*Warning: This post contains spoilers.*
When Netflix dropped the To All The Boys 2: P.S. I Still Love You soundtrack, the songs played on a loop in my head for days. The music expertly evinces Lara Jean's psyche as she manages high school post-letters, navigates her first (fake, then real) relationship, and is reminded of the power of sisterhood. To sum up: It is very *chef's kiss*—no matter if you are Team Peter Kavinsky or Team John Ambrose.
The magic of the first and second film's soundtrack can be credited to music supervisors Lindsay Wolfington and Laura Webb. The pair's combined resumé boasts titles including One Tree Hill and Teen Wolf and The Hills (i.e. they get teen angst). We chatted with Wolfington and Webb—who are already hard at work on the third film's music—about how the sequel's timeless soundtrack came together.
"I grew up on John Hughes movies, so if I can make something that lasted like that...that's the goal," Webb says.
Adds Wolfington: "I think something that happened unintentionally on the first film was that there was kind of this '80s vibe throughout the feel of the music."
Webb (left) and Wolfington at the premiere of To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.
The music producers wanted the second film's soundtrack to echo those '80s elements; a feeling that is most evident in the film's opening track, "And Then He Kissed Me," which pays homage to The Adventures of Babysitting.
But the nostalgic overtones didn't stop Wolfington and Webb from considering a top-40 track. The 2019 hit "Kill This Love" by BLACKPINK came as an easy choice, they explain. The tune's opening melody—a marching band mixed with electronic beats—perfectly symbolized Lara Jean (Lana Candor) suiting up to play the role of "supportive girlfriend." And for that scene when Lara Jean makes cherry turnovers for Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo)? The duo have a desktop folder, aptly titled "Pensive Baking," filled with music delicious enough to make anyone grab a rolling pin.
Peter (Noah Centineo) picks up Lara Jean (Lana Condor) for their first real date as her sister (Anna Cathcart) and dad (John Corbett) look on.
But not all music-scene pairings were as simple. One of the hardest, Wolfington and Webb reveal, was the first time Lara Jean walked into Belleview. The retirement home symbolized a beginning for Lara Jean as she reconnected with her sixth-grade crush, John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher), and formed a bond with Stormy (Holland Taylor).
"The director was like, 'We do not want to play this as your grandparents' old folks' home.' You know, like, this is a place full of life," Wolfington said. Countless songs were debated, but it was the suggestion of "Purple Hat" by Sofi Tukker from one of the film's stars that fit the bill. "Noah [Centineo] was like, 'You know what song's really fun?' And then Michael [the director] came and played it for us," Webb explains.
Centineo and Condor in a scene from the anticipated Netflix sequel.
Unlike the first soundtrack, this collection also features six original songs, including tunes from The New Respects, Hanne Mjøen, and MARINA, who penned "About Love."
"I don't really know a lot about love, A lot about love, a lot about love," MARINA sings as Lara Jean and Peter have their storybook kiss at the end of the film. "But you're in my head, you're in my blood, and it feels so good, it hurts so much."
The lyrics perfectly encapsulate the film's plot, but also how audiences feel about the soundtrack: It's in our heads and it feels so good.
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