Mafia Walrus 2025

I was recently invited to participate in a walrus, a music event where contestants submit some of their favorite songs to be judged in various categories. Each category is intended to elicit a different style or genre so that the judge can be exposed to a wide variety of new music. Each contestant needs to weigh how well the song fits the category, how much they like the song, how much they think the judge will like it, and if they think the judge already knows it.

What I did to narrow down my selections was to skim through some of my Spotify playlists and gather all the songs I like that aren't already super popular, then sort them into whichever category I thought most appropriate. I culled each category down to a dozen or so before listening to each one, reading lyrics, checking play counts, and sorting them based on all that.

In each category below I've listed the prompt, the song that I ended up submitting, and a few runners-up followed by my other nominations. I tried to weight my own enjoyment of the songs higher than most other factors, with the impulse that whatever makes that song interesting to me will be apparent to the judge without having to be explained.

You can find the Spotify playlist with the winners and runners-up in each category here.

Category 1: The New Day

You wake up and this is the song that gets you out of bed. It prepares you for another day. It tells you that something new is possible and in your reach. It could be the small hope that gets you through the next few hours, or it could be something much bigger, a sign of a whole new stage in your life. What song signals a new beginning for you?

Category 2: The Cut

It’s not every day that a song can knock you off balance. Somehow, your defenses are meaningless, and you’re left an emotional mess afterward. It could be existential dread, abject misery, complete and total elation… The extreme is up to you. It just has to be an extreme. What song cuts through you to the core?

Category 3: The Intensity

Focus. Your attention narrows to a pinpoint, and all you know is the music and the challenge before you. It could be rage. It could be adrenaline. It could be something that blocks out the world and lets you dedicate every morsel of energy toward your task. What song represents this laser-focused intensity?

Category 4: The Wildcard

This category consistently gets me a big influx of new songs that hold my attention and broaden my horizons. Perhaps there’s a song that you feel would have fit one of the other categories but it just barely didn’t make the cut. Maybe you’ve had an earworm for the past couple weeks. Possibly there’s a song you think would speak to me in some way, and you really want me to hear it. What song do you want to send me, the host, specifically?

Category 5: The Non-English Flavour

I listen to quite a bit of non-English music and am always on the lookout for more. My only condition for this category is that the song is not in English. Instrumentals, while not disqualified, would not be in the spirit of the category. What non-English song has entranced you recently?

Category 6: The Sudden Contender

Sometimes you aren’t paying close attention or even trying to find something new, but something new certainly found you. What song came out of nowhere and immediately catapulted itself into your favourites?

Category 7: The Click

Music can be more than just a bunch of neat sounds you like to hear occasionally. It can be meaningful. It can change things. It can make you understand. You were uncertain, and now the pieces have been put together. With each note, you know a little more than you did before. What song made a situation “click” for you?

Category 8: The Future

You have an idea in your head of what your life could be. Maybe it’s an image that’s idyllic, a dream of what could be if things were different. Maybe you harbor resentment about what was taken from you, an opportunity you missed out on. Whether positive or negative, you have feelings about the tomorrows you might have and the tomorrows you’ll never experience. What song speaks to you of the implacable future?