Do you ever hear a piece of music and know that it’s good, like it even, but just be unable to connect with it completely because of where you are in your life at the time?
I remember the first time I heard House of Balloons was when I was 13, and in summer camp. I really liked the vocals and production style, but I eventually turned it off because it just wasn’t where I was at, I couldn’t relate, and it wouldn’t click. I was deadass too happy for it. I listened to more of Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange instead.
Fast forward to now, and I am listening to HoB constantly, and barely ever listen to Channel Orange for the same reason; I am in a dark place, and I relate to Able more than Frank right now.
Is this a universal thing, or am I just too picky? Let’s find out!

TLDR: do you ever like a piece of music, but not listen to it because it won’t click, due to where you are in life?

Age?

25

Nah Age as in your aging

If I fell off tomorrow, would you still love me?
If I didn't smell so good, would you still hug me?
If I got locked up and sentenced to a quarter century
Could I count on you to be there to support me mentally?
If I went back to a hooptie from a Benz
Would you poof and disappear like some of my friends?
If I was hit and I was hurt, would you be by my side?
If it was time to put in work, would you be down to ride?
I get out and peel a nigga cap, chill and drive
I'm askin' questions to find out how you feel inside
If I ain't rap 'cause I flip burgers at Burger King
Would you be ashamed to tell your friends you're feelin' me?
In the bed, if I used my tongue, would you like that?
If I wrote you a love letter, would you write back?

Cudi got me through a lot of dark times

Can’t really go back to a lot of his older stuff cause it brings back bad memories for me

Oh, I see. That might be it. Who knows

If I’m using d****/drinking I’ll listen to more soulless hedonistic music

If I’m sober I’ll listen to more soulful lyrically focused music

Yeah all the time

Theres tons of music ive always liked but didnt really start listening to until I was old enough to relate to it

Best example of this for me is Live Love Asap

I always liked it but I was only 11 when it came out so i preferred a lot of other projects, but now im around his age when he made it its one of my favorite albums ever. It just clicked and became so much more relatable like he captured what life feels like at this age super well

That’s exactly what I’m talking about. It’s cool to see that I’m not the only one, lol

no, i ever looked at music as directly relating to it. most of the time i can relate to most things in a certain way even if its not direct. now of course the thing i can very much relate to or literally relate verbatim is what usually becomes an all time fav, but not always.

there is more to music than just relatability to me. the mood feel, the "entertainment" quality, the emotion etc.

but i guess the only thing that will relate to your op question for me is perhaps 808s and heartbreaks. i hated this album ever since it dropped and even into my high school years and ive been listing to kanye and conscious of him since CD. but in my early adult hood to now i love most of it besides robocop and Pinocchio, while before i only liked coldest winter and paranoid only. wasnt just the theme or relatability, but i also hated most of it sonically and it as a "rap album".

what changed? perhaps experiences, but i also think my taste falling more n more into electronic music and indie rock as i got older since high school (i did a lot of other genres exploration and experimentation in my high school and early adult years) is the real factor - when i grew up off of and mainly listened from family and area to just rap and rnb along with a few outliers from prince, mj, ray charles, journey etc. i used to also be more negative towards yeezus (although i always liked most of it overall) as well, but it was moreso towards kanyes rapping on some of the songs along with the newly pretentious section of the fanbase it created. but over time i got more n more "over it" with those two issues and liked it for what it is.

Also sometimes learning more about music can help me like something like once i get what they were inspired by i understand it more

Like as a kid I didnt understand Kid A at all but then i started listening to aphex twin and was like a rock band made an aphex twin inspired album thats hard af one of my favs now

This was literally my experience too growing up

My pops played me the morning off HOB in middle school but i didnt really fw it, was listening more to nostalgia ultra heavy instead

Then in high school when i started smoking weed and being all emotional and dark i understood the weeknds music more and played the mixtapes + kissland non stop

Nowadays i listen to both equally.

Yeah, nothing more normal than enjoying the s*** you can relate to more

That’s a good point, tbh. Maybe I should try that with some of the music I like but that hasn’t “clicked” yet

Yeah I hope one day Trilogy clicks for me because Ive been hearing so many good things about it forever but its just not my cup of tea tbh

But i wouldnt be surprised if one day it just fully clicked for me and thatd be so many new songs to enjoy at once

I felt this way about Blonde. I listened to it when it was released of course, but wasn’t really at a point in my life to really appreciate the s*** Frank was saying. It really clicked for me like 2-3 years ago during Covid

It’s not for everyone, to be fair; but with that being said I do hope it clicks for you, though. It’s one of my favorites OAT now, and it would be great if you could hear what I hear, lol.
I just hope you don’t gotta get as sad as I am to like it like that, lol

Even during depression its not my cup of tea, idk i feel like its too dark for me production wise

I dont think its wack or even overrated im just not the kinda person who would listen to it tbh

I see. That’s cool.

Yes but mostly for the better, tbh. Banger music from trap artists still hit as hard as it did before, but s*** like morale, 808s, and Triology like you said click hard rn just on the relatability level.

Artists like big sean as least in his earlier work have completely phased out though. His flow is too cheerleady... Granted his music from the last 4 years have matured alot.

I would say J cole is someone who ive come around to see the better-in. They were mostly problems with Born sinner and 4YEO though, hes actually rapping his best like the last 5 years compared to his beginning ironically lol