The 'Shrill' Soundtrack Is The Perfect Playlist When You're Feeling Yourself
If you haven't already binged the first season of Hulu's orginal comedy Shrill, you should know that you have a sunny soundtrack to look forward to while watching Aidy Bryant's aspiring journalist discover a new kind of confidence. After its March 15 debut, Shrill has captured audiences with its manifesto of self love, and its upbeat mix of indie, pop, and soft rock tunes is fiercely loyal to the show's feminist spirit. The Shrill soundtrack is go-to accompaniment for those days when you can't help but feel yourself, so let's dive into what you can expect.
Based on Lindy West's memoir and starring Bryant as the initially unassertive Annie, Shrill details the progression of Annie's self-esteem alongside a sassy lineup of mostly female artists promoting empowerment in their lyrics. As you watch the series, you may notice that the background songs fit rather perfectly with Annie's situations. Refinery29 has broken down what each song adds to its corresponding scene, but if you're only looking for the jams for now, there's a Spotify playlist for the Shrill soundtrack. As of March 18, there's no sign of an official soundtrack on any other music platforms.
The musical finesse of Shrill was first teased when TheUnder and Robyn The Bank's "You Don't Wanna Play With Us" featured on the show's full trailer. That song kicks off a set that also includes Ariana Grande's "One Last Time," Carole King's "Beautiful," and Beach House's "Woo," just to name a few. Many of the songs introduce a theme of learning to love yourself despite whatever circumstances life has tossed you. As Shrill is set in the Pacific Northwest, the soundtrack also carries a psychedelic, artsy vibe that will break the streak of familiarity that Grande's music or Lil Wayne's "How To Love" provides.
Basically, if you feel a tad ashamed by your mainstream music taste, playing the Shrill lineup on a loop will hopefully score you some cool points and help you focus on the brighter side of things regardless of your mood.
According to executive producer West, we have Bryant's musical taste to partially thank for the eclectic soundtrack. In an interview with Pitchfork, West revealed that the Saturday Night Live star "had a hand" in the music selection and clearly envisioned what its overall tone should be. Well, Bryant is the one listening to SNL musical guests every week.
Just as the show's soundtrack is multifaceted, West aimed to deliver a three-dimensional take on body positivity and loving oneself within Shrill's storyline. She told Teen Vogue:
We're moving the show in a slightly different environment. It almost gives you the chance to go into a little bit more nuance, because you're not starting from zero, where you have to be like, ‘Okay fat people exist, and are alive, and some of them have families, and jobs, and boyfriends, and normal lives.’ People know that, so we have the chance to get into, ‘Okay, how does she navigate her life? How does she come out of her shell?’
It's still too soon to say whether Shrill will return for future episodes, but if that means more tunes like these, consider me on board for a second season.
Season 1 of Shrill is currently streaming on Hulu.
