Logo The Xavi Journal

THIS IS: livia's PLAYLIST JOURNAL

Discover New Artists Through Their Playlists

Welcome to “The Artist’s Playlist Journal”, a content series where emerging artists use playlist curation as a form of journaling.

This is how it works: the artists curate a playlist of 10 songs by other artists that inspire them, and answer a small journal with reflection questions about the moods and emotions inspiring their music, their artistic journey, and identity.

livia's PLAYLIST

10 tracks that shape livia's sonic's identity, mood, and story

MEET livia

livia is a London-based artist who transforms her memories into raw songs that feel deeply personal yet universally relatable.

Her upcoming EP is a layered reflection of the past few years, marking a new chapter in her songwriting as she moves beyond stripped-back intimacy into brighter sounds.

playlist livia mackenzie

"My debut EP shows so much more of me than my previous singles ever did. It's going to be tennis themed thanks to my love of the movie "Challengers" and it's full of all of my best songs yet"

Behind the Playlist

How does this playlist reflect who you are as an artist?

This time I wanted to do something different: a mix of past and present favorites that reflect both my wide music taste and my inspirations. Some tracks mark very specific moments in my life, others I save for special occasions. The song from the musical Amélie, for example, takes me back to when I first moved to London and still fills me with joy. And Jon McLaughlin’s So Close—I plan to weave it into my wedding day. This playlist feels like a way to sum myself up not just as an artist, but as a whole person.

What mood or emotion did you want to capture?

I’m actually an optimistic, bright person, though that doesn’t always come through in my stripped-back, sad music. This playlist captures that side of me: songs that can pull me out of bed on the hardest days, and others that wrap me in nostalgia. When you listen, imagine me both dancing around my room and lost in thought on a train.

How do these songs connect to your current project?

My EP is a deep dive into the last few years of my life (cliché, I know…), but also a chance to explore the silly and fun sides of my writing that I hadn’t really shared before. While my comfort zone has always been acoustic and sad music, I’ve grown to love a much wider range—which you can really hear across the EP. This playlist pulls together the inspirations that shaped me: from musical theatre, to stripped-back acoustic tracks, to dreamy indie pop. These artists have soundtracked my life and seeped into my writing—most obviously Holly Humberstone and Lewis Watson.

New Artists Playlist Discovery

I honestly feel at the top of my game—particularly lyrically. Although that’s scary too, because I’m not sure I’ll ever like any other music I make as much as this EP.

livia's JOURNALING SESSION

If this playlist was a journal entry, what would you call it?

Unearthed

What did you discover about yourself or your music while curating this playlist?

I have far too many “favorite” songs—I attach meaning to everything, so there are hundreds tied to people, places, and memories. Picking just 10 was nearly impossible. I realized I gravitate more toward songs I love than ones that directly inspire me. Honestly, I think I’m inspired more by entire artists and their discographies than by specific tracks. That’s also why I find making reference playlists for my own music nearly impossible.

What was your first instinct when starting this playlist — a feeling, a sound, a memory?

Honestly, whenever I make a playlist like this, I usually start with an Ariana song—she’s my all-time favorite artist and my biggest inspiration, and somehow everything I do comes back to her. But for this playlist, I began with Jason’s Song because it’s so empowering, and then the Amélie track followed naturally for how alive it makes me feel. From there, the playlist unfolded into songs that lift me up—and in that way, inspire me too.

Discover emerging artists

Who’ve already shared their Playlist Journals

If you're an emerging artist...

Contact me to be featured!

If you’re curious, I’d love to guide you through this easy and meaningful playlist journaling experience and share more details on how to collab!

Curate your Playlist Journal, revealing your inspirations and artistic identity. I’ll help turn it into a featured playlist and content that connects you with new listeners in a meaningful way <3

I wanna be featured!