Songs for The Individualist

Today, our Enneagram Series is going to focus on Type 4's. As usual, I want to go ahead and throw out my disclaimer: educating myself about the enneagram and reading about my personality type has genuinely helped me be more conscious about making healthier choices as well as paying closer attention to how I interact with other people based off their type as well if I happen to know it. The enneagram is not how I dictate every single moment of my life, but it is a handy and interesting tool to use.

Type Fours are referred to as Individualists or Creatives depending on which author you read. A few key personality traits that they exhibit include being sensitive, introspective, expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental. A Four's basic fear is that of having no identity or personal significance, and their basic desire is that of finding themselves and their significance or to create an identity for themselves. A happy, healthy Four is inspired and can transform their experiences from negative to beneficial, while a miserable, unhealthy Four can be despairing and runs the risk of turning to self-destructive behavior. They're motivated by creating and surrounding themselves with beautiful things and by expressing themselves and their individuality. They're usually very self-aware and reserved. Fours can tend to withdraw from those around them to protect their self-image or because they're feeling vulnerable and/or defective and, according to the Enneagram Institute, this can cause issues with melancholy and self-pity. A Four with a Three wing, or 4w3, is usually referred to as an Aristocrat or an Enthusiast and maintains the core feelings of a Four while leaning on Three traits like working hard to frequently distinguish themself from the rest of the world. A Four with a Five wing, or 4w5, is usually referred to as a Bohemian or a Free-Spirit and maintains that core Fourness while leaning on Five traits like seeking recognition and admiration for their hard work. A healthy Four can exhibit traits of a Type One due to their Growth Path causing them to act more objective and principled, while a super stressed Four can exhibit traits of a Type Two due to their Stress Path causing them to act more over-involved and clingy.

Here's some pop culture examples of Type Four that I've "typed" over the last year. DISCLAIMER #2: I obviously don't own/didn't create any of these characters and secondly, it's again impossible to truly type another person, especially when they aren't real, but this its a lot of fun and I've enjoyed doing it. These are just my personal opinion, so please don't @ me.

-Alexis Rose from Schitt's Creek

-Amethyst & Blue Diamond from Steven Universe

-Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO, & Kylo Ren from Star Wars

-April Ludgate from Parks & Recreation

-Benedict Bridgerton & Kate Sheffield from Bridgerton

-Crowley (4w3), Gabriel (4w3), Mary Winchester (4w5), & Metatron (4w3) from Supernatural

-Dee Reynolds from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

-Dorian Havilliard (4w3) & Rowan Whitethorn (4w5) from Throne of Glass

-Hunt Athalar (4w5) from Crescent City

-Janis Ian from Mean Girls

-Klaus Hargreeves/Number Four/The Seance from The Umbrella Academy

-Luna Lovegood (4w3) & Ron Weasley (4w5) from Harry Potter

-Moana (4w5) from Moana

-Nesta Archeron & Tamlin from A Court of Thorns & Roses

-Pam Beesley from The Office

-Phoebe Buffay from Friends

-Rajesh Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory

-Rapunzel (4w3) from Tangled

-Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender

-Stewart from Letterkenny

-Terry Jeffards (4w3) from Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Here is a small sample of my Individualist playlist - as always, the full playlist can be found by following me on Apple Music @audioaesthetics. Let's get to it!

Right as Rain by Adele (written by A. Adkins, C. Holley, J. Silverman, L. Michels, N. Movshon)

Featured on her 2008 album 19, this fun Adele track hones in on the drama and melancholy often attributed to Fours. She talks about withdrawing to be with herself, being her own person, and being okay with feeling down in the dumps sometimes.

Who wants to be right as rain, it’s better when something is wrong/You get excitement in your bones and everything you do’s a game/When night comes and you’re on your own, you can say, "I chose to be alone"/Who wants to be right as rain, it’s harder when you’re on top/‘Cause when hard work don’t pay off and I’m tired/There ain’t no room in my bed as far as I’m concerned/So wipe that dirty smile off/We won’t be making up, I’ve cried my heart out/And now I’ve had enough of love, oh no

Know Who You Are by Auli'i Cravalho, Wai Mahina, Olivia Foa'i, Opetaia Foa'i, & Matthew Ineleo (written by L. Miranda, M. Mancina, O. Foa'i)

Moana is a great example of a Four who leans into her Five Wing. Voiced by the talented Auli'i Cravalho, she strongly desires her own personal identity as an explorer instead of the traditional path of a landlocked Village Chief and has to learn to look inside herself to discover who she truly is instead of relying on outward approval.

