I do not write to music. I find music to be terribly distracting… I’ll end up singing at the top of my lungs or dancing; so I came up with this playlist after the fact. I think I took this task a little too seriously, but it was definitely worth it! I have a
My Sister, the Serial Killer playlist/soundtrack on my phone now and I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do!
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"One Kain" by Simi
Let’s start with a local song. This song is about a woman whose feelings towards her friend are becoming romantic. I think it is a nice backdrop to the chapter titled "Scrubs."
"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston
In the chapter titled "Dancing," Ayoola is rocking to this song. This song is great for jamming to with reckless abandon. If you are listening to it, and you feel the urge to get up and move, don’t fight it.
"Down" by Brymo
Brymo speaks truth. This song is about a small community where all sorts of drama is going down. Brymo’s songs are usually stories in themselves, and I think this song does a fantastic job of illustrating a community that harbors many secrets.
"Hallelujah" by Jennifer Hudson and Tori Kelly
This song would be perfect for a montage of Ayoola leaving for Dubai with Gboyega, Korede calling her and trying to discover where she is, Tade with his head bowed waiting for his phone to ring (the chapter named "Research"). But also, I love this song and would find a way to squeeze it into any and every playlist.
"Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey
Beauty and the perception of beauty was an important theme for me in writing this book. And I fell in love with this song the moment I heard it. What is it about youth and beauty that fascinates us so?
"Roses" by OutKast
I think this song captures the lightness and quirkiness of the story.
"Skintight" by Mr Eazi
I can picture Ayoola and Tade dancing to this song in the chapter "Birthday." The song is both upbeat and sexy, so it’s the perfect jam for a house party.
"Hurts" by Emeli Sande
I love this song for the chapter "Secret."
"Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Nina Simone
I think this song would work well in either the first chapter, "Bleach," or the chapter "Broken."
"Russian Roulette" by Rihanna
I am choosing to ignore the fact that this song keeps going on about a gun. It would play as or after Korede and Ayoola’s father bleeds to death.
"Cry Me A River" by Ella Fitzgerald
This song would work nicely for the chapter "Theatre," during and after the conversation between Tade and Korede.
"I Choose You" by Kiana Lede
I know this is a love song, but I believe it illustrates the relationship between Korede and Ayoola, especially towards the end of the novel. And it is perfect for the chapter "Truth."
"Loyalty" by Kendrick Lamar (feat. Rihanna)
Let’s wrap up the novel with this song. Read the last line and immediately press play on this song!
"Thank You, Next" by Ariana Grande
This. This song was just released this month and I had to add it to the playlist. It is perfect and apt. And Ariana isn’t talking about murdering her boyfriends... but she could be. This song would be another cool track to play at the end of the novel.
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Oyinkan Braithwaite is a graduate of Creative Writing and Law from Kingston University. Following her degree, she worked as an assistant editor at Kachifo, a Nigerian publishing house, and as a production manager at Ajapaworld, a children’s educational and entertainment company. She now works as a freelance writer and editor. In 2014, she was shortlisted as a Top Ten spoken word artist in the Eko Poetry Slam, and in 2016 she was a finalist for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She lives in Lagos, Nigeria.
My Sister, the Serial Killer is her first book.