I was already wary of the bad music selection my poor ears would have to go through when I heard talk of a DJ-less prom.

I had flashbacks to the days of Nickelback and Kidz Bop and worried about how much I would genuinely enjoy my Prom. As an avid fan of music I’ve learned to enjoy most genres of music, whether it be classic rock or R&B.

At first, when the proposition of no DJ was made on the @2018RhsTigers account as a Twitter poll, I thought it was a joke… only to find out that it wasn’t.The playlist won and student government decided to follow through and keep their promise of a student-playlist.

When I first walked into prom – around 20 minutes after doors opened – I saw students dancing and hoped this was a good sign of a bearable playlist. If my peers liked the music, I should too, right?

Unfortunately, I was wrong. Most tracks were typical of any high school dance, but some were so blatantly out of place at a high school dance.

Such as the slower country song thrown into a mix of upbeat rap and hip-hop, that students couldn’t rely on a consistent tempo to dance to.

I know that even when you have a DJ, the bad songs will still find a way into the dance, but at least a DJ will create some flow instead of jumping from Drake to Luke Bryan. A DJ doesn’t mess up the flow or tempo of the dance, because they continuously play songs of the same genre.

As much as I enjoyed the the “diverse” music selection, why did I hear a Kidz Bop rendition of “Party in the USA”?

The technicalities of running the playlist were lost, and we would awkwardly stand in silence for half a minute until each awkward, cheesy song ended.

There were times when I would be singing along with friends to a jam and then suddenly get hit with the remix, and it isn’t the “Remix to Ignition” type of remix either.

These remixes temporarily ruined the moment for me and my friends. We went from dacing to wonderful songs and enjoying the moment, to wondering how something like Kidz Bop could even make it on the playlist.

I know my group wasn’t the only group, because I often saw groups completely stop dancing when these songs came on. They would also leave me standing awkwardly with a friend trying to figure out who on earth decided to put this song in the playlist. So please, stick to the originals.

Although I sadly didn’t get to enjoy the Nickelback that I hoped for, at least I was greeted by the wonderful voices of Kidz Bop.

Normally I would just laugh and keep dancing but they changed “Just the Way You Are” from Bruno Mars’ soulful voice to the squeals of talentless 12-year-olds.

When the last slow dance is “Just the Way You Are,” you hope to have a special moment with your significant other. Instead, the playlist let high-pitched voices ruin the moment to end the night.
I’m not asking for an end to the student-playlist. I’m just asking for a little bit more room to improve it.

I don’t think the student-playlist should have made its debut at Prom. This was a risky idea that could have easily tainted some people’s nights.

For most of the night it was good and exceeded my expectations, but sort out a list that everyone can enjoy together. The idea was ambitious, the wrinkles just need to be ironed out for everyone to be happy.

I hope Student Government refines and curates the playlists more carefully next year. Furthermore, they should consider tempos and keeping them similar.

As long as the Kidz Bop fiasco settles, maybe I’ll be able to enjoy my last slow dance at senior ball to “Just the Way You Are.”