I have crossed the horizon to find you/I know your name/They have stolen the heart from inside you/But this does not define you/This is not who you are/You know who you are

idontwannabeyouanymore by Billie Eilish (written by B. O'Connell, F. O'Connell)

Featured on Eilish's 2017 EP dont smile at me, these lyrics allude to the sometimes "blue" nature of a Four. Introspective and sensitive, the questions the narrator asks herself show a person searching within herself to discover her significance.

Don’t be that way, fall apart twice a day/I just wish you could feel what you say/Show, never tell, but I know you so well/Got a mood that you wish you could sell/If teardrops could be bottled, there’d be swimming pools filled by models/Told a tight dress is what makes you a whore/If I love you was a promise, would you break it if you’re honest/Tell the mirror what you know she’s heard before/I don’t wanna be you anymore

The Tale of Steven by Christine Ebersole, Lisa Hannigan, & Patti LuPone (written by J. Ball, R. Sugar, A. Tran, S. Velema)

While Blue Diamond starts out as one of the antagonists of Steven Universe, her character development shows her to be an interesting character capable of growth and change. Throughout much of the series, she tends to show off more unhealthy Four traits like despair, hopelessness, self-pity, and an urge to find her significance through the approval of her sisters White Diamond and Yellow Diamond. While she doesn't have any solos during the show or the movie, she can be found in the opening number of Steven Universe: The Movie voiced by Lisa Hannigan.

Steven, everyone believes in/Everyone believes in Steven/All across the universe/Ever compassionate, can you imagine it/Even with use at our worst/Hybrid son of a diamond/Human son of a rose/What a revelation, he’s a revolution/A gem that loves and grows

Nothing Else by Cody Carnes (written by C. Carnes, H. Bentley, J. Parker-Early)

Again referencing Instagram creator @mirabellecreations' Enneagram Fruits of the Spirit crossover, kindness is a great choice for Fours. Even though they can be known to be self-absorbed and dramatic, they are also sensitive, introspective, and love to share their creations with others. They get that it can be hard to be kind to yourself, so they try to share kindness with others. Released as a single in 2019, this beautiful Cody Carnes song is a reminder that even when we make life all about ourselves, God in His kindness is there to catch us when we fall.

I’m sorry when I’ve just gone through the motions/I’m sorry when I just sang another song/Take me back to where we started, I open up my heart to You/I’m sorry when I’ve come with my agenda/I’m sorry when I forget that You’re enough/Take me back to where we started, I open up my heart to you/I’m caught up in Your presence, I just wanna sit here at Your feet/I’m caught up in this holy moment, I never wanna leave/Oh, I’m not here for blessings/Jesus, You don’t owe me anything/And more than anything that You can do, I just want you

Romans 2:4 NLT Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Happy When I'm Sad by Jonas Brothers (written by J. Little, N. Jonas, S. Aarons)

Featured on their 2019 album Happiness Begins, this Jonas Brothers song is a great pick for a Four. It gives off vibes similar to Right as Rain from earlier - dealing with feelings of melancholy and yet trying to put on a bright, smiley face to the rest of the world and wondering if they're capable of pretending to be something they just aren't.

Hey, look how we made it, say congratulations/Looking like I'll never be lonely again/See me in the mirror, nothing ever changes/Never see the sunset, only in my head/They think I’m happy, they think I’m happy when I’m sad/They think I’m happy, they think I’m happy when I’m/They think I’m happy, they think I’m happy when I’m sad/They think I’m happy, they think I’m happy when I'm

Dandelion by Kacey Musgraves (written by B. Clark, K. Musgraves, S. McAnally)

Featured on her 2013 album Same Trailer Different Park, Musgraves leans into the introspection and a quiet version of the drama that Fours are known for. The lyrics show a narrator who's disappointed that she let her imagination get away from her to create solutions to an ending relationship.

Picked you out and picked you up/Hoping that my luck would change/I let the summer fill my lungs/And superstition fill my brain/Dandelion/A million little wishes float across the sky/But it’s a waste of breath and it’s a waste of time, I know/‘Cause just like him, you always leave me crying, dandelion

The Path by Lorde (written by E. Yelich O'Connor)

Featured on her brand new 2021 album Solar Power, this album opener from Lorde shows off some key Four characteristics. The lyrics here discuss introspection, transformation, identity, and personal significance all sung over an awesome sound that's new for Lorde but works really, really well with her style.

