There are days when I'm completely obsessed with Kate Bush, and

Host: The room was softly lit, the evening settling around them as the day’s heat gradually gave way to the coolness of night. Outside, the streetlights flickered, casting faint pools of light onto the sidewalk below. Inside, the quiet hum of a fan was the only sound, the air thick with unspoken thoughts. Jack was sitting on the edge of the couch, his eyes scanning the room but not really seeing anything, lost in his own mind. Jeeny sat across from him, flipping through a magazine, though her attention was clearly elsewhere. The stillness felt like the calm before a conversation, a space waiting to be filled.

Host: Cynthia Erivo’s words drifted into the air, filling the quiet with something both familiar and comforting: “There are days when I'm completely obsessed with Kate Bush, and there are days when I'm completely obsessed with the Eurythmics. Then it's Aretha Franklin, then it's Lena Horne, then it's Ella Fitzgerald, then it's John Legend, then it's Michael Jackson. Music, to me, is like food, so I feel like whatever I need that day, I can get from a song.” The idea of music as something so deeply personal, so fluid and nourishing, was simple yet profound.

Jeeny: Her voice broke the silence, light, but with a trace of curiosity: “Do you ever feel like that? Like music is something you turn to depending on what you need in the moment? Erivo talks about how her music tastes change, like it’s almost a necessity, like food. It’s a mood, a feeling, something that gives you exactly what you’re craving.”

Jack: He tilted his head slightly, the words striking a chord in him. “I get it. There’s definitely something about music that fits the moment. Sometimes I’ll be all about something upbeat, like Michael Jackson, and other days, I need something slower, like Aretha Franklin. Music does feel like a kind of fuel, like it satisfies something that can’t be put into words. But I’m not sure it’s always as fluid as Erivo says. Sometimes, it feels like we get stuck in one genre or artist for a while, and that’s the thing that we keep going back to.”

Jeeny: She nodded, her voice soft, but with a quiet understanding: “I think what Erivo means is that music is so deeply connected to our emotions. It’s like a reflection of where we are in a given moment. Some days you need something to pick you up, other days you need something to sit with you, something that understands your mood. The music you choose is a way to nourish yourself, to feed what’s inside. And that’s why it changes, depending on what you need.”

Host: The air in the room seemed to grow a little heavier, as if the weight of her words settled somewhere deeper. Jack’s gaze softened, his fingers lightly tapping against the edge of his coffee mug, as though the thought was rolling around in his mind, seeking its place. The idea that music was not just a choice, but a response to the soul’s needs, was something he had never quite considered so deeply before.

Jack: His voice was slightly reflective now, a quiet recognition in his tone: “Yeah, I think you’re right. Music has this way of tuning into exactly what’s inside. When you’re sad, you play something that matches that sadness, and somehow, it feels like it makes sense of what you’re feeling. And when you need something to lift you up, it’s like you know exactly which song to go to, like a switch flips.”

Jeeny: Her smile deepened, as if she had already known he would get there, as if they had both arrived at the same thought from different angles: “Exactly. It’s like music becomes a mirror, reflecting where you are, and in doing so, it can also transform your mood. You don’t just listen to it—you absorb it. You let it feed your emotional state and help guide you through it.”

Host: There was a quiet pause as they both sat with the idea. Outside, the world continued its rhythm, but inside, it felt as though the conversation had opened a new door. The realization that music was not just something we liked to listen to, but something we needed, something that could shape our emotions, was both simple and profound. The thought settled gently, like the warmth of a song that carried you through a long day.

Jack: His voice was quieter now, almost soft, as if he were processing something that had just clicked: “I never thought about it like that. Music isn’t just entertainment—it’s like a way to connect with yourself, to feel something that you don’t always know how to express. It’s a language, but not one made up of words. It speaks directly to how we feel, to what we need in the moment.”

Jeeny: Her expression was one of peace, a subtle satisfaction in knowing they had found a shared understanding: “Exactly. It’s a way of giving ourselves what we need. It’s like a comfort for the soul. Whatever it is, it’s there—waiting for us to turn to it, to help us process what’s inside.”

Host: The room had grown still, but it was a comfortable stillness now—filled with the quiet resonance of shared thoughts, of understanding. The world outside continued its constant hum, but inside, Jack and Jeeny sat in the quiet knowledge that sometimes, music was more than just something to pass the time. It was a mirror, a nourishment, and a source of connection to both the self and the world.

Jack: His voice was calmer, as if he had come to a new understanding: “So, music is really like food, then. Not just something to fill the silence, but something that feeds us, gives us what we need, depending on the day, depending on how we feel.”

Jeeny: She nodded, her voice soft but sure: “Exactly. It’s always there, waiting to provide exactly what we need, when we need it.”

Host: The night stretched on, and the air in the room settled into a quiet peace. Jack and Jeeny sat, their conversation fading into the comfortable stillness of shared understanding. Outside, the city continued to move, but inside, they had found a new appreciation for the simple, nourishing power of music—how it could feed the soul, reflect the self, and always be exactly what was needed, whenever it was needed.