Music plays a central role in our lives. A question which constantly hovers around is “what makes some songs more endearing to me than others?” That’s what the focus of this post is on.

So… just listen (watch) and read.

Lyrics to You’re On by Madeon ft. Kyan

Tell me whose side you’re on
Tell me whose side you’re on
You’re on, you’re on
Tell me whose side you’re on

You have some nerve showing your face here
It had been so long
I thought you’d disappeared
Why’d you pretend that we’re still so close
It was all too clear
We need love most

Damn girl, since you’ve come around, girl
Need to know right now, so
Won’t you just
Tell me whose side you’re on
Lately, felt the chance that maybe
You could become my baby
If you just
Tell me whose side you’re on

Tell me whose side you’re on
You’re on, you’re on
Tell me whose side you’re on

It’s been so long since I’ve heard your name
I was losing hope
That you felt the same
And it’s been so long since I’ve seen your face
That in my own mind
I had been replaced

Damn girl, since you’ve come around, girl
Need to know right now, so
Won’t you just
Tell me whose side you’re on
Lately, felt the chance that maybe
You could become my baby
If you just
Tell me whose side you’re on

Tell me whose side you’re on
You’re on, you’re on
Tell me whose side you’re on

Damn girl, since you’ve come around, girl
Need to know right now, so
Won’t you just
Tell me whose side you’re on
Lately, felt the chance that maybe
You could become my baby
If you just
Tell me whose side you’re on

Every time I listen to Madeon, something powerful occurs within me. It’s not something you can deconstruct and state “it’s the chemical reactions occurring within you” or “your emotions must be spiking because you love upbeat music.”

Those are two different answers I received when I asked two different friends.

But what if the beauty lies in the mystery? When Madeon plays his music, what he’s effectively doing is playing a myriad of different sounds mapped to 64 keys on an audio device. He has an endless number of combinations and that’s very endearing. The ways in which he can blend these sounds are visceral (he can loop a sound endlessly or have it cease after one play) and the mixes he produces seem to run up my spine, making me feel powerful.

I had a conversation with my sister who is enrolled in the pre-med track @ Hunter (who can’t handle the over-analytical nonsense I conjure up at times):

Me: Yo come listen to this song.

*1 minute later*

Gamze: “DaMN, GIrl… Need to know right now…

Tell meEEeee whose sideeee you’re on”

*after the song is over*

Me: and?

Gamze: It was nice, I really liked it

Me: (no duh you liked it, you were singing out loud) Oh how wonderful, so can you please help me deconstruct why this song is so effin great?

Gamze: Ok, look, it was a good song,-

Me: But there’s something about You’re On that’s really visceral. Can’t you give me something more concrete like maybe-

Gamze: Not everything has to be over-analytical, omg. *walks away*

Yeah. That was fun. (I love talking to my sister, she’s hilarious).

My cousin (who first introduced me to Madeon) showed me an interview with Madeon and after listening to him speak, I can’t help but think I like his music because of who I am as a person. I quoted a certain part from his interview which really stood out to me:

I like to be quite, um, thoughtful in production and try to make sure decisions that I make are conscious and intentional, and that’s been my approach for years but I’ve also recently grown fond of albums and records that are I guess most spontaneous and imperfect. I feel like in music in particular there’s clearly conversation between the intention of the artist and the interpretation of the audience, and sometimes unintentional elements, mistakes, problems, are, can, actually become appealing, endearing and magical to the listener, and realizing that certain elements from my albums were not necessarily intentional, made me respect that and stop overthinking every aspect of my music.

-Madeon

Reading this, I now know that what I love about his music is the fact that it’s so spontaneous. His is the type of musician whom I simply adore. It’s that simple. Every time I listen to him, I DO think that I’m having a conversation. As I walk the steps to work, his music is adventurous. As I confront the thought of entering graduate school, his music is the prelude to a new life. As I reach the end of my journey here at The Boylan Blog, his music is at the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

And while I listen to Madeon, I hear the roaring sounds of the cars driving by; the faint sounds of Kumquats dying; the scratching of pen on paper; the merry cheers of my fellow interns; the crying of young adults faced with finals; the tears that glide down our cheeks as our friends graduate; the flapping of books I could never finish; the injustices occurring throughout the nation, throughout the world; the old men squatted into the silent void of poverty; the young women crying as the rain pours day & night; the prospect of our country blowing the world up; Professor Natov’s constant yammering about Mr. Dodo Bird; Christopher’s macabre humor; Nathalie’s love for BTS; Michelle’s “wug” and “wuggle brother!;” Kayla’s “Dunkin today bro?;” Emily’s hilarious stories, her hammering people with their over-using “to-be” verbs; Merav’s friendliness and all her fascinating tales (and her cat); Camille’s jubilant laughter; Isaiah’s quips and rants on problematic people out there in the world; Maggie’s hilarious but depressing experiences with Some Unnecessary Building of Ordination; Lora’s constant apologizing for all things; Jason saying “you’re so fancy!” to others as fancy as myself; Lisbett’s constant remarks on everything (especially Chris’s depressing comments), which I appreciate greatly; Alana’s making fun of a certain professor; Luis’s being there to listen to my problems, whatever they may be, his wisdom always something I take to heart; I hear it all.

Onur A. Ayaz