Melissa Kacar

return of saturn   is a playlist I curated in honor of my 27th birthday today, which marks the beginning of what astrologically is known as my Saturn return, or the moment Saturn reaches its first full cycle and returns to the exact position it was in when you were born. This transition is said to happen between the ages of 27 and 30. I don't know about all of the specifics or the science behind it, but it's a very interesting phenomenon to read about. Also just to feel this shift happening in life, that innate sense of change and reflection that occurs at this stage is especially pertinent lately. These songs I chose are meant to embrace that change and the evolution that comes with entering a new chapter of life. It's a very personal collection of tracks I've connected with and feel represent that theme, but I also hope anyone who listens can find something meaningful within these songs too. Many of these songs also touch upon this phenomenon, and I wanted to highligh...

they say people never change is a playlist built around songs that inspire growth and personal reflection, especially when looking at all of the ways we change over time. It is curated in a more personal manner than the conceptual or sonic themes I usually build my song collections around. There is still a particular through line across these 50 songs though, with each one reflecting some facet of growth or self‑reinvention. Some take that idea in a more abstract direction, others more literally, but together they form a portrait of what it means to evolve. I felt inspired to share this playlist today because it officially marks nine years since I first posted on my blog. It's surreal to look back on how much time has passed since my first makeup review all those years ago, along with the hundreds of posts I've written since then for over a million readers ! My writing has changed and evolved so much through those years, and I feel so much more confident in what it means to sh...

looking like an angel on the walls of versailles is a curated playlist inspired by Olivia Rodrigo 's  you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love lead single "drop dead" - an infectious all encompassing love song that perfectly bottles the lightning‑strike first rush of a new crush and the flood of emotions that come along with it. The lyricism of this song has been feeling particularly inspiring since it was released, especially the vivid imagery she threads throughout the verses. With her long‑awaited new album finally out today, it felt like the perfect moment to put together a collection of songs that echo the feeling of "drop dead", the track that opens the album and plays such an integral role in its larger narrative. Even as the song shifts in tone and meaning across the record, "drop dead" is an incredible opener for the flood of emotions she was experiencing at this point in her life. She captures the rollercoaster of this relationship throug...

run from the sunlight is a curated playlist I created to capture some of my current music obsessions. The title is inspired by a lyric from one of my favorite songs of the past year, "Dracula" by Tame Impala . His music has been on constant repeat lately, and I used that song in particular as a jumping off point to shape the rest of the playlist around. Lately, I've been listening to a lot more electronic music, with sounds and synths that give off the same kind of vibe being the focus of this playlist. There are also a lot of longtime favorites that I love and felt naturally fit the theme as well. Tame Impala 's music features heavily throughout, but other songs that shaped the direction of the playlist include "Stateside" by PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson , "Houdini" by Dua Lipa , "Dance No More" by Harry Styles , and more.  Other artists featured heavily throughout include The Dare , Djo , Magdalena Bay , and more. I wanted this play...

a million more is a playlist of some of my favorite songs ever - specifically music that, in one way or another, has shaped me as a writer. I wanted this collection to reflect my personal journey over the years I've spent writing on my blog, and to honor the songs that have stayed with me through every version of myself along the way. All of these songs have inspired me and pushed me to grow as both a writer and a listener.  I wanted to share this playlist as a way of celebrating a massive milestone of my blog reaching a million views recently - which is so exciting and surreal! More than half of that number came from the past year alone, and I am so grateful to anyone who has taken the time to read even a single piece of my writing since I started posting in 2017. This space has been such an important creative outlet for me since I was 17, and I'm so proud of the ways it has grown alongside me.  I started out writing beauty reviews, trying to channel some of my favorite infl...

just one more day! is a curated playlist I created to celebrate the first day of spring, featuring songs on my current rotation and the ones I always find myself returning to this time of year.  The title is inspired by the chorus of Djo's "Charlie's Garden" , the unbridled joy that runs through that song and the wistful lyricism feel so perfect for the start of the season. The Crux  as a whole really captures the feelings of spring in the way that every song embodies a bright sense of optimism and renewal that comes with stepping into a new stage of the year. That album is featured prominently throughout the playlist for that reason, and sonically served as a major influence surrounding the rest of the songs I chose.  The motifs of new beginnings and fresh starts are woven throughout the rest of the playlist as well. Spring is a particularly inspiring season for me and every year I tend to gravitate toward music that reflects that energy too. Other artists prominent...

when will spring come again? is a curated playlist to soundtrack the latter half of the winter and the early glimpses of spring on the horizon. These are songs that have been inspiring me lately, especially during this in-between stretch of the season.  The title was inspired by a lyric from Djo 's 2025 song "Fly" as well as the line that directly follows; "I need the bloom". It has always felt so evocative of this very specific time of the year and the emotions it can bring along with it, especially capturing the feeling of winter (hopefully) starting to fade. That song also embodies a sense of being at a crossroads at the start of a new phase of life, wanting to make a change and step into something different, which is also a very relevant theme for the start of the year. The mood and tone of Djo's The Crux  as a whole became a major launching point for the rest of the songs I chose, along with the imagery of "Glory of the Snow" by Clairo a...