Born in the year of OxyContin, raised in the tall grass/Teen millionaire having nightmares from the camera flash/Now I’m alone on a windswept island, caught in the complex divorce of the seasons/Won’t take the call if it’s the label or the radio/Arm in a cast at the museum gala/Fork in my purses to take home to my mother/Supermodels all dancing ‘round a pharaoh’s tomb/Now if you’re looking for a savior, well, it’s not me/You need someone to take your pain for you, well, that’s not me/‘Cause we are all broken and sad, where are the dreams that we had/Can’t find the dreams that we had/Let’s hope that sun will show us the path, path, path/Let’s hope the sun will show us the path, path, path/I just hope the sun will show us the path

Healing Incantation by Mandy Moore (written by A. Menken, G. Slater)

Rapunzel is an ideal Four who leans into her Three wing. Voiced by Mandy Moore, she's intensely creative, desires her own identity and not the one her "mother" provides for her, and longs to be authentically different from the life she's been forced into.

Flower, gleam and glow/Let your power shine/Make the clock reverse/Bring back what once was mine/Heal what has been hurt/Change the fates’ design/Save what has been lost/Bring back what once was mine/What once was mine

On the Run by Michaela Dietz & Zach Callison (written by D. Gilmour, R. Waters)

Amethyst, one of the main characters of Steven Universe, was one of the first fictional characters I ever "typed" and I knew immediately she had to be a Four. The absolute "Free Spirit" of the Crystal Gems, she's very expressive, dramatic, and temperamental, has been accused more than once of being self-absorbed, and spends her entire arc of the show learning to love herself for how she is after longing for so many years to be different and "better." On the Run is featured in S1E40 of the same name, and Amethyst's section of the chorus really drives her Fourness home.

I don’t care about what all the others say/Well, I guess there are some things that will just never go away/I wish that I could say that there’s no better place than home/But home’s a place that I have never known/That’s why we’re on the run

brutal by Olivia Rodrigo (written by D. Nigro, O. Rodrigo)

Featured on Rodrigo's 2021 album SOUR, this song is all sorts of drama and temper. Sensitive and expressive, the narrator sings about wanting to go off and do her own thing but feels trapped by other peoples' expectations.

I’m so insecure, I think that I’ll die before I drink/And I’m so caught up in the news of who likes me and who hates you/And I’m so tired that I might quit my job, start a new life/And they’d all be so disappointed, ‘cause who am I if not exploited/And I’m so sick of seventeen, where’s my fucking teenage dream/If someone tells me one more time, "Enjoy your youth," I’m gonna cry/And I don’t stick up for myself, I’m anxious and nothing can help/And I wish I’d done this before, and I wish people liked me more/All I did was try my best, this the kinda thanks I get/Unrelentlessly upset/They say these are the golden years, but I wish I could disappear/Ego crush is so severe, God, it’s brutal out here

Four by Sleeping At Last (written by R. O'Neal)

Featured on his 2019 album Atlas: Enneagram, this is Ryan O'Neal's personal vision of what goes on in the mind of an Individualist. There's a lot of color, a lot of beauty, a lot of creation, and a lot of light coming out of darkness.

I’m turning out the lights/To remember how to see/Until a renaissance takes place/And resuscitates the color of paint and divinity/As if God hid the building blocks/Of every beautiful thing/In this game of hide and seek/I can’t help but think that ordinary has swallowed the key/Bodies fashioned out of dirt and dust/For a moment, we get to be glorious/Ice sculptures adorned in light/Sand castles built tall in between the tides

Sad Beautiful Tragic by Taylor Swift (written by T. Swift)

Featured on her 2012 album Red, I don't think this little gem from the Taylor Swift Library gets the attention it deserves. Her lyrics here show off Four traits like sensitivity, introspection, an appreciation for beauty, and self-awareness.

Long handwritten note deep in your pocket/Words, how little they mean when you’re a little too late/I stood right by the tracks, your face in a locket/Good girls, hopeful they’ll be and long they will wait/We had a beautiful magic love there/What a sad beautiful tragic love affair

Whether you're a Four or not, I hope you found some great music to listen to this week. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!