Assignment 23-- Playlist--Daniel Mendoza Vasquez

My perfect playlist for a relatively long drive; I find that driving with songs that are all the same genre gets monotonous. There are several in Spanish, but they can still be enjoyed by those that don’t speak it as lyrics aren’t all that makes a song good.


Borro Cassette- Maluma

One of my favorite songs in general, and the only one that I 100%, fully know the lyrics to--I have a deficiency in that regard. It’s a lighthearted and pretty basic reggaeton about not being able to get someone off your head after a one night stand, but it’s done very well and it sticks in your head for a while.

La Paga- Juanes

I grew up on Juanes; my mom would have his CDs playing in the car often when she drove me to school as a kid. I probably grew to like most of his songs just through mere exposure, and this is one of my favorites due to its choppy carrilera rhythm and sarcastic, resentful lyrics.


Estranged- Guns N’ Roses

Given that it is almost ten minutes long, this is a bit difficult to digest, but I would definitely say that it's worth it. Guns N’ Roses have a lot of loud and boisterous material, but this is the best example of a vulnerable side to them, even more so than November Rain. And, of course, Slash is still phenomenal.


Money for Nothing- Dire Straits

The best part of this song is the iconic riff, and I could enjoy it for that reason alone, but it also has a unique premise in that it is written from the perspective of a working-class man who works in a hardware store. The character cynically critiques the phenomenon of MTV and the artists on it, lamenting that they are becoming millionaires despite not having what he believes to be a “real job”.


Miami- Kid Ink

Playing this while driving would probably work best while actually in Miami, but it still works elsewhere. It has a dreamy and subdued vibe, painting a very cinematic image of the city, along with a strong bass line that combines to make you want to press down further on the accelerator.