It was the Saturday after Christmas. Snow fell outside, but inside, 16-year-old Mia sat cross-legged on her carpet, a bowl of popcorn in her lap, watching the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown —the year-end special. Host Jim Shearer was hyped, his signature energy bouncing off the screen.
Mia remembered hearing this on a bus ride to a field trip last spring. The way Caleb Followill’s raspy voice cut through her cheap earbuds—it made her feel less alone in a crowd of classmates she didn’t quite fit in with.
She labeled it with a sharpie:
As the credits rolled, Mia grabbed a blank CD-R and opened iTunes. She made a playlist: VH1 Top 20 of 2009 – My Life So Far.
“This is it!” he announced. “The final countdown of 2009… and the final countdown of the decade !” 2009 vh1 top 20
Then she hit play on “Poker Face,” turned up the volume, and danced in her basement like nobody was watching.
Alicia’s voice filled the room. Mia had never been to New York, but this song made her believe she could go anywhere. Concrete jungle, green lights, dreams all that. She closed her eyes and imagined her future self—older, cooler, living some big city life. 2009 Mia had no idea what was coming. But this song felt like a promise. It was the Saturday after Christmas
Jim Shearer held up a sparkly disco ball. “Your #1 video of 2009!”
