A device includes a processor that is configured to identify a base topic of a personalized media stream and to identify a first media item based on first data. The first data is assigned a first weighting based on an identified level of familiarity associated with the first media item and an identified level of popularity of the first media item in another personalized media stream. The processor is configured to build a collection of candidate media items that includes the first media item and a second media item and to order the collection of candidate media items to form the personalized media stream. Ordering the collection includes ordering the first media item within the collection based on the first weighting. The processor is configured to initiate transmission of the first media item to a client device for playback based on ordering of the first media item within the collection.