Somewhere Between Ariana Grande, Growing Pains, and Scrapbooking
From artists discovered at exactly the right moment to albums permanently tied to certain mornings, Karina’s picks reflect a listener who keeps songs around like scrapbook clippings, each one tied to a different memory, feeling, or life transition.
Karina (@karinasvinyl) approaches the May 16 to 20 prompts like someone flipping through old scrapbook pages. Most of the music she talks about already comes attached to a specific version of herself, a certain routine, a difficult period, or a memory she can still place immediately. Her selections move between artists discovered at exactly the right time, albums tied to quiet mornings, and songs that become more relatable the older you get.
The prompts trace the kinds of moments that end up in her scrapbook over time. One asks her to reflect on an artist she found almost by accident, while another focuses on a song she feels perfectly represents the era it came from. A different prompt turns toward an album connected to early mornings, while another explores a track that mirrors her current emotional state a little too well. The final answer shifts toward album artwork and the emotions a single image can carry with it long after release.
Which artist did you discover by accident?
I usually choose the artists that I listen to pretty intentionally, but I would say that I discovered Dua Lipa sort of by accident. I heard some of the hit songs from her self-titled album on the radio and through social media when they first came out, such as New Rules and IDGAF. However, I didn’t become a fan until around a year into the Future Nostalgia era.
After a high school breakup, Don’t Start Now really resonated with me and felt very empowering. Dua’s music in general was what I turned to at that time because somehow, none of her songs made me think of the relationship. I think that this was because a lot of her songs are super upbeat, which instantly lifted my mood. Her smooth, confident voice combined with uplifting beats was the soundtrack to my life when a lot of things felt difficult. I will forever be thankful that I discovered her and her music!
I was fortunate enough to see her live in concert on her Future Nostalgia Tour, and she put on such a fun and incredible show! I find it refreshing that she stays true to her sound and does not allow others to pressure her into changing it each era. It is something that I really admire, especially in this time of social media where critique of artists for not reinventing themselves for each album is incredibly common.
What's a song that feels representative of its era?
In my opinion, Problem by Ariana Grande is a song that feels very representative of its era. The song came out on April 28, 2014 as the lead single for her sophomore album, My Everything. Iggy Azalea’s feature in the middle of the song is what makes it feel very 2010s to me. Iggy’s breakout hit, Fancy, had been released two months earlier on February 17. It eventually reached number one some months later, which shows how popular Iggy was at the time.
One song structure that I find very common to the 2010s is pop songs having rappers featured in the bridge of the song. Problem is a prime example of this structure and was well received, as evidenced by its climb to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Other popular examples of rappers being featured in song bridges include A$AP Rocky in Good for You by Selena Gomez (2015), Juicy J in Dark Horse by Katy Perry (2013), and Snoop Dogg in California Gurls by Katy Perry (2010).
Prior to My Everything, Ariana collaborated with rappers Mac Miller and Big Sean in her debut album Yours Truly. The Way, the album’s lead single, featured Mac Miller and Right There, the third single, featured Big Sean. Instead of their raps only being included during the bridge of the song, they were interspersed throughout and during whole verses. The Way, Right There, and Problem were some of Ariana’s most successful songs in her early discography, which showed how popular pop songs featuring rappers were in the 2010s.
Which album feels perfect for the morning?
Deeper Well: Deeper into the Well by Kacey Musgraves is an album that just screams morning to me. I was lucky enough to be selected to receive a ticket to her appearance on The Today Show on Deeper Well release day back in 2024. Since the concert was so early in the morning, I had to go to bed really early the night before and was unable to listen to the album until after the show. Therefore, the first time that I heard The Architect was live, which felt otherworldly. The harmonies sung by the men in her band combined with her voice and thoughtful lyrics elevated the experience extra.
The lush green colors that define the album make you feel as if you are in an open, grassy field, or in a clearing in the woods. The album as a whole is filled with many natural elements. Song titles, such as the opening track Cardinal, Deeper Well, Heart of the Woods, Jade Green, Flower Child, and Superbloom have direct ties to the natural world. Other natural connections can be found throughout the album as well through its lyrics. In Sway, Kacey wishes to be “like a palm tree in the wind” because then she “won’t break… just bend.” The creation of apples, canyons, and even her own natural features are discussed in The Architect, which is a song that I adore.
Listening to songs from the album for the first time in the early morning, combined with its connections to nature, make Deeper Well: Deeper into the Well an essential morning album for me.
What's a track that matches your current vibe?
You’re Gonna Go Far by Noah Kahan definitely matches how I am feeling at the moment. I went to college fairly locally and graduated a year early. This past school year, my friends from college were pretty close by. Even though I was no longer living right near them on campus, I knew that I was a short distance away and could visit whenever I wanted. This is all about to change when they graduate this month, as most of them live at least an hour away from me.
I have lived where I have now for my whole life, similar to what Noah is describing in his song. I definitely can draw some parallels with the song’s narrator and my life. I will see my friends pack up their cars to head back to their homes, but I will be waiting for them in the area that we all know and love until they return in the future. I will miss them terribly, but I am so proud of them.
This song also resonated with me when I first graduated from college because I was in the position that my friends will soon be in- transitioning away from a place that I called home for three years of my life. It was so hard for me to know that everyone else would be there together for another year, even after I wrapped up the college phase of my life and headed into the workforce.
Which album cover feels unique?
The standard album cover for Eternal Sunshine by Ariana Grande feels unique to me. Ariana is sporting her signature ponytail, which is dyed blonde due to her role of Glinda in the Wicked films. What makes the image so unique to me is that there are two versions of her, one of which is leaning on the other’s shoulder. I do not think that I had ever seen an album cover like it prior to its release. The cover is unique for Ariana specifically because it is the first one that only shows her from the back.
I find her leaning on her own shoulder to be very reflective of how she had to be at that time in her life. She seemed to be receiving criticism at many angles, whether it be her body or her personal life. When it seemed like the world was against her, I bet that she felt very alone and like she only could really count on her own self love. These personal circumstances may be one of the reasons why she decided to show her back for the cover. To me, the cover feels as if she is turning her back on voices of criticism and scrutiny as a way to protect her own peace.
Karina talks about music the same way people talk about old photos. A lot of it is attached to a specific time in her life already. She’ll mention a song and then immediately remember where she was emotionally when she had it on repeat, or what was changing around her at the time. That’s probably why so many of her answers drift toward memory without really trying to. The music matters, obviously, but so does everything the whole experience around it.
Watching Ariana Grande on Victorious pushed her toward singing lessons, and eventually toward building parts of her routine around music altogether. She gravitates toward spaces where she can actually interact with it instead of just letting it sit in the background, singing in the car, listening to vinyl or CDs in her room surrounded by signed records and tour posters, or seeing artists live whenever she can. For her, music isn’t passive. It’s tied to memory, comfort, growing up, and figuring things out in real time.
A Swiftie, singer, and physical media collector who treats music almost like scrapbooking, holding onto albums, memories, and little moments tied to specific songs.
