[music]
Kai Wright: I'm joined by our producer, Regina de Heer. Hey, Regina.
Regina de Heer: Hi, Kai.
Kai Wright: Okay. A few weeks ago, we started this project that you've been overseeing. We asked listeners to send us the song that they're really feeling this summer and to tell us a little something about it. We're making a playlist out of them on Spotify, but really, the point is to hear everybody's story behind their summer jam. I guess we weren't super clear about that fact because we got a lot of different kind of stuff, right?
Regina de Heer: Yes. Lots of different stuff. We had a listener, Todd, who sent us a list of 11 different songs to add to the playlist.
Kai Wright: Come on, Todd, come on.
Regina de Heer: They're great songs, like Bill Withers' Lovely Day-
[Lovely Day, by Bill Withers' playing in the background]
-and Summertime, by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.
[Summertime, by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince playing in the background]
Great summer songs, but he didn't include the story behind them, and that's what we've been looking for. Before our next check-in on the playlist, please send us your song choice, but also the story behind why you chose it. Take us back to the memory and make sure you include your first name and location so we can give you a shout-out.
Kai Wright: Great. Remember-- Story plus song, send it to the email. It's anxiety@wnyc.org. Regina, what else? What else have you heard?
Regina de Heer: We've gotten a lot of different women and pop songs, and a lot of really good feel-good songs, which is great to hear from our listeners. Some of them are classics for your generation, as well as mine, Kai.
Kai Wright: [laughs]
Regina de Heer: Here's one from our listener, Jennifer.
Jennifer: My contribution for the summer playlist is Let's Hear It for the Boy, by Denise Williams. It came out in 1984, when I was 13. For my friends and I, this was the song of the summer and beyond. Let's hear it for the boy.
[Let's Hear It for the Boy, by Denise Williams playing in the background]
Thank you.
Kai Wright: Okay, Jennifer, you get points. The story, but also to sing it. Yes, yes.
Regina de Heer: Yes, and others are more right now. For instance, we got recommended Loud, by Sophia Carson.
[Loud, by Sophia Carson playing in the background]
That's from our listener Kels and it's her summer song of the year. She wrote in her email, "It feels empowering when I feel so much is weighing us down. Anyways, love this list you've started."
Kai Wright: Okay.
Regina de Heer: Yes. Thanks, Kels. Also, from our colleague, Rahima Nasa. She's a producer on the show. She had another feel-good hit from an indie pop group.
Rahima Nasa: My song of the summer is Silk Chiffon, by MUNA. Okay, I'm obsessed with this song because of the way the lyrics paint such a vivid image in my head, about falling in love and what it's supposed to feel like. Literally, it's supposed to be like silk chiffon. Other scenes in the song just make me think of summer. Rollerblading in a mini skirt, taking all your stuff with you before you leave your house because you're going to be out all night. Feeling anxious inside a CVS. I really relate to that last one.
[Silk Chiffon, by MUNA playing in the background]
Kai Wright: Feeling anxious and inside a CVS. We all kind of relate to that one at this point, I guess-
Regina de Heer: Absolutely.
Kai Wright: -between the testing, and the drugs, and all the rest. What about you? What's your contribution to this list, Regina?
Regina de Heer: Yes. My contribution is Beach in Hawaii, by Ziggy Marley. I don't know, do you know it, Kai?
[Beach in Hawaii, by Ziggy Marley playing in the background]
Kai Wright: Ish.
Regina de Heer: Yes. I heard it for the first time in California. It was my first time flying across a country by myself, and my first time in California. I was on the beach. Anytime I take a trip from then on, I always listen to that song and remember the first one and how scary it felt, and how scary it still feels to travel. Especially now, that I'm returning to travel. It's a reminder that I have felt fear before and it's going to be okay.
[Beach in Hawaii, by Ziggy Marley playing in the background]
Kai Wright: It's going to be okay.
Regina de Heer: [laughs]
Kai Wright: That's what Ziggy Marley tells us.
Regina de Heer: On a Beach in Hawaii.
Kai Wright: On a Beach in Hawaii. Where do people hear this playlist now? Summer is almost over, I know that, but maybe that's when we need these songs the most. What do people do to actually hear the playlist?
Regina de Heer: They can look at our episode descriptions for the past few episode drops. We've included a link to our Spotify playlist. New songs are added weekly, so check it out. If they want to participate again, please send us a voice recording to anxiety@wync, with the song choice and the story.
Kai Wright: And your name, and your location. That's right. As always, bonus points if you include a voice note. Regina will be looking out for your email. Regina, thanks for this.
Regina de Heer: Thank you, Kai.
[music]
Kai Wright: United States of Anxiety is a production of WNYC Studios. You can follow us wherever you get your podcast, or at wnyc.org/anxiety. Sound designed by Jared Paul, live engineering by Matthew Miranda. Our team also includes Emily Botein, Regina de Heer, Karen Frillmann, Rahima Nasa, and Kousha Navidar. I am Kai Wright and you can follow me on Instagram or Twitter, @Kai_Wright. That's K-A-I_Wright, like the Brothers. Otherwise, I will talk to you here next week. Thanks for spending time tonight.
[music]
[00:06:32] [END OF AUDIO]
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