When Changing Lanes Leads to Jellyfish, Disco Balls, and Cowboy Boots
From OPM staples and disco grooves to genre-defying superstars, Trish's picks reflect a listener who believes the best music comes from keeping every door open.
At first glance, Trish's (@turntabletrish) music taste might seem hard to pin down. One answer celebrates one of the Philippines' most beloved bands. The next is devoted to disco perfection, then to Doechii, Beyoncé, and SZA. Rather than staying in one lane, Trish's answers reveal a listener who finds meaning every time the music takes a different turn, touching on identity, memory, confidence, creativity, and emotional well-being. One prompt asks Trish to choose an album cover she'd frame on her wall. Another revisits an album that sounds better the older you get. A third explores the song that brings out her alter ego, while the next turns toward the artist who best represents her current taste. The final prompt asks her to connect with an album cover that mirrors her current mood.
Which album cover would you frame on your wall?
This prompt is challenging because so many iconic album covers could double as wall art. For me, I’d choose Cutterpillow by Eraserheads because it feels unique and unexpected. I recently learned the story behind the cover from the band’s frontman, Ely Buendia: the jellyfish image was actually the first photo Francis Magalona (songwriter and rapper who helped pioneer Philippine hip-hop) ever downloaded from the internet in the 90s. When Ely saw it, he immediately felt it represented what would become the band’s most commercially successful album.
Eraserheads—often hailed as the “Beatles of the Philippines”—were the first OPM (Original Pilipino Music) band I ever listened to, with “Ang Huling El Bimbo” being one of my earliest memories. Although I discovered them in the early 2000s, something about their songwriting and sound always stood out. Growing up in Manila, I was also learning Tagalog, and singing along to OPM like theirs played a pivotal role in my life to connect with my native tongue.
Seeing this cover brings back nostalgia for simpler times, but it also reminds me of how Eraserheads helped redefine OPM and showcase the incredible musical talent of my home country to the world.
Which album sounds better the older you get?
Every time I’ve played this album from start to finish since I was a kid, somehow it still feels and sounds fresh, solidifying it as a timeless record in my eyes. I’ve always loved the funk and soul that radiates throughout Off the Wall.
As a huge fan of disco and R&B, this album feels like the perfect blend of everything I love — 70s R&B, soul, funk, and disco-pop paired with Michael's effortless and powerful vocals. Quincy Jones’ production is immaculate, and his encouragement for Michael to explore new vocal and emotional depths helped create what would become one of the greatest producer-artist collaborations in music history.
From the explosive energy of “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” to the smooth, feel-good groove of my personal favorite, “Rock With You,” I always find myself returning to tracks like “Workin’ Day and Night,” “Get on the Floor,” and “Off the Wall.”
Although I didn’t experience the 70s and 80s firsthand, Off the Wall feels like an album that helped redefine disco through its innovative production and fusion of different genres. Filled with pure joy and confidence, this album is truly the ultimate emancipation of Michael Jackson.
If you’ve never listened to this album in full — especially if you’re not usually a fan of disco — I highly recommend giving it a chance. I’d give anything to experience hearing Off the Wall for the first time all over again.
Which song feels like your alter ego taking over?
There was one song that instantly came to mind, and coincidentally, it shares the same title as today’s prompt. With its “editorial rap” style, hard-hitting beats, and unapologetic energy, “Alter Ego” by Doechii and JT perfectly captures the feeling of your alter ego seizing power. It’s the ultimate confidence-boosting anthem and easily my favorite track from Doechii.
There’s so much happening within the production—the layered sampling, rhythms, and even the subtle Edna Mode “Milan darling, Milan!” sample—but somehow everything comes together into this explosive, high-energy banger. Whether I need something to get me pumped for a workout or a reminder to pick myself back up after being knocked down, this song either brings out the most confident version of myself, or reminds me to. To me, it’s the ultimate “baddie anthem”, as I personally call it: a reminder to embrace who you are, protect your peace while shining bright, and take up space in a world that often asks you not to.
Personally I think it’s important that everyone has a hype anthem, and this one resonated with me more deeply than I expected because I grew up in a country with a culture where the “good girl” was heavily emphasized—the girl who is submissive, keeps the peace, and prioritizes everyone else’s comfort. I was misguided into believing keeping the harmony while following rules to a T would make me respectable. As I got older, I couldn’t be any more wrong about this. I learned the hard way that constantly shrinking myself didn’t make me successful; the truth is that it made it easier for people to use me as a doormat because I lost sight of my own boundaries, confidence, and self-worth. I confused speaking up with being rude, and standing my ground with being selfish.
