Behind the Music of the Amex
If students are looking for a social space to eat, drink and kick their feet up, the AUP campus offers its one and only Amex Café. With student-friendly prices, an outdoor patio and a pool table, the cafe is the hub where AUP students truly feel part of a university community. The music playing in the cafe must match the warm, social environment it creates. A brief chat with barista Diva Haider offered insight into how the Amex curates its wide range of songs and playlists tailored to its customers, helping to create the easy-going, cozy atmosphere that makes you feel like you never want to leave once you step inside.
Diva started at Amex a month into her freshman year at AUP and has enjoyed her work ever since. “Some days are exhausting and overwhelming, but it's also just a nice job to have. You get to see all your friends and professors,” she says.
She curated her first playlist for Amex early on and has since been adding more songs to its mix. “My playlist is my happy songs,” Diva shares. While many baristas have their own playlists featuring different genres, Diva’s taste leans toward classic rock, with artists such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Beatles. To play their music, Amex uses Deezer, a French platform similar to Spotify.
While the music at Amex usually sets the tone, it doesn't always match the energy of the people enjoying their coffee and croissants. Diva noted that some songs can be quite explicit or too loud at times. “My friend was crying and talking to me, and the background music was just The Weeknd singing ‘F**k you’ straight—it’s so uncanny and hilarious,” she says.
Because of its convenience, professors occasionally hold meetings in the seating area and ask the baristas to turn down Jeff Buckley playing over the sound system—perhaps not the ideal spot for professional gatherings. For Diva, it’s easy to tune out the music after hearing it for so long, as it blends into the ambiance of Amex while she helps customers. If students are lucky, baristas might take requests when the cafe is slow or nearing closing time, and if the baristas behind the bar are feeling generous.
“Besides orientation week and classes, Amex is the first place everyone goes to find friends,” Diva says. She shared that if the cafe had its own theme song, it would be the intro to the hit TV show Friends. When walking into the space, it’s not difficult to associate the show’s Central Perk, as you sit on the velvet couch toward the back, sipping a cozy cup of coffee and talking about classes with friends, all to a soundtrack of songs that appeal to the diverse community of AUP.
Amex Café has succeeded in creating a space that brings together students at AUP, and much of the credit for its laid-back and welcoming nature goes to the baristas and their music. It’s unfortunate that students can’t access the playlists outside of the Amex, but overall, it only adds incentive to stop by the cafe, grab a croissant and relax for a bit before heading to your next class.
P.S. If you happen to stay until closing and Diva is behind the counter, don’t be surprised if “How Soon Is Now” by The Smiths starts playing over the speakers. It’s a favorite of hers when wrapping up for the day—a perfect song to close up shop until tomorrow.
