The Playlist Behind the Pages: How Music Shapes My Scenes

There's a phrase that I've always found to ring true: Music is the universal language. Listeners may not be able to understand the words, but everyone understands a melody. My upcoming releases will be accompanied by their own individual playlists for those readers who enjoy background music while they allow their minds to wander off to a fantasy world.

But readers aren't the only ones who enjoy music. In fact, I usually write and edit with some kind of playlist filling the empty space around me. While writing, lofi music is my go-to. (You'll find some of my favorite lofi YouTube pages at the bottom of this post.) There's work involved with putting together playlists, though. As the author, I want to make sure the songs I choose come as close as possible to portraying the events and vibe of the scene I pair them with. Occasionally, I already have a song in mind as I'm writing the scene. When this is the case, I jot the song down in the top margin on the page that begins the chapter so I don't forget it later. In the meantime, while I'm writing, I'm usually either listening to a playlist curated by Jaz Mone (the link to her Apple Music profile is at the bottom of this post, and trust me, her playlists are amazing! She has a playlist for every mood, every match-up, every situation.) or the "R&B Now," "Brown Sugar," or "New Releases" playlists on Apple Music. This gives me some ideas for additions to my playlist as I'm writing, especially when I'm looking for something recent. If all else fails, I'm a '90s R&B junkie to my heart. I'll put on a '90s playlist so fast, it'll make your head spin. And if that isn't the mood I'm in, I've yet to find a moment you'd ever go wrong with some old school. Give me some Marvin, Johnnie, Sam, and Bobby, and I'm good for the rest of the session. The problem with the '90s and old school R&B playlists is that you want to be careful not to compile a playlist for your book set in the 2020s that only consists of old school (unless your book is based around that type of music or vibe, in which case, carry on). You can, however, use a few as bonus songs for chapters where they apply.

Another thing I've learned is that a song--whether mentioned in the text or playing in the background as the reader indulges in the book--can change the entire emotional temperature of a chapter. Loneliness and being lost in your own inner turmoil just seems to hit harder when you pair it with a song like "Drive" by SZA. An argument escalating into a fight seems to be much more violent when you're listening to "Tear Da Club Up '97" by Three 6 Mafia while reading about it. The accompanying music really sets the scene and increases the reader's emotional connection and response to the text. Pair that with an already-fye book, and you've got a bunch of 5-star reviews headed your way. Imagine pairing "He Gon' Be A Problem" by Reyna Roberts with a scene in which a female character lays eyes on her future beau for the first time in a bar and becomes completely captivated. What about the power of "I Love Me Some Him" by Toni Braxton paired with the inner thoughts of a character head over heels in love with her fiancé? These aren't the most recent, but consider pairing Melonie Fiona's "Gone and Never Coming Back" with a character answering the door to find out her boyfriend has been killed or Marsha Ambrosius' "Far Away" with a character busting into his brother's house to find that he's killed himself. You see how those songs enhance the feelings already portrayed by the scenes themselves? That's what we're going for here. 

The use of playlists has picked up in popularity over the last couple years, and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon. Readers love to feel like they "know" their favorite authors, and giving them a playlist of music you were listening to while writing their next favorite book is just one way to help readers feel included and closer to you as an author. I personally love the idea, and I thoroughly enjoy the playlists that were included with some of my more recent reads. Happy reading, writing, and listening!

Lofi Links:
www.youtube.com/@LofiGirl
www.youtube.com/@afrolofi
www.youtube.com/@LofiOfColor
www.youtube.com/@FasolProd

Jaz Mone on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/profile/jazmoneplaylist