Allow me to re-introduce myself (again)

Areet? 

Me, again. 

It's been a year since I opened blogspot and started writing. How many times have I tried to re-do this? Do I really believe this time will be any different? The evidence suggests not and yet, I'm willing to say it feels different. 

In the words of Jay Z, however he's stylising that these days, allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Lee and when I was 17, I was quite severely depressed and music was my main source of escapism. I channeled that into this very blog and through a variety of twists and turns I've ended up with a career in the media. 

Unfortunately that career is currently... uncertain. I have been put at risk of redundancy and at the time of writing, my last shift will be on the 6th January 2027. 57 Days. I'm terrified, I'm anxious but there is an excitement and a relief. The logical part of me knows that I need a job to live, there are so many things that will be affected if I am made redundant. 

Yet, the creative part of me feels more motivated than I have in years. I've said for a while how much I miss my freelance era. I miss this blog. I miss doing community radio. I miss creating content for the love of the game. 

There is also a recognition however that times have changed. The blog era has long gone. Twitter died long before it became X. I'm not really a talented writer, but it is the form of expression that comes most natural to me. But now, it's all about video. TikTok, Reels, YouTube. I've tried, and I'm determined to keep going. I want to learn to do that, I need to but I also need this. 

I have also changed. I'm 32 now. I am a grown ass man who is anxious in a whole different way to how I was when I started out. There are so many things I cringe about from my early reviews. So many things I didn't know - but back then, I didn't know that I didn't know. Now, I do. 

I said I'm not a talented writer. I'm also not really musically inclined in the way most music critics are. I'm probably not going to recognise samples and interpolations, I'm not going to recognise the specific instruments being used and songwriting structure and whatever else. 

I'm not a music nerd, I'm just a very passionate music fan and what I can do is tell you is how the music makes me feel. I'm good on emotion, I'm great on vibes. So, from here on out, for however long I do this for this time, that's what I'm going to do. It's less of a music review blog and more a diary told through the songs I fuck with. I'm going to represent and platform the things that matter to me. 

Here's to new beginnings.