From Forbidden Fruit to Future Fascinations
From biblical symbolism to artists still writing their next chapter, vinylrecordsbym's picks reflect a listener who loves finding new layers in the music they return to.
Some artists and albums remain fascinating because they feel larger than a single moment. They continue to evolve, inspire new conversations, and reveal new reasons to appreciate them years after their release. Across the July 18 to 22 prompts, vinylrecordsbym (@vinylrecordsbym) explores the different qualities that make music endure, from creative reinvention and artistic identity to the stories and ideas that surround a record. The prompts explore the different ways that fascination can take shape. One asks which album reminds them why they love music, leading to a reflection on the creativity and lasting impact that can make a record feel timeless. Another turns toward an artist they are excited to see evolve in their career, opening a conversation about the possibilities that come with watching an artist find their next direction. A third explores an album cover with nature, becoming a reflection on the symbolism and ideas hidden within visual storytelling. The final two prompts shift toward the song that can instantly lift their mood and the compilation they would recommend as an entry point into an artist’s catalog.
Which album reminds you why you love music?
Every time I listen to Sweetener it always feels as fresh as the first time I heard it. With every new listen I always discover new things I may not have noticed before. While it was released in 2018, it does not feel dated. I feel like on this album Ariana was able to create her own genre. She took the idea of pop songs but made it her own in so many different ways.
To me this album is like many messages in one single bottle, because each song explores a different theme and emotion. In “successful” Ariana explores confidence and believing in what you are capable of. “no tears left to cry” explores the idea of choosing joy and moving forward with your life after difficult times. In “get well soon” we are able to see another side of Ariana, a more vulnerable one, where she talks about mental health and healing. Finally in the title track, “sweetener,” she encourages to find the positive in life’s negative moments.
Even though I may not listen to it everyday, when I do listen to it reminds me how creative, comforting, and timeless music can be. It's an album that continues to surprise me with every listen, reminding me why I love music in the first place.
Which artist are you excited to see evolve in their career?
Chappell Roan is one of those artists whose growth has been impossible to ignore the past few years. From opening to Olivia Rodrigo, to becoming one of the biggest Gen-Z artists.
Her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess really showed what Chappell is capable of, and might arguably be one of the best debut albums released in the past decade. In this album she sets the stage for who really is Chappell Roan as an artist. From slower ballads like “Picture You,” “Casual,” and “Kaleidoscope” to more synth and bubblegum pop influences in songs like “HOT TO GO!,” “Naked in Manhattan,” and “After Midnight.” This album proves how Chappell doesn’t restrain herself to just one sound.
One of the biggest contributions to Chappell Roan’s career was the release of “Good Luck, Babe.” This song really put Chappell on a larger stage, it skyrocketed her popularity. Then came releases such as “The Giver” and “The Subway” where Chappell showed other directions her music could take.
After seeing all the directions her music could go, it left me excited for what might come next with her sophomore album. Rather than wondering how she could top The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, I find myself wondering where she will go next and whether she’ll stay within the sounds we already know or create something entirely new.
Which album cover with nature do you love?
If there is an album cover with nature that I love is the artwork for Shakira’s Oral Fixation Vol. 2. The album cover alludes to biblical events, in this case the Garden of Eden where Eve ate the apple. Shakira said she wanted to give Eve one more reason to bite the forbidden fruit, and that would be her oral fixation.
In the cover you are able to see Shakira holding an apple and she is standing next to a tree that has a baby in a branch, the baby is trying to reach for the apple she has in her hand. Which in my opinion represents that curiosity and human nature that exists from the very beginning, also because babies are known for discovering the world through their mouths, there’s a connection to the album title Oral Fixation Vol. 2.
The biblical allusion also ties with some themes explored throughout the album, like in the opening track “How Do You Do” where it starts with a prayer and then it turns to Shakira questioning religion and divine authority. While in some other songs that side of the true human nature in fame itself can be seen like in the song “Animal City” where she shows the dark side that fame has.
So, the reason why I love this album cover is way beyond its references to nature but more about its meaning, and also how bold and intentional the imagery is which makes it stand out, especially for a time when mainstream pop visuals were generally more restrained in their religious symbolism.
What's a feel-good song you love to play?
If there is a song that would always boost my mood and make me feel good it is “CUFF IT” by Beyoncé. While all the songs in RENAISSANCE are uplifting and mood boosting tracks, out of the whole album this is the one that does it the best for me.
What makes this song so uplifting to me it's the production. The sultry production, the disco influence and the groove in this song just make me want to come back to it when I need a mood boost. This song just makes me sing without even realizing it. This song instantly makes me feel good and forget whatever might be in my mind.
One more reason I chose “CUFF IT” was because I realized that I had been looking for a feel good song since I got the prompt that I did not realize that the feel good song is supposed to come to me without even realizing it. One day I was listening to RENAISSANCE by Beyoncé, and when “CUFF IT” started playing I instantly knew, this is my feel good and mood boosting song. Because a feel good song is not your favorite song, but a song that can change your mood in seconds.
So, this is why I landed on “CUFF IT” for a feel good/mood boosting song because from its production to its lyrics it can just make me feel good and boost my mood whenever I listen to it.
What's a compilation you'd recommend?
If I had to pick one compilation to recommend it would without a doubt be Celebration by Madonna. Released in 2009, this compilation brings songs from across her discography together, all the way from Madonna to Hard Candy. Beyond being a compilation it serves as an introduction to one of pop’s most influential catalogs.
The main reason why I would recommend this compilation is because it is like a glimpse into what you can expect from Madonna’s music catalog. Across this whole compilation you are able to experience how Madonna’s sound has evolved throughout all her different eras.
The first time I listened to this compilation, it intrigued me and made me want to dive deeper into Madonna’s discography and get to know her music better. After Celebration, I found myself craving more, I wanted to really see what else Madonna had to offer within her catalog.
So, I went to explore Madonna’s discography and slowly started listening to most of the albums in her catalog like Erotica, Ray of Light, Bedtime Stories, Confessions on a Dance Floor and more.
Therefore, I would really recommend this compilation to anyone that has not listened to Madonna's full discography and wants to know what can be expected from her discography or even people that just want to enjoy some of Madonna’s biggest hits throughout the decades.
For vinylrecordsbym, music is not something that exists only when a song is playing. As they put it, “music is like my heart to me, I could not live without music.” It follows different moments throughout the day, whether it is connected to a season, a certain time, or simply a feeling they want to return to. That connection is part of what makes discovering artists so meaningful for them. A song can become the starting point for an entire playlist, a way to connect with an artist’s experiences, or a small moment of comfort in an ordinary day.
That sense of connection also appears in the way they create playlists, often starting with one song and building outward from its feeling and atmosphere. It is a process that mirrors the way they approach music itself: following a feeling, then seeing where it leads. There is something very personal about the way they describe listening at home: “There is not a better feeling than spinning a vinyl while you are in your bedroom.” A lamp turned on, a record playing, and everything else slowing down.
For someone who finds fascination in artists, albums, and the stories surrounding them, that relationship with music feels fitting. The search is never really about reaching the end of a catalog or finding the one perfect song. It is about the moments that appear along the way: another artist to connect with, another playlist to build, another reason to press play.
A photographer, vinyl collector, and pop music lover who turns one song into a world of its own through carefully built playlists.
