Origins
Borrowed from the era of cassette tapes and vinyl records, where the B-side held the lesser-known tracks. Not the single or the crowd-pleaser, but the songs that revealed themselves only after turning the tape over. The term is adapted here to describe a relational shift rather than a musical one.
Meaning
Side-B names the phase where conversations with old using friends begin to feel thin, repetitive, or strangely out of sync, while exchanges with people in recovery or new circles start to carry weight and texture. We notice ourselves listening longer, explaining less, and laughing at things that would once have passed unnoticed. The change is not dramatic or declared. It shows up in what holds our attention and what quietly drains it. One day we realize the room has not changed, but the music has, and we no longer recognize the song we used to sing along to.
Usage
I didn’t cut anyone off, but after a while it was clear I was living on Side-B, and the old conversations just didn’t play the same way anymore.