Go a little retro this Valentine’s Day with a YouTube mixtape playlist
|||In the “olden” days, phones were things that needed to be connected to a plug in the wall, a video was an object you rented for a day, and people gave each other magnetic tapes filled with music as romantic gestures.
The “mixtape” was a personal work of art that couples especially treasured. As Rob Gordon says in the classic film High Fidelity: “The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages, longer than it might seem… There are a lot of rules.”
Sadly, tapes are no longer a thing. But if you’re feeling nostalgic for the thrill of giving your valentine a mixtape, why not do it with a Youtube playlist? It couldn’t be simpler:
Be sure you’re signed into your Youtube account, and have set-up a playlist in your Video Manager options. Find those romantic videos of songs that tell your story, and add them by clicking on the “+ Add To” sign on the bottom left of the video. It should give you an option to add the video to your playlist.
Here’s a quick guide to help you set it up.
When all is done, you should have the perfect musical (and visual) accompaniment to your romantic date. If you’re near to the idea of a romantic mixtape, here are a few helpful tips for when you’re compiling a romantic Youtube playlist.
1. Skip the creepy stuff. If your partner is paying attention to the music, and you’ve dropped in a few songs that you remember with fondness but happen to contain some weird over- or undertones, you may be headed for the door. Avoid popular, but weird messages like these:
The Police – Every Breath You Take
Lionel
Richie – Hello (and also…)
Adele – Hello
Bruce Springsteen – I’m On Fire
2. If you’re including songs that involve asking someone to come back to you, you may be jumping the gun. But if you’re the standing-outside-in-the-rain-with-a-boombox-after-a-breakup-type-of-guy or gal, wear rubber shoes. Some good choices are:
Coldplay – Yellow
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
Phil Collins - Against All Odds
The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (with or without Cher)
3. Assuming you’re all about the romance, you may want to choose songs that are less… overt in their intentions. Besides discounting the entirety of club RnB, here are some tracks you still may want to double-check before you add them:
Madonna – Justify My Love
The Strokes - 12:51
Roxy Music - Love is the Drug
Teddy Pendergrass – Close the Door
The Ronettes - Be My Baby
Beyond that, have fun with it. Remember what Rob said: A good playlist takes time, and really speaks to how much you know about your squeeze. It can also tell him or her a lot about how you feel about them, so make it count. And have a great Valentine’s Day!
IOL, adapted from press release