Rich Storytelling Roots Of Country Music And All Things Mariah with Nicolas DiDomizio (Ep 4)

💐 Episode Summary In this episode of “Play This At My Funeral,” host Dinah sits down with her dear friend and writing comrade, author Nicolas DiDomizio. Get ready for some surprising sidetracks (squeals in excitement!), a defense of all things Mariah Carey, and a deep discussion on the rich storytelling roots of country music. And maybe one or two diatribes on the meaning of life and how death can upend our daily living. Nic’s tight playlist of a mere 31 songs holds meaning and wishes for a long life well lived, and a life full of love and laughter. You’ll discover songs from artists you might’ve heard of (but our host hadn’t) like Lauren Alaina and Janine. Get ready to get super existential in this episode. 💿 Songs Mentioned ​“Sober” by Little Big Town ​“Getting Good” by Lauren Alaina ​“Where Rainbows Never Die” by The Steeldrivers ​“Nonstop” from The Hamilton Soundtrack ​“Close My Eyes” by Mariah Carey ​“The Roof” by Mariah Carey ​“Wildflowers” by Tom Petty ​“I Don’t Want To Wait” by Paula Cole ​“Friends” by Janine ​“Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica ​“Let It Flow” by Toni Braxton (from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack): You can listen to Nic’s playlist on Spotify. 🎙 About the Guest Nicolas DiDomizio is the author of the forthcoming novel A Murder Most Camp (out May 2026), Nearlywed, The Gay Best Friend, and Burn It All Down, which was praised as “unforgettable” by James Patterson. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Connecticut State University and a master’s degree from NYU. He lives in upstate New York with his partner, Graig, and their smooshy bulldog, Rocco. 🌹 About Play This At My Funeral Play This At My Funeral is a deeply fun, slightly macabre, always heartwarming show about the songs that shape our lives — and the ones we’d play at our funerals. Each episode invites a guest to curate the playlist for their own (hypothetical) send-off and share the stories that made those songs matter. In each episode, host Dinah invites a guest on to talk through the soundtrack of their life: the songs that have held them in moments of anguish, haunted them on the regular, and maybe just maybe even saved them. It’s a cozy, 45-minute-ish journey through meaningful lyrics, vivid memories, and the emotional mixtapes that mark our most human moments. Think Desert Island Discs meets Films To Be Buried With — but with more vibes and fewer survival scenarios. The show is created and hosted by Dinah Susan Alobeid and is edited and co-produced by Alice Marcondes. 💜 Stay Connected ​Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts ​Please leave a 5-star review and share with someone who’s quietly building their own “funeral playlist” (or should be!) ​You can follow the show on Instagram and TikTok at @PlayThisAtMyFuneralPodcast and Dinah on IG @DinahSusanAlobeidWrites ​You can watch the podcast video episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WriteDanceRepeat/playlists ​Stay in touch with Dinah by joining her Substack community at Write, Dance, Repeat 🎙 About the Host Dinah Susan Alobeid is a writer, dancer, and VP of Communications & Content by day (not always in that order). She’s the creator and host of the newly launched “Play This At My Funeral” podcast. Her fiction has appeared in Porter House Review, Five on the Fifth, and Reverie Literary Magazine and her nonfiction and poetry can be found in Spectrum Magazine, MediaPost, and more. She lives in New Jersey (even though she’s a born and bred New Yorker) with her partner and their rambunctious toddler. I hearby declare that I do not own the rights to any music or lyrics played during the recording of this podcast. All rights to the music and audio belong to their respective owner(s).