That’s why powerful anthems like this matter. They remind us that being unapologetic doesn’t mean being cruel, and being a “baddie” isn’t negative; it means accepting being the villain in someone’s narrative because you stop seeking everyone’s approval as you honor your boundaries.
But that misogynistic mindset only reflects how often confidence in women in today’s world is still misconstrued as arrogance.
Funny enough, I recently had a conversation with someone who insisted that being a “baddie” is something frowned upon—that it meant being “b*tchy” or unlikeable. But that misogynistic mindset only reflects how often confidence in women in today’s world is still misconstrued as arrogance. Despite how proud I am of unlearning a lot of that misogyny for my own sanity, men who react like that are a reminder for us that we can’t be complacent. Reactions like theirs show how a woman’s confidence is still that intimidating for them today, so it’s important it is to move away from the outdated “good girl” stereotype and instead encourage women to be bold, assertive, and comfortable with their own power.
“Alter Ego” is more than just a rap song; it’s one that makes you feel unstoppable. It’s a reminder that confidence is not something we need permission to have. Having your alter ego take control and choosing your inner baddie is simply prioritizing yourself and your happiness.
Which artist defines your taste right now?
Those who know me personally might assume bias because of my love for this artist, but no one else comes to mind for this prompt quite like Beyoncé. Her range, versatility, and refusal to be confined to one genre perfectly reflect how I’ve always viewed music. I’ve never believed there should be limits on what we enjoy—whether it’s hip hop, rock, pop, R&B, or country. While I have artists and genres I connect with more deeply, I’ve always kept the door open to exploring anything that resonates or “clicks” with me.
Beyoncé has consistently challenged traditional musical boundaries, and alongside her unmatched work ethic, vocals, performance ability, and stage presence, her genre-fluid artistry is what I admire most about her legacy. She has created a blueprint of her own by proving that an artist doesn’t have to stay in one lane.
While she isn’t the only artist to embrace different genres, projects like Cowboy Carter—a direction many never expected from her—show the importance of never limiting yourself creatively. Beyond its significance in reclaiming the Black roots of historically marginalized genres, the biggest lesson I take from her artistry is to stay open-minded with music. Imagine how uninspiring it would be or how boring music would be if we all listened to the same things, or if every genre followed the same rules forever. Music thrives because artists push boundaries, challenge traditions, and continue to surprise us.
Which album cover represents your current mood?
SOS by SZA immediately comes to mind for me. Inspired by the iconic 1997 photograph of Princess Diana on a yacht, the album cover serves as both a tribute and a reinterpretation of that powerful image. Beyond being visually striking, what stands out to me is how SZA recreates the same posture of solitude and isolation, capturing a feeling of being physically present yet emotionally distant. For me, the biggest theme this cover represents is the idea of escapism.
With everything happening in the world, along with the personal challenges I’ve faced that are often outside of my control, escaping is sometimes the only thing I find myself wanting to do when I feel overwhelmed. There are moments when I crave the opportunity to disconnect, take time to recover, and reset so I can return with a clearer mind. The vulnerability and sense of deep reflection captured in this cover is something I deeply resonate with because it reflects the difficult process of stepping away, looking inward, and eventually finding the courage to face your obstacles.
When comparing SZA’s cover to the original photograph of Princess Diana, I also notice a sense of optimism and hope reflected in SZA’s body language. While the image still carries themes of loneliness and introspection, there is a subtle feeling that she is not simply escaping, but taking a moment for herself before moving forward. To me, it serves as a reminder that while we all need moments of retreat to protect our peace and maintain our sanity, we should also extend ourselves grace during those difficult periods. Sometimes stepping away is necessary, but it’s important to hold onto the hope that even the darkest moments can eventually lead us back toward the light.
Genre never really functions as a boundary in Trish’s answers. It appears but it doesn’t define the direction. OPM, disco, rap, and pop all show up across her listening, but they’re always tied to something else, memory, identity, or a specific moment when a song started to mean more than it did at first.
Music becomes a kind of constant presence in that way. Something that holds memories, offers escape, and sometimes gives clarity when things feel too full or too loud. Changing lanes doesn’t feel like contradiction, it feels like trust in whatever shows up next. Even if it looks like jellyfish one moment, disco balls the next, and cowboy boots after that.
A record collector guided by curiosity, moving between genres and the moments when music clicks. Off the turntable, she’s into baking, HIIT workouts, DIY projects, and training for a Hyrox race.
