Pregame Playlist: Angelica Blake

In this week's Pregame Playlist, we catch up with fifth-year women's tennis player Angelica Blake. We delve into how her love for R&B and afrobeats fuels her success on the court, especially as she and her team gear up for the Pac-12 Championships this weekend.

GoStanford.com: What's your favorite song on this playlist and why?
Angelica Blake: "I'd say the Sky Walker remix because the original is already one of my favorite songs and the remix just gets me even more hype."

GS: Who are your favorite artists these days?
AB: "I think my taste in music varies. I try to be open-minded regarding exploring different genres because there's such a wide array of songs out there. On my day-to-day, I love listening to R&B artists like Tems, SZA, Daniel Caesar, Frank Ocean, and Rihanna. On match days I love listening to Drake, Nicki Minaj, City Girls, and other rap artists. I also love Afrobeats so I really like Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido."

GS: What about this playlist gets you ready for competition? 
AB: "My pre-match playlist signifies feeling confident and ready to compete. I think it's essential for me to be in an excited frame of mind before stepping out on the court, and my music really ensures that my energy is at a great level. There's a combination of rap which symbolizes game day mode and throwbacks which make me super relaxed and happy to be playing."

GS: How would you describe your music taste in general?
AB: "I would describe my music taste as pretty diverse. As I mentioned, I listen to a lot of R&B, rap, throwbacks, and Afrobeats, but I also really enjoy listening to alternative artists such as Billie Eilish, Arctic Monkeys, and Coldplay."

GS: Does this playlist different from what you listen to normally? If so, how come?
AB: "My playlist differs from what I regularly listen to in that it's a bit more hype and energetic. I usually prefer a more chill R&B and Alternative Mix while I'm driving and also more generally as my music of choice."

GS: Any unique stories behind what these songs meant to you or your team?
AB: "This playlist means a lot to me as my teammates and I listen to it before matches and we even have our own inside jokes about certain songs. I love how we are able to create memories through music and share similar music tastes or learn more about other genres by listening to each other's favorite songs. We have connections to certain songs and I think it really gets us motivated to play our matches."

GS: How does your music taste compare to the rest of your team's?
AB: "I think I share a similar music taste with a few girls on the team, but there are a lot of Swifties and I'm not quite on that train, though I like some of her songs. One of my teammates loves R&B so we bond about that, and one of my teammates loves Afrobeats so we like a lot of the same songs."

GS: Describe your relationship with music, and how/if that relates to your sport.
AB: "I think that I have a really good relationship with music as it solidifies my routines before matches and helps me to focus better. I really appreciate artists' creativity, and broadening my music taste helps me learn more about the beauty of music. I love to sing so listening to songs that have a great meaning is special." 

Check out Angelica's full playlist below.