Today, Spotify launched the official soundtrack playlist for the Ireland-set drama Normal People, which has become a sensation since premiering on BBC Three and Hulu in late April of this year.
Based on author Sally Rooney‘s 2018 novel of the same name, Normal People follows the turbulent modern-day romance of Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron. The former is a studious free spirit who doesn’t quite fit in anywhere; the latter is a brooding aspiring writer who confronts his own misfit status as the series progresses.
As the duo’s relationship shapeshifts between romance and friendship, Normal People uses music in a uniquely sparing fashion, mostly to amplify the day-to-day ups and downs of the main characters’ emotions. For example, the Villagers‘ baroque-folk song “Everything I Am Is Yours“—which starts with introspective acoustic guitar strums—begins playing as Connell emerges from a deep bout of emotional distress. Earlier in the series, Yazoo‘s 1982 synth-pop ballad “Only You” strikes a melancholy chord as Connell realizes his selfish behaviors have cost him dearly.
“That was super purposeful,” says Maggie Phillips to For The Record about the series’ careful musical choices. Phillips is one of Normal People‘s two music supervisors, along with Juliet Martin. “We wanted to be very restrained with the music and only use the songs when we’ve kind of earned them, and use them at points for reflection—points to sit back and sort of reflect and process what’s going on.”
“Music can be way more impactful if you’re economical with the way you use it,” she adds.
The songs in Normal People also reflect that Marianne and Connell are growing up in Ireland—first in the town of Sligo and later as college students at Dublin’s Trinity College. The series highlights many Irish artists, including highly touted indie-folk acts Lisa Hannigan (“Undertow”) and Anna Mieke (“Warped Window“); the pop-leaning rock act SOAK (“Maybe“); the groove-driven soul artist Uly (“redlight“); hip-hop duo Tebi Rex (“I Never Got Off The Bus“); and rapper JyellowL (“Oh Lawd“).
“The music encapsulates the feeling of millennial Ireland that the show sets out to portray,” says JyellowL to For the Record. “With every show and film, it’s very impactful when the sound of the score captures the mood of the visual performance.” Adds Uly: “Countless times throughout the show, we see perfect examples of miscommunication and how a lack of understanding of self and not acknowledging your own negative mental health can not only hurt you, but those around you. That very much ties in with what I’m trying to discuss with myself in [the song].”
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