Pregame Playlist: Kai Rayle & Sofia Raso

Before every game, match, or meet every athlete has a go-to playlist that they listen to before to get themselves ready for action. In Pregame Playlist we hear what student-athletes' playlists mean to them! Today, lets talk to Sofia Raso and Kai Rayle from fencing, who shares their similarities and differences between their pregame playlist before MPSF fencing championships this weekend.

GoStanford.com: What’s your favorite song on this playlist and why?

Sofia Raso: My favorite song from this playlist varies based on the day, but if I had to pick right now I would say Come a Little Closer by Cage the Elephant. I saw it live in concert this past summer, and it’s been one of my favorite songs ever since!

Kai Rayle: A milli, I saw Sidepiece live this summer in San Diego and it went super hard. The Lil Wayne remix is excellent!

GS: Who are your favorite artists these days?

SR: I would say my top 5 favorite artists are Dominic Fike, Peter McPoland, Sabrina Carpenter, Arctic Monkeys, and Cage the Elephant. I generally tend to listen to genres rather than artists, though – I’ll keep track of what is being released in the genres I enjoy, but my top 5 artist list changes frequently.

KR: One of my favorite artists right now is Dominic Fike.

 

 

GS: What about this playlist gets you ready for competition?

SR: When I was younger, I used to aim for intensity while warming up for competition, but in recent years I’ve changed my pre-competition music to songs that make me feel confident and happy rather than “locked in.” This playlist makes me feel light and ready to have a good time while competing, which positively impacts my performance.

KR: House music is really the only way to go, it brings the energy and the vibes.

GS: How would you describe your music taste in general?

SR: I’ve always loved exploring different types of music, so I enjoy a relatively wide range of genres. I listen most to pop, contemporary R&B, indie rock, and deep/tech house, but I also love older music like 1970s rock and 1950s-60s blues/soul.

KR: I would say that my music taste is pretty eclectic. I like house, latin pop, classic rock, alternative, and hip hop so a serious mix of genres.

GS: Does this playlist different from what you listen to normally? If so, how come?

SR: On a day-to-day basis I listen to more of a calm vibe than this playlist, especially when biking around such a beautiful campus! When I am on aux at practice, I also like bringing a more fun atmosphere with 2000s hits, as well as the Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Harry Styles category of pop.

KR: I would say it is a bit different since a lot of my other music is more chill, but I like to bring the vibes pre-competition.

GS: Any unique stories behind what these songs meant to you or your team?

SR: A lot of these songs mean different things to different people on the team, but an example is Where Them Girls At ft Nicki Minaj by Flo Rida. A group of us went on a trip to Six Flags and accidentally listened to this on repeat for around 45 minutes straight while finding parking, and it became a running joke.

KR: One of Mau P's most popular songs gets everyone hype at lift and makes the team run fast.

GS: Describe your relationship with music, and how/if that relates to your sport.

SR: Music is a major source of energy for me. I don’t necessarily listen to music to change my emotions, but more to intensify what I’m already feeling. So in the context of fencing, I typically listen to music that is upbeat and energetic to boost that motivation. I mentioned this before, but I also use more poppy or happy music to up the energy when I’m on aux at practice if we have an early morning session.

KR: Music relaxes me and allows me to focus. This gets me into a great headspace to perform.

Check out Sofia and Kai's full playlist below.