During July of 2023, I kept seeing videos about the book Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter. It looked interesting, but I was reading something else until the end of August. At the time I finished the other book, I acquired the novel (and then I read it). Let me tell you it is one of the best books I’ve read. It’s my favorite trope dorky-hopeless-romantic-girl-and-popular-next-door-neighbor-boy-fake-date. I also adore the quotes from the countless different rom-coms at the beginning of each chapter. And of course, the official playlist at the back of the book. So here we have the very unofficial playlist.
In Between by Gracie Abrams
Let’s start this off with the reason I read this book. Gracie Abrams has been one of my favorite artists for quite a few years now. If you don’t listen to Abrams you wouldn’t know that In Between is actually an unreleased track. As I previously said, I heard about this book in July; Specifically in a TikTok where someone was saying that the characters, Wes and Lis, reminded them of the Gracie Abrams song. So that very much convinced me that I needed to read the book.
People Watching by Conan Gray
Even if you don’t listen to Conan Gray there’s a good chance you’ve heard this song. This was one of my favorite songs when I was a freshman so I knew I had to include it in this list. Liz is a big hopeless romantic who spends so much time waiting for love rather than making it happen. She spends all of her time people watching, waiting for it to be her turn to have a chance at love.
Movies by Conan Gray
Just like the other Conan Gray song this is a Liz-coded track. The song radiates the character Liz. As I’ve said before, she is a big hopeless romantic. She spends all her time watching classic rom-coms.It’s only fitting that she would listen to a song where the most iconic line is “I want a love like the movies.”
This Town by Niall Horan
When you first listen to this track you might also think it’s a Liz-coded song, but that’s where you’re wrong. This song is so Wes. Liz is the hopeless romantic so he wouldn’t want her to know he was listening to a song with the line “if the whole world was watching i’d still dance with you,” because Liz would never let him live it down.
She Is Beauty We Are World Class by Louis Tomlinson
While I was figuring out what songs I wanted to add, I nearly screamed because this song is so Wes. He would absolutely have a playlist of songs that reminded him of her and that song would be on there. For the sole reason of the line where Tomlinson says “she is beauty we are world class.”
I Wanna Be Yours by Arctic Monkeys
A bit like “People Watching” this was a song I was obsessed with during freshman year. I absolutely see this song being very Wes-coded and Arctic Monkeys being his most streamed artist on Spotify. A little like how Liz would be screaming “You Are In Love,” Wes would be screaming “I Wanna Be Yours.”
Pretty Face by Public
This is another song I think is very Wes-coded. There’s a couple of lines that I think he would scream about Liz. The first line is “And she’s wasting all her feelings on a boy she’s never met,” referring to how she feels about Michael. The other line has got to be “Do you know her? The girl that looks to you. And would you love her, the way that she loved you?” Again this line is very Wes vs. Michael. Wes trying to explain that he listens and knows Liz even though she’s head over heels for Michael.
Kiss Her You Fool by Kids That Fly
This was easily my favorite song all of sophomore year. This is another one I imagine Wes vs. Michael. Specifically the line “you’ve only got one chance, kiss her you fool.” Basically Wes saying “buck up and kiss her already,” this could also be interpreted as Wes trying to work up the nerves to kiss her.
Mine (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift
Liz always compares Helena to Lorelei from Gilmore Girls. Lorelei is known for being carefree and open with Rory, or in this case Liz. If you haven’t heard the song then you wouldn’t know that I’m referring to the line “he fell in love with a careless man’s careful daughter.”
Everything Has Changed (Taylor’s Version) (Featuring Ed Sheeran) by Taylor Swift
Song two is my favorite song from her album Red. The two are next-door-neighbors that grew up together, despite that at the start of the book the two don’t know that much about each other. They really have to swallow the pill that everything has changed since they were kids. Also, the music video for this song is so iconic and I totally see the two of them as the kids in it.
You Are In Love (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift
“You Are In Love” is a song from Taylor’s 1989 album. I’ve always pictured it as a song that would be featured in a rom-com, and I think this is the closest we’re going to get. I view this song as Liz having a crisis in her room and finally coming to the conclusion that she is catching feelings for Wes. She is totally in love.
Gold Rush by Taylor Swift
The next song, “Gold Rush,” holds a very special place in my heart. Wes is a “gold rush.” A gold rush is when a group of people discover something valuable, such as gold. So being a gold rush is when you’re heavily valued by a group of people and praised for very little things and Wes is a gold rush. I can imagine Liz trying to explain why he is a gold rush and Wes just looking lost.
New Years Day by Taylor Swift
The next few songs were mentioned in the official soundtrack. “New Years Day ” is easily my favorite song from the Reputation album.Wes and Liz’s dynamic is “he throws a party and she stays after to help clean up.” Which references the line “I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day.”
Honorable Mentions
Lastly I have a couple of songs from the actual soundtrack that I love and feel so much like the characters.
We Are Young by fun., Janelle Monáe
Up All Night by Mac Miller
Forrest Gump by Frank Ocean
