actually preferable.. compared to being judged for for who I really am. I’d rather people think I’m dumb, vapid, and devoid of opinion than to have any one person know too much about what and how I think / feel. When people know you, they can get to you. They can emulate you, or steal from you. I just dont like being vulnerable anymore. Once you know how to code switch and move through the world as a “bAsiC biTch” you’d be surprised how many doors it opens. And opened doors… never a bad thing. People dont like to feel threatened by beautiful, unique, shocking women. And trust me - when you’re beautiful, unique, shocking, creative, neurodivergent, passionate etc… people WILL be threatened. People like to think that they know more than you / about you. LET them. Well, ultimately its up to each individual… however is easiest to them to get through the world. Let people think what they want to think. Prioritize your peace.

[@nerdropz]

i’ve been told “oh, you like taylor swift, you’re such a basic white teenage girl” yeah- because i am a white teenage girl??

[@roserocksrapidly]

I feel a bit like an alien observing people talk about their spotify wrapped bc I don't use spotify. One would think that would make me the specialist little princess of all but when people talk about their wrapped and stuff, I do feel weirdly ashamed and embarrassed that I don't have anything to show for myself. Guess that just means spotify's marketing technique is working. But it is fascinating to see the way wrapped has become this yearly simultaneous pressure to be just like everyone else and uniquely superior to all others.

[@rosequartz9626]

You're so real for having delicate and dress in your top 5. You get it

[@bipbip2809]

being different is so much cooler than being average. But here’s the kick, I had this mindset until the beginning of my 18s, and then I started questioning myself of « why do I think like that, where does it come from and can I end it ? ». I learned little by little enjoying « basic » content and music that everyone listen to, not because I wanted to feel the experience of being like everyone else but because I liked following this pattern of things that I normally would not enjoy bcz it’s famous, but especially bcs i would like it. Only for this. It’s like for example when somebody ask you what’s your favorite genre of music and you don’t know how to categorize exactly what you listen to, because you hear the music only for the vibes that it gave and not because it’s in top of the charts… being basic after this idea of wanting to be different is accepting to enjoy normal content without being judge by oneself or by others for liking something at the moment. And I agree with you at the end of the video, being the different person doesn’t make you any better than the others. Your difference in media is not the great answer to originality.

[@cyberleone00]

outfit goes hard looks stunning also i would prefer being basic over basic and acting like i'm the most unique person out there, i stay wearing flanels

[@ViridianWoF]

my friend told me that she doesn’t like her music taste because it’s “too basic”. It’s not “basic”, it’s good music, which is why it’s so popular

[@LeetMath]

theres music i really like that is pretty popular online and among people who are similar to me, and i don’t mind that, but i’m glad it isn’t associated with anything too corporate or associated with the cesspool of mainstream celebrity culture. i have no problem listening to extremely well known stuff like the royalty free sounds by alan walker and thefatrat

[@urmomspaghetti01]

the funny thing about being ''basic'' is that in this world everybody wants to be unique. so in one way or another we all manage to be the same💀

[@NaturalNihilist]

Wait... there's people who plan their music for the Wrapped? I always look at my Wrapped and think like "that's a salad... but with like 100 ingredients" I never thought of music taste and all being neither cool or like an important topic to make people different, I just like what I like. But this insight was very interesting because it's true, although I feel like in my younger years people were more into this "I'm different" ...I guess it's coming back, please can we let that trend die

[@abbyd1864]

I love the art with you on the balcony!

[@KM-bn7dg]

I especially love your closing sentiments. dont deprive yourself of enjoying things!!! I’m also catching up on enjoying things I was too apprehensive to when I was younger. I love that you love T-Swift LOL. For me, it’s Dolly Parton (and Miley Cyrus). Dolly is a national treasure I never appreciated enough before.. and her goddaughter is someone I watched on Disney growing up, so hearing her voice is comforting to me. I could listen to Dolly tell stories all day. She reminds me of my Grandma. Between the ages of 15-25ish>… finding yourself / EMBRACING yourself is so difficult. But its such a relief once you do. My heart goes out to all the young people who are just lost in the sauce rn. Not long ago, it was me. 😅

[@crymeariver_]

Before I started high school, I loved Taylor Swift but when I started high school, I was sorted into the group of 'different' bc I'm neurodivergent & queer and bc of that I was bullied by the quote "popular" kids. I was so desperate to fit in with the 'different' group that everyone had decided I was a part of that I stopped listening to Taylor Swift and started listening to music I didn't enjoy, wearing clothes that didn't represent me and I was miserable. Everyone in my social group believed they were accepting and amazing people bc of the diversity of the group, but if I had mentioned Taylor Swift I would've been ostracised. When I went to uni, I found people who were actually accepting & chill about people's likes, my friendship group consisted of someone who exclusively listened to classical music and musical soundtrack, someone who exclusively listened to metal and rock and someone who listened to trad folk and they didn't care that I listened to a mixture of Taylor Swift, indie rock, pop punk and other quote "basic" genres. My friends at uni weren't trying to be different or trying to fit in, they were just being themselves, which I think is what made them awesome people to be around. This was a great video!

[@samanthakim5035]

I cannot describe how I'm understanding myself now, this just speaks a lot. Especially the neurodivergent word.

[@moonxliqht]

this kind of reminds me of stranger things. it's all 80s music and i think a lot of fans (especially older ones) are getting defensive about having teens like older bands that before stranger things weren't as popular with gen z. it's pretty silly imo. for example, a bunch of teens now like house of puppets by metallica. my father has been a longtime fan of theirs since he was young. he says he honestly doesn't care if teens are now into metallica, it just means more money for the band. but he's read articles on people who are upset by this. i hate how there's so much gatekeeping with interests now. let people like what they like.

[@askejen5207]

ughhh your videos are always so high quality and i love the outfits

[@mushymass9716]

25:41 This was genuinely really cool, to hear about the beauty you see in Taylor Swift's music. I never really took much note of her because my music tastes are... hyper-niche, but you definitely made me look at things in a different way there

[@samsherwood8332]

Happy to have caught this so early! Seems like a great video topic!!

[@nutelakrem4104]

My top artist was Girl in red and i was in top 0.5%. But i was really ashamed since a lot of people don't like her so i didnt tell my best friend when she asked me, i was afraid she would say i only listen to "tik tok" music

[@raven-ek1yl]

I genuinely don’t get why people are soooo mad about people listening to popular “overrated” artists , there’s a reason why they are so popular like?