once upon a time,

on my old blog, i used to do posts matching songs on an album to books! i loved writing these posts and comparing the experiences of listening to music and reading great books. unfortunately, i haven’t done one of these posts in awhile! i hadn’t found any new albums i LOVE loved to listen to. 

but then i found king princess!! 

you might know king princess from her song 1950, which is a ~total summer bop~ BUT her entire new EP is incredible!! and she is SUCH a gay icon. those of you who love Lorde and Hayley Kiyoko would probably love her! as always, when you read this post, i would obviously recommend listening to the album to get a feel for her style as well as my book choices. enjoy!! :)))

(oh, and i have synesthesia, so a lot of my choices in matching book & song go off of the fact that the “colors” of each book or song match each other! sry if that was confusing)

1. Make My Bed – New Year by Malinda Lo (All Out Anthology)

to start off the album is a short & slow(er), almost lullaby-esque song. to me, this didn’t reflect an entire novel because the song was so short. BUT!! i did think it might be perfect for a short story!

back during spring break, i started reading All Out, which is an anthology of queer stories, and New Year by Malinda Lo was one of my favorites because it’s about a sapphic asian girl (uh ME). it has an almost melancholic mood to it, which perfectly matches the song. there’s also a sense of loneliness in the song, which i saw reflected in Lily’s exploration of queer & chinese culture.

 

2. Talia – Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

i think this might be my favorite song on the album?? i can’t get it out of my head! and it’s the same way with Radio Silence! i can’t get this book out of my head (duh, i talk about it literally every single post on twirling pages)!

specifically, this song reminds me of Frances and Carys’s subplot in the book and Frances’s subconscious longing to find Carys again. the lyrics of Talia talk a bunch about memory and how vivid it can be;

“i can see you dancing, i can lay down next to you
at the foot of my bed
if i drink enough
i can taste your lipstick, i can lay down next to you
But it’s all in my head”

and it reminds me SO MUCH of Frances’s thought processes in Radio Silence!! and also it kinda reminds me of Aled’s search for Carys too?? IT’S APPLICABLE TO A LOT OF THINGS ,,

the tune of the chorus reminds me of Frances and Aled’s friendship and the small, candid details of their relationship that Alice shares in the book.

 

3. Upper West Side – Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton

this song is pretty petty, not gonna lie, just like Tiny Pretty Things. Tiny Pretty Things is dramatic for the sake of drama, which i honestly loved. Upper West Side takes place in New York City too, just like the book!

“you’re so cute bet you really wanna be a star
to feel like gold when you’re dancing on broken hearts
and you know it’s true
you’re no good ’til they’re looking at you
bad front, i can see right through, yeah”

every single character in the book puts up some kind of front or mask to deceive others which is reflected in the song. overall the song really captures the love/hate relationship that tangles together all the characters!

 

4. Holy – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

this song is badass and deserves no less than a boss-ass book. that’s it. that’s all i have to say.

there’s just something so ~lux~ and powerful about this song, and i was immediately reminded of bisexual icon & queen Evelyn Hugo. 

“cause i could lose it all
can’t watch it fade to black
can’t let it end like that
’cause i got power over
won’t let it all fall down
i got my guards all around”

 

5. 1950 – Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

this song is a sapphic anthem. 

while the sapphic representation in Leah on the Offbeat is far from perfect, i still am reminded of this book when i hear this song. the ship in the book is pretty unexpected (SRY NO SPOILERS I PROMISE) and my own surprise at the end of the book is truly captured by this song lmao.

“i hate it when dudes try to chase me
but i love it when you try to save me
’cause I’m just a lady
i love it when we play 1950
it’s so cold that your stare’s ’bout to kill me
i’m surprised when you kiss me”

and 1950 really captures the Leah’s unsurity (& fear also) at trying to start a relationship with this person, and her own surprise when the feeling is mutual. I LOVE THE MEANING BEHIND THIS SONG OML.

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have you listened to king princess’s new EP? thought? what other new albums should i listen to??

xo,

madeline