i try not listening to music with ‘lyrics’ while i work since i end up just singing to myself and getting distracted half the time.. so instead i opt for ambient tracks or jazz. but i’ve found that i can concentrate the same with foreign language albums since i am not processing the words fully given that i can’t understand them. i like still listening to the voice of another person- a whole instrument of its own- while being able to concentrate. the words become part of my subconscious as i work (usually writing papers or doing research) i’m also trying to do more activities in silence though (emphasis on trying!) so maybe ill recommend that another day
If you have a computer job, nothing passes the time like putting on an album. Throw something on, no skips, no complaining, just listening until its done and 45min-1hr has passed. I also like to set challenges for myself to not repeat stuff I am listening to. Last couple of months, Rate Your Music has been pretty valuable for finding stuff to listen to, like the highest rated Brazilian Pop albums and checking them out.
I have been logging a list of stuff I have been checking out here.
i don’t think this works for every album, but it does for so many. words carry a lot of weight for me, and when i read the lyrics to an album while i’m listening to it, i can give it my undivided attention and connect with it more. i’m linking an album (Heart Sky by Emily Yacina) that i first listened to without reading the lyrics, and when i listened to it the second time and read the lyrics while listening, i fell so in love with it and i now see it as a part of the blueprint for the kind of music i want to make someday. also, this album has one instrumental track ("Dove") and i like to just ruminate and make up lyrics while i listen, lyrics that leave my brain by the time i reach the next song…
don’t listen to the album while doing chores, or on a walk, or while you work. lay down, close your eyes, and simply absorb it completely. most albums make much more sense when you absorb them this way