Song sisters: What a birthday playlist revealed about my oldest friendship | The National

A writer marks her oldest friendship with a birthday Spotify playlist, explaining why distance makes gifts rarer—and why music can travel instead. She says she’s known her best friend Louise since she was born, with their mothers handling gift-giving early on before swapping parties and evenings out. The playlist reflects decades of shared listening: “Señorita” by Justin Timberlake and “Justified,” Grease watched from a local library, Michael Jackson dance videos, and Westlife ballads. She also argues that mainstream songs about friendship are limited, then points to “Wannabe” for “Girl Power,” plus sisterhood tracks like Eurythmics’ “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves,” Aretha Franklin, and Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family.”