I Blame it on The Algorithm
Amelia Giese (she/her)
Editorial Team Member
I think two of the things I love most in the world are music and stories. They have both followed me for as long as I can remember. I used to dream of being a popstar, and I always get lost in my imagination. It wasn’t until recently that the two collided, and I ended up completely and suddenly in love with a world I never thought was mine: musicals.
I was never really a theater kid growing up. Sure, I did the musicals in elementary school, and I did stage crew in middle school, plus I knew every word to Hamilton (and so did everyone else), but that was where it ended. I didn’t have anything against people who loved theater, it just didn’t feel like something that belonged to me. I don’t sing or dance, and I certainly don’t do either of those things onstage. So for the longest time, that meant musicals were off-limits to me.
The first musical I really loved was Mamma Mia. My high school did a production of it during my junior year, and I was obsessed. I still think about it, and it’s been years. I didn’t understand my fixation with it at the time. All the songs were originally written and performed by ABBA. So I figured I liked the musical because I liked ABBA’s music, not because I was becoming a musical person.
In my head, liking musicals, especially as a non-theater kid, was “weird,” and I didn’t want to be weird. I can’t tell you where this mindset came from because I’ve never even heard something like it before. Most people I know like musicals at least a little and think shows are super cool. Yet, even though I enjoyed Mamma Mia and liked Hamilton, I never let myself explore beyond that.
The moment everything negative I had thought about musicals changed, was a little over a year ago. I stumbled across a TikTok of Ramin Karimloo singing “The Neva Flows (Reprise)” from the Anastasia musical. I was #hooked. I played the video over and over and over again. I could not get enough of it. I loved his voice and the harmonies in the background from the ensemble. I loved the staging and the symbolism in everyone’s movements. The emotion gave me goosebumps and the music crescendo was absolutely jawdropping. The song very quickly made it on my playlist. I was already a fan of the original movie, so I added all the movie songs too.
It took about a month, but eventually I caved and listened to the rest of the album. The four songs I’d already heard were performed so well, and every social media algorithm was shoving more clips at me. I didn’t stand a chance.
After making Anastasia my obsession for a bit, I turned to look for more musicals. I had become a fan of the actors in Anastasia, so I looked into their work. Ramin Karimloo played Enjolras in the 25th Year Anniversary Special of Les Misérables, so I watched as many clips of that performance as I could find. I was blown away by the music.
Because of those clips, I watched the Les Misérables movie. Guess what? I became obsessed with that also. When the credits rolled, I was absolutely gobsmacked and floored and every synonym for “shocked” you’ve ever heard. I was literally in tears. On the floor. Crying. Because the story was so sad and everything about it was so good.
Les Misérables felt so real to me. It’s a timeless revolutionary tale, and I just so happened to have watched the movie not too long after Donald Trump had been elected. I was so drawn to everything about it. It encapsulated every feeling I had. Most importantly, it left me with hope.
After I was over being emotionally wrecked, I did what anyone would do: I Googled the actors. That’s how I found Aaron Tveit, who (like Ramin Karimloo) played Enjolras. He also starred in the Moulin Rogue! Broadway show. Which meant I had to listen to the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack and watch the original movie.
And it just kept going. I watched the Newsies pro-shot because I had heard it was a good beginner musical. Then I listened to the Great Gatsby soundtrack because Jeremy Jordan (from Newsies) starred in it. Then Hadestown because Eva Noblezada from Great Gatsby was in it. Then Ride the Cyclone because I saw yet another TikTok. Then The Outsiders because a friend told me to. Then Evita because Rachel Zegler starred in the West End revival. Believe me, the list goes on and on.
Music and dance makes stories more honest. They evoke more emotion because they’re so universal. I don’t have to speak French to tell when a song is sad or angry, and that adds a whole new layer of depth. Even seeing the show right in front of you makes it magical; like you’re right there with the characters.
The actors’ talent makes that feeling even stronger. Their voices can change the atmosphere of the room. There’s nothing like it. I can even feel it through a bootlegged Instagram reel. The choreography is mesmerizing and forces you to watch. It’s extraordinary.
Musicals have given me a new way to feel emotions. Yes, I had emotions before, but musicals showed me an outlet where they were expressed in a way I’d never seen. When using my words fails or something feels too complex for me to explain, music has this way of uncurling everything. A musical climax makes my heartbeat line up with the rhythm. A harmony makes me tear up even before I even realize a sad scene is coming. Musicals don’t just tell a story, they let you feel it before you understand it. And sometimes, that’s exactly how my own emotions present themselves.
I think I am now a full fledged theater geek without having stepped on a stage in a decade. And somehow, that happened without me ever meaning for it to. All I know is that somewhere in the algorithm is a new TikTok video from a musical that is waiting to hook me and drag me down a brand new rabbit hole.
