Entertainment
Normal People is a love story that isn't afraid of silence. That's reflected in Hulu's new TV adaptation of the beloved 2018 novel, which keeps its dialogue almost as sparse as in the book. It's also reflected in the Normal People soundtrack.
"[Normal People is] a different kind of love story than most of the teen dramas out there," music supervisor Maggie Phillips (Moonlight, The Handmaid's Tale), who worked on the series alongside Juliet Martin (Can't Cope, Won't Cope), told i-D. "It's not cool or flashy. It's quiet and earnest and restrained." Martin agreed, saying that they didn't want the music to "deflect what was happening between these two actors and this beautiful sense of place."
The resulting soundtrack is quiet and unobtrusive, allowing for Edgar-Jones and Mescal's performances to shine through. "I was left speechless by how they handled it," Phillips told i-D. The soundtrack also perfectly Irish: Phillips and Martin chose to feature lots of singer-songwriters, many of whom are Irish or from the UK.
Though author Sally Rooney helped to write six episodes of the show, she wasn't involved in the music supervision process. "I hope we made her proud!" Phillips said. See the full track listing and decide for yourself below.
Episode 1
- "Hate Dah" by Super Silly
- "Dear SJ" by Alex Gough
- "Never Ending Circles" by CHVRCHES
- "Warped Window" by Anna Mieke
Episode 2
- "Did It to Myself" by Orla Gartland
- "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap
- "Crazy World" by Aslan
- "Horn" by Nick Drake
- "Angeles" by Elliott Smith
Episode 3
- "Maybe" by SOAK
- "Kiss You" by GLN
- "Hey Now - Arty Remix" by London Grammar, ARTY
- "Gimme Life" by TNAN, Viktoria Liv
- "Dream 1 (before the wind blows it all away) - Pt. 1" by Max Richter
- "I Never Got Off the Bus" by Tebi Rex, Local Boy
- "Disco Inferno" by SUPERfreak
- "Havin' a Party" by Flipside
- "Only You" by Yazoo
Episode 4
- "The Road to Kinawley" by James Cramer
- "Atomos XI" by A Winged Victory for the Sullen
- "Come on Dance" by John McNicholl
- "Alone" by 7th Obi
- "Locked In" by The Lock-In
- "Talk About Nothing (Not Your Dope Remix)" by Cadre Cola, Not Your Dope
- "Deep Blue" by Mango X MathMan, Lisa Hannigan
- "You and I" by Caribou
- "Dogwood Blossom" by Fionn Regan
- "Drop" by Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions
- "Tell Me So" by Herb Johnson
- "Highs and Lows" by August Roads
- "Undertow" by Lisa Hannigan
Episode 5
- "La Lune" by Billie Marten
- "Dance 4 Sorrow" by Francis Lung
- "Tumble Party" by Wild Front
- "Go Wild" by Friedberg
- "Men Are Trash" by Tebi Rex
- "Nikes" by Frank Ocean
- "Skate" by Tycho, Saint Sinner
- "Hazeldene" by Royal Yellow
- "Make You Feel My Love" by Ane Brun
Episode 6
- "Too Much" by Carly Rae Jepsen
- "I'm Happy Without You" by Ann Byers
- "redlight" by Uly
- "Smoke" by Gia Margaret
- "It's Alright (feat. Strange Boy)" by delush
- "I Know" by August Roads
- "We Played Some Open Chords and Rejoiced" by A Winged Victory for the Sullen
Episode 7
- "It's Okay with Me" by Broadway Express
- "Metroma" by The Sei
Episode 8
- "Dandelion" by Jealous of the Birds
- "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Nerina Pallot
Episode 9
- "Rare" by Selena Gomez
- "Old Bear" by Cloth
- "Klangfall" by Joep Beving
- "99 Luftballons" by Nena
- "Groovy Train" by The Farm
- "Berlin" by RY X
- "Scene Suspended" by Jon Hopkins
Episode 10
- "Love Really Hurts Without You" by Billy Ocean
- "Cannibal Tree" by Yenkee
- "Good Times" by Ellie Mae Rose
- "Everything I Am Is Yours" by Villagers
Episode 11
- "Breathe" by CamelPhat, Cristoph, Jem Cooke
- "Strange Weather" by Anna Calvi, David Byrne
Episode 12
- "The Subterranean Heart" by Mount Alaska
- "No Such Thing" by Yumi and The Weather
- "You're All I Want for Christmas" by Al Martino
- "Can't Move On" by Wild Youth
- "Sometimes" by Goldmund
Listen to the whole Normal People Season 1 playlist on Spotify.