Slow Dance

Author Rainbow Rowell firmly believes musical inspiration is vital in writing, particularly for creating emotionally powerful novels. Rowell listens to music as she writes, incorporates music into her stories, and meticulously creates playlists for each book. When writing scenes, Rowell often finds a song that fits the mood she is trying to develop and uses it to help her craft the emotional moment. The playlists set the tone for critical scenes and dive deep into the characters' inner lives. Rowell believes the playlists elevate the reading experience and encourage readers to forge a deeper, more personal connection with her stories. The playlists act as an indispensable component of her storytelling, providing readers with a multi-sensory experience and serving as a soundtrack that intensifies the emotional impact of the stories.

For Eleanor & Park, Rowell carefully selected songs that reflect the characters' intense emotional journey and the 1980s setting, including tracks from iconic bands like The Smiths and Joy Division. These choices effectively transport readers, capturing the characters' angst and alienation. In Fangirl, Rowell's playlist, a mix of indie tracks and ballads, mirrors the protagonist Cath's emotional journey and her deep connection to the fictional world of Simon Snow. The playlist for Carry On reflects the novel's mix of adventure, romance, and self-discovery through an eclectic range of tracks, from energetic to introspective, highlighting the story's fantastical elements (Futterman, Erica. “Literature’s John Hughes: Rainbow Rowell on Her Love Affair With Music and Writing.” BuzzFeed, 17 July 2014).

The playlist for Slow Dance includes songs that appear in the story, along with tracks from Joanie Mitchell and U2 (“Slow Dance—July 2024.” Spotify). The senior prom scene features Journey’s “Open Arms” and Boyz II Men’s melancholy ballad “End of the Road.” At Mikey's wedding, when Cary and Shiloh slow dance through Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” the dissonance created by the couple swaying to the frenetic track parallels their oblivion to what’s happening around them after being apart for 14 years. Rowell includes 80s and 90s rock power ballads from Journey and Styx, which punctuate emotionally charged scenes and reflect the emotional intensity of the storyline. The nostalgic tracks become memorable touchstones for the characters as the tunes form a soundtrack to the narrative. Shiloh and Cary even sing to each other in parts of the story, choosing songs that include their names, “Carrie” by Europe and “Shilo” by Neil Diamond. The story ends in a full circle musical moment as Shiloh and Cary share their first wedding dance to Styx’s “Babe,” an unconventional choice but a song they listened to in the car after their senior prom. The disharmony between the music selections and the moments with which they’re paired mirrors the disjointed and sometimes chaotic nature of Shiloh and Cary's relationship. Marred by fits and starts, miscommunication, and misunderstanding, their connection comes together as a discordant jazz track at first and, with time and careful attention, evolves into a beautiful symphony.