May 7, 2025
Payton’s Nostalgic Playlist
For my playlist, I decided to focus on songs from when I was a small child. I wanted to pick the songs that six-year-old Payton would have been rocking out to on one of the most ancient pieces of technology known to man — the iPod Shuffle. All these songs give me a feeling of nostalgia and remind me of a better time: a time when I knew nothing of discussion posts, essays, and late-night study sessions.
“Rockin’ Robin” by Michael Jackson: This was my first ever favorite song. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom singing this song to me to make me feel better when I am upset. It is still a song that I put on when I’m not in a good mood, because it reminds me that if everything was okay back then, everything will be okay now. It is hard to be sad when listening to this song, because it just has such good vibes.- “Dangerous” by Kardinal Offishall ft. Akon: Let me tell you, baby Payton thought she was the baddest kid on the block while listening to this song. Did I know or understand a single word that was rapped in this song? Absolutely not. Have I since listened to the song and realized I probably shouldn’t have listened to it as a child? Absolutely yes, but I stand by this pick. It is still a bop, and it makes me giggle when I think about how often I was jamming out to this at the ripe age of four years old.
“Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison: This song holds the feeling of hanging out with my dad and all of our escapades from when I was little. We would go on all kinds of adventures, such as traipsing through the woods looking for shed antlers and other goodies, pontooning and discovering new sand bars, or making s’mores at the gigantic fires he would build in our backyard. He would always play this song for me and sing it with me. It just holds so many good memories.- “I Would” by One Direction: Truth be told, this whole list could have been One Direction songs. The band was such a big deal to my sister and me as little girls (and still to this day if I am being so honest). I specifically remember dancing in the kitchen to this song with my sister while my mom made lunch, and our dogs sat by and watched. I also picked this song specifically because I will never not love yelling “HE’S GOT 27 TATTOOOOOOOOOS” when that part in the song comes on. Some things never change, and screaming that lyric for no reason is one of them.
- “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” by Sammy Kershaw: This is THE iPod song. I would listen to this on repeat for days on end. I could not tell you what it was that I loved so much about this song, but it was always on. The fiddle, Sammy’s twang, and the adorable lyrics make me love it even to this day. I think this song is a large part of the reason that I love love so much. It is an example of what it should be, and young Payton decided that she would settle for nothing less than the love in this song.
—Payton Rhyner, Music Editor