With the drop in temperature and the lengthening of nights, it has become clear that the holiday season is upon us, and with it, Christmas music.
Anyone who has worked a minimum-wage job has likely experienced recycled playlists, the kind that feature Coldplay, AJR and the Chainsmokers. While some may enjoy these playlists during their brief shopping experiences, enduring them can be a test of mental fortitude for the store’s employees, especially when anything that does not contribute to the festive atmosphere is culled from the selection pool.
Iain Girten, senior studio art major, is no stranger to these playlists.
“I’m honestly not dreading Christmas [music] this year because I have been made numb from working at Holiday World,” said Girten.
Where, according to Girten, they play Christmas music even in the summertime.
Judah Henson, junior studio art major, feels differently about the onslaught of Christmas music that the holiday season entails. With control of the workplace playlist firmly in his grasp, Henson’s one request is timing.
“I don’t dislike any of it,” said Henson. “It’s just too early before Thanksgiving.”
Faith Guzman, junior visual arts K-12 teaching major, on the other hand, has an entirely different request.
“If it’s anything religious, I feel like I’m in the chapel, which is not what I want to feel like when I’m at work,” said Guzman. She prefers her workplace music to be more energizing than “Silent Night.”
Other songs that student employees dread hearing include Michael Bublé’s rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” submitted by Aubrey Harpe, sophomore visual arts K-12 teaching major, and “Feliz Navidad,” submitted by Abbie Buttry, junior visual arts K-12 teaching major.
The clear winner for most hated song of the season is “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey, which was frequently brought up by the people surveyed.
However, don’t let this article dull your holiday spirit; the most common response from the USI community, even more common than “All I Want for Christmas is You,” was that they did not dislike any Christmas music. Many of the responses even prompted disagreements, with some people’s least favorite songs being others’ favorites.
In other words, while this playlist may be titled ‘The Worst Christmas Playlist Ever,’ it may contain many of your favorites. To see the full playlist, go to The Shield’s Spotify account.
