How does the world stay so fresh?

Every time I think I know something, the universe shows me that I actually know so little.

It feels like my entire adult life was one big discovery process of songs that I thought were originals and were covers all along. It’s disorienting and also super fun learning that All Along the Watchtower wasn’t an original Dave Matthews song, discovering the version from Jimi Hendrix and then later finding out it was from Bob Dylan.

I’ve listened to “To Pimp A Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar many, many times. This morning, I “heard” one of the lyrics for the first time. It led me down a rabbit hole of discovery that blew my mind with how many things I previously missed and overlooked.

The world feels so fresh and young when we let it be. If we can, even just for a moment, forget everything we “know” and let curiosity do its thing, we can discover the magic everywhere in everything.

How could I forget about the greatness of Jay-Z?

A while back, most of Jay-Z’s songs were removed from Spotify in a move to promote a competitive music streaming service.

After the initial disappointment of losing him on Spotify, it became out of site, out of mind. When Jay released a new album, it was again a minor inconvenience, but I found ways to listen to it without signing up for the new service (YouTube - ugh).

A few days ago Jay-Z made a glorious return to Spotify, and it’s been the only thing I’ve listened to since it happened. I forgot how much I appreciate his songs and the absence has me in full Hova mode.

I get the marketing and promotional reasoning behind it, but it was painful for me as a connoisseur of the jigga-man. Maybe it was a home run for the competitor, but I’d much rather see deals that are good for all parties involved. Figure out ways to make it a win for the fans, the artists, the streaming services, the labels, everyone.

Anyways, it’s good to have Jay back on Spotify where I can once again admire all the greatness that he has created.