Certain lyrics have a way of embedding themselves in our minds, resonating on a deeper, almost subconscious level — “If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?” is one such example for me, à la Kendrick Lamar. Some albums too become timeless companions, as is the case with “A Star Is Born” for my mom and I. It’s our go-to listen for long car rides down the shore, and dare I say, perhaps even better than the film itself. Then there are those songs, like Fall Out Boy's early 2000s anthems, that transport us instantly to moments from our past, such as ice-skating on Friday nights in eighth grade (another prime example from my varied musical repertoire). Art and music are deeply personal, interpreted in myriad ways. This drove me to seek the stories behind the music, straight from the artists themselves. So I took a minute with eight different musicians to explore the inspirations, experiences, and emotions that drive them. 
Through their own words below, ...