Songs That Inspire Your Characters

Renata Stepanova

'61 Grad | Soaring High
 
Messages
1,137
OOC First Name
Camilla
Blood Status
Mixed Blood
Relationship Status
Seeing Somebody
Wand
Curved 12.5" Swishy Vine Wand with Fairy Wing Core
Age
18 (24/12/2042)
Okay so I know there's character themes and playlists, but this is specifically for you, the RPers: what songs give you specific inspiration for your characters? Whether it's overall or whether there's specific songs for individual characters (that's too many times using specific in one paragraph I'm so sorry). Not what your characters would listen to, but what you listen to that you mentally associate with your character, or that gives you some inspiration, or maybe doesn't even have a reason just you hear it and you go 'oh, that's a [x] song'.

That's right kids, we're going back to mid 2000s AMV era mentality.

Forgive me if this is a weird premise I am vaguely delirious with sickness and have completely lost my voice so am going a bit mad and am trying to get motivation back after having it for all of like an hour this morning. I've picked 3 for some characters I tend to have slightly more muse for for the moment but might add more later.

1. Satellite - Lena yeah Eurovision in general helps with Renata inspiration, but bonus points for a. this being something Renata would also actually listen to and b. me mentally thinking that's probably close to what her singing voice is like (but a bit weaker).
2. Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (Spacey Jane cover) Sometimes I need to remind myself that she's supposed to be relentlessly upbeat in the face of disappointment otherwise I fall into the trap of making her also angst too much.
3. Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order I started looking to 90s eurodance for Renata but it ends up going to more of my preferred listening when I do, more 80s and more downbeat tracks. (Also a shoutout to Wonderwall).

I'm tempted to just say "everything 13 year old Camilla listened to" and that still certainly counts (when it doesn't feel more Violet) but to try and diversify it and pick different things:
1. Temper - Vera Blue I think this one's pretty self-explanatory :r
2. Nothing Ever Goes My Way - Ball Park Music I think this one is too...I mean I guess it helps that she's a pretty upfront sort of girl.
3. Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse this is the "everything 13 year old Camilla listened to" part actually and is appropriately Dramatic™

1. There There - Radiohead I actually had this as an Aine song at first because of how I get a lot of my inspiration for her from being an angsty teen in the 2000s but listening to it over now it just seems to fit my mood for Yuelia more. Hey, what can I say, I love my angsty girls.
2. Hopeful Dynamis - FFXIV Endwalker OST When I created Yuelia and her father I had just finished Endwalker and was heavily, heavily inspired by Hermes and Meteion. She's changed a bit from that initial idea but it still gives me Yuelia mood.
3. World Is Mine - Hatsune Miku YEAH AMV TERRITORY I keep wanting to go further with her and holding myself back but I shouldn't. Full spoiled princess mode.

this is a lie I haven't had as much muse for her there's just enough songs I can think of that hit the specific motivation I have for her so
1. Magnolia - Gang of Youths (language warning) bonus in that the lead singer is the pb I use for Noah, lol. Hits the tone of what I wanted her new thing to be.
2. Already Gone - Powderfinger I'm from Brisbane, so's she, enough said. Also brings me back to when I first made her and she was...vastly different. Suits her now, though.
3. There Goes The Fear - Doves I was kind of obsessed with this song when I first heard it in the mid 2000s and listened to it again for the first time in ages recently and it still hits.

yes this is just an excuse to share my music since nobody actually wants to hear it and learn about other people's creative processes and music tastes in more depth shhh
 
I love this question because I use song lyrics for literally all of my thread titles, so I'm always on the hunt for music that fits my characters. I have a vibe/genre that I associate with each of them plus a couple go-to artists that I start with if I'm having trouble finding a song for a thread. And if I find a song that fits really well, I'll listen to it while writing replies for that thread.

The average Harper song is something upbeat and summery, usually indie pop or alt rock. Go-to artists include Harbour, Kishi Bashi, MisterWives, and Katie Herzig. Kind of embarrassing, but I've found romcom soundtracks to be a decent source of songs that fit her vibe. She's the only character I've been able to find the perfect theme for ("Avalanche" by Fletcher).
His songs can best be described as "white guy with an acoustic guitar" lol. I have a harder time finding songs for him because I associate him with folk, which I don't really listen to. I also feel like a lot of folk is kind of melancholy, and Weston's a pretty happy person, so it's hard to find songs that fit him perfectly. Go-to artists are Hozier, Nick Drake, Five for Fighting, and Mumford and Sons.
Her character was actually partially inspired by Natalia Kills' album "Trouble." Back when she was peak Angsty, I used a lot of darker-sounding pop for her, mostly Natalia Kills and Lana del Rey. She's a little less sad now, so more of her songs are of the bubblegum b*tch/girl power pop variety. An embarrassing number of songs from TikTok and "you're the villain" playlists on YouTube also fit her.
 

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