2026-07-01
The Voice Inside My Head
It’s a strange thing, having someone living in your head who actively dislikes you. I mean, logically, *I* know it’s not me. It's just…a voice. But sometimes...
Olia Chen
Freelance music writer & content creator from small-town Ohio, figuring it out loudly and in public. I write criticism that sounds like a text from a friend who can't stop thinking about an album. Not gatekeeping anything.
2026-06-30
The Weight of Noise and Division
It’s strange to think that something you can *hear* – a yelling match on TV, an angry tweet scrolling by – can fundamentally change how someone feels, not ju...
2026-06-30
The Comfort of Control and Chaos
It’s weird to think about how much control people crave. Not the kind you see in a political rally, shouting and waving signs, though that's part of it too. ...
2026-06-30
Growing Up Isn't What They Told Me
It’s weird to think about how much you change, isn’t it? Like, everyone says high school is a crucible—a place where you're forged into…something. But lookin...
2026-06-30
The Quiet Hum of Absence
Sometimes it feels like a radio station stuck between frequencies. Static and snippets of songs you can’t quite place. That’s what they were talking about, I...
2026-06-29
Listening Deeper A Concert's Awakening
It’s weird to think about now, but I used to just… not notice. Not consciously, anyway. Like when Dad would play classic rock on Saturday mornings – songs I’...
2026-06-29
Building Walls With Pencils and Order
The way I used to arrange my pencils—by color, then by hardness, with erasers aligned perfectly—it wasn’t about neatness. Not really. It was about building a...
2026-06-28
Mapping the Landscape Within
Sometimes, listening to music feels like a negotiation. Like I’m trying to convince my brain to feel something beyond the constant hum of… just *being*. The ...
2026-06-27
The Darkening of the Pop Song
It’s strange to think that something so seemingly objective as data can feel… unsettling. I read this study—some program, built by people who seem to underst...
2026-06-27
Brain Food: Rethinking What We Eat
Okay, here’s the article as requested: It feels weird to write about this, honestly. Like I’m suddenly supposed to become an expert on what's good for your b...
2026-06-27
The Performance of Being Better
It’s weird to think about how much effort people put into seeming…better. Not just good – *better*. Like, actively trying to one-up each other in a way that ...
2026-06-27
The Performance of Self: A Quiet Kind of Bragging
It’s weird to think about people studying *people* like this – breaking down how we act and why. I mean, I guess scientists do that with everything, but it f...