So I'm going to admit one of my deepest darkest secrets to you right now... I'm an unremorseful Spotify addict. I seek no pity, but I do seek understanding. Perhaps there are others out there like me who have been wooed by this beautiful Heaven-sent Hulk-colored music-streaming app. Perhaps I'm the only one. And that's okay. I've long accepted my fate. But is it such a horrible fate?

My relationship with Spotify began about 8 months ago when I finally received my much-anticipated Princeton NetID. Now with my new student email address, I could take full advantage of the wonderful student discounts offered by a variety of online sites and services. Yay. I had actually known for some time that Spotify offered a pretty fair discount for college students ($9.99 if I remember correctly), so I had easily chosen that as my first victim. I typed in Spotify in the Google search bar. Clicked the first result. The page loaded. I waited. It loaded some more. I waited some more. Finally, there it was. Its vibrant home page in all its glory. My eyes stared intently at the words before me.

The heavens opened. The trumpets blared. The voices of the angelic choir resounded throughout my house. In that moment, God spoke to me. Okay, maybe not. But come on, you have to agree that was an incredibly sweet deal. Three months for less than a dollar? I didn't even need to use my student discount! As you can imagine, I jumped on that faster than you can say "Follow my Graduation Party 2016 playlist. You won't regret it. And no, this isn't my shameless attempt at advertising myself."

Fast forward three months. The summer is winding down. The days are getting shorter and shorter. The unmistakable taste of a new academic year is in the air. And most importantly, my Spotify subscription is coming to an end. After weeks of jamming out to my favorite tunes and racking up a thousand followers on one of my playlists, I begin to realize my time with this app is growing increasingly short. The thought of finally saying adieu is just too much to bear. So, in an act of outright rebellion, I subscribe to another month (using the student discount, of course). What I didn't realize, however, was that unless I directly canceled my subscription, Spotify will keep auto-renewing every single month for eternity. Either I didn't realize it or I pretended not to. Well, suffice to say, I've been pretty darn good at deceiving myself. As I am currently writing this piece, I have Spotify running unapologetically in the background. What am I listening to? The soundtrack to La La Land of course. But that's a completely different article for a completely different time.

So what is it about Spotify that appeals to me so much? That's a very good question. Thanks for asking. Well, I don't really know, to be quite honest. I'm sure most of us can agree that music is an integral part of our lives. We may listen to some smooth jazz or Lady Gaga (is she still a thing?) as we procrastinate our essays. We most likely have our earbuds popped in as we tackle five miles on a treadmill. And what's a party without some hot fire music? It seems as if we're discovering a new song every week. We have our favorite artists and albums. There are songs we relate to, songs that make us smile and laugh, songs that incite the waterworks. Whether you like it or not, music is here to stay. And I think that's why I love Spotify so much. It recognizes that music has a place in virtually every facet of our lives. Do you need to focus on your studies but want some musical ambiance? Spotify's got you covered. Craving a high-intensity jammin' workout? Look no further, Spotify has all the perfect playlists for you. Are you hosting a Latin dance party? Check out Spotify's fine collection of merengue, salsa, bachata, and reggaeton. Want to know the hottest songs of 2016 (let's just pretend for a moment that 2016 did indeed happen)? There's a Spotify station for that. Or two. You want more of Ed Sheeran? Well, so does Spotify. Imagine how much would be lacking in our daily lives without the magic of music. Just think for a moment. Scary, right?

I'm not here to say that Spotify is the best and only music-streaming service out there. There are a ton of services that may be of the same or better quality. What I am saying, though, is that having access to thousands upon thousands of songs at your fingertips that are tailored to your specific needs, moods, and interests certainly satisfies man's primal appetite for music. Sure, there are the YouTubes and Pandoras and Google Play Musics and Amazon Prime Musics and what have yous, but there are also the Spotifys. While you may choose to get your music from another source, I choose that green and black app. And while you may choose to be shamelessly addicted to Nilla wafers, I choose to be shamelessly addicted to that app that starts with the S. Not because it stands out in some extraordinary way, but because all it does — all it ever hopes to do — is bring to us the simple joys and pleasures of life. It gives us music. Our way.

If that doesn't get me through college, I don't know what will.