Making a Retrospective Playlist for GTA V
A year out from the release of its sequel, after another delay, I had to revisit Rockstar’s last installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, which was released more than twelve years ago. The nostalgic feeling that I get from this game sounds like a jumble of corporate buzzwords that were generated using AI, like “cynical freedom” or “satirical exceptionalism” or “middle American west coast.” Or, it’s just the feeling of being fourteen and unemployed. It’s not lost on me that I may still be trying to chase that high of not having any responsibilities, except for worrying about the lives of three messy bitches. Schoolwork be damned.
Driving from the city to Paleto Bay and back, I see why there's a whole subgenre on YouTube of driving in GTA with the radio on. There’s nothing more potent in conjuring up those “dark sleaze” or “edgy social commentary” sensations that were like crack to fourteen-year-old me than listening to the game’s music. The large and diverse catalog makes me enjoy being a banal cliché. It can almost match the feeling of driving in real life. The only difference is that, in real life, I have to worry about gas money and following traffic laws. So what better way to have the best of both worlds than to make a new DIY GTA playlist?
Heat the pan with the textured, expansive, yet keyed-up Backseat by Balu Brigada. Add even more nuance and depth of flavor with the acidic and refreshing Gamesofluck by Parcels. And why not the jumpy, funky, spiced-up raucousness of Sugar On My Tongue by Tyler, The Creator? It sounds like I’m describing a recipe for sausage and peppers or a C-tier porno. Mmmm, sizzling, throbbing, oozing meat! Food porn never gets old with all of its moaning goodness.
I could not go a session of GTA V without visiting the beach. Maybe I’m missing summer, and I need something to distract me from the horror that is the long dark. Redondo Beach by Patti Smith has the feeling of being bathed in warm water— in a good way; there’s a cleansing release that comes with the contrasting yet complementary sound and lyrics. There’s something akin to skipping across the surface of the ocean on a jet ski about eva by AG Club. Del Perro Pier is the perfect place to wind down at night, ride the Ferris wheel, or buy coke from an unmarked vehicle. It’s one of the most romantic places in the game, which the summer fling vibe of In The Night by Childish Gambino, Jorja Smith, and Amaarae encapsulates in Polaroid film.
The three main characters in GTA V spend a lot of time together. And what is better for men who spend a lot of time together than house music? The thumping, breathy, and spiraling Like Whoa by Black V Neck offers an outlet to those pent-up energies. I Wanna - Tchami Remix by Shiba San and Tchami effectively represents our three maximalist vanguards of erotic and hedonistic exploration. And not to forget, this game is about committing crime and running from the law, which the “mindfully not giving a crap” vibe of Tommy by Fcukers gives.
I can’t believe that Angeles by Goldroom is not a part of the game soundtrack. Maybe that would be breaking the fourth wall too much. The laid-back Los Santos by Current Blue may be a more fitting stroke to that city-slicker ego. Go to the barber shop and come out with longer hair with Here Hair by Gustaf; the theme of working out old tensions and moving on from the past, dead or alive, drips off the weighty, stubborn, and escalating sound of this song— and this game.
