When They Were Broken Up, They Communicated Through Playlists
Nytimes reports that Daniel Schwaycer quietly made playlists about Elise Shanholtz while they were broken up, and it took two years for her to realize they were about her. Ms. Shanholtz looked him up on Spotify in November 2025 after two years without contact, and a shared playlist discovery led to renewed conversation.
The couple first met in San Francisco in November 2020 after matching on Hinge; their profiles included photos with their cats and she was drawn to his reference to a niche internet meme. They met at Dog Eared Books, coincidentally wore matching sherpa-lined corduroy jackets, later went for tacos, and held hands as he walked her home.
They spent their first year together during the pandemic, then split in late-October 2021 after he moved to New York City. In summer 2022, when Ms.