for when i'm on a road trip through the midwest [playlist]

[ folk rock, emo singer/songwriter. americana ]

i began this playlist 7 years ago, to fuel a daydream of my future self on some roadtrip through the midwest with someone i liked at the time. although, to be honest, i didn’t really know exactly where the midwest was at the time; i just envisioned myself in a car driving down long roads through mountains and deserts and stopping at small american diners off the highway where everyone’s staring at me as if they’ve never seen an asian person before (it’s happened).

i combined my initial idea with some ventura DIY, some songs from a sunburnt trip to colorado, music i got from a john green book when i was in middle school, the song i cried to on the drive home after i finished college, songs that someone i loved put on a playlist for me, music from the city i moved to when i became an adult.

last week, i went on a short trip to sedona (not the midwest, i know). i was driving through the rock formations/mountains in a jeep with the top down (i felt infinite (i just rewatched perks of being a wallflower last night)) and it made me think of this playlist. i felt inspired to finally finish it (or make it presentable enough to share). i think it’s a perfect soundtrack for long sunny drives, road trips through stretches of deserts and mountains, and if you’re really up for it— journeys through the midwest.

so, i started this playlist on spotify in 2018, tied it up pretty with a knot, and am now presenting it to you in the year 2025. i love that i began this playlist with a certain intent and then 7 years later, something in my life happened that prompted me to finish it. this sounds so cheesy but a playlist is never just a playlist for me… every one i post has so much intent and history behind it and is usually the product of years and years of curation. and a song is never just a song. i hope you enjoy <3