One of the first things I do when I start a new project is create a playlist. At first it will only have a few songs that reflect the overall story or main character vibes. When I outline, I add more songs for each part of their journey, so by the time I’m done I will have a full playlist to listen to as I draft.
The playlist for A Proposal They Can’t Refuse began with these “I love this person even though this is probably not going to end well” songs:
- Like I’m Gonna Lose You- Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend
- Love Me Now- John Legend
And two songs to represent the Vega family and their love for their culture:
- Preciosa- Marc Anthony
- Puerto Rico- Frankie Ruiz
Shortly after I added these backstory songs that speak to the connection Kamilah and Liam have felt to each other since they were young:
- Always Be My Baby- Mariah Carey
- My Boo- Usher ft. Alicia Keys
- Qué Vida La Mía- Reik
Next come the “struggle songs” that reflect the characters’ inner wounds and feelings.
Liam is, of course, moody, so his songs have that vibe:
- Mercy-Shawn Mendes
- The Sound of Silence- Simon and Garfunkel
- Loser- Beck
- Train Wreck- James Arthur
Kamilah’s songs speak to her ability to see the possibilities even though she is unsure:
- Try- P!nk
- All I Know So Far- P!nk
- Higher Love- Kygo, Whitney Houston
- My Shot- Hamilton Soundtrack
Of course, there are the “falling in love” and “scared of my emotions” songs:
- The Two of Us- *Nsync
- Stand by Me- Prince Royce
- I Could Fall In Love- Selena
- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow- Leslie Grace
- Mi Tesoro- Zion & Lennox ft. Nicky Jam
- My Song- H.E.R
- Si Tu Eres Mi Hombre- La India
- Give Your Heart A Break- Demi Lovato
- Sweater Weather- The Neighbourhood
- Still- Seinabo Sey
- Promise- Romeo Santos ft. Usher
I listened to “Say Something” by Pentatonix on repeat for a week while I wrote and rewrote the break-up scene. It just so perfectly reflects that moment of breathless hope when they are waiting for the other one to say the right words and the utter devastation when they let each other down.
During their dark moments I listened to “No Puedo Dejarte de Amar” by Kalimba and Jesús Navarro from Reik (Yes. There’s a lot of Reik on this playlist).
After all that devastation comes the”Make-up” and “Happily Ever After” songs. The ones that encompass the journey they made to get to the place where they are going to be together forever. That embody that feeling of having to work hard to get to this point, but knowing that things will work out this time because you’ve found that perfect person for you:
- Eres Tú- Matisse ft. Reik (If there was a soundtrack, this would be the main song)
- Perfect Duet- Ed Sheeran ft. Beyoncé
- Creo en Ti- Reik
There are also songs on the playlist that are referred to in the book because they mean something to the characters:
- Mi Corazoncito- Aventura
- Quiero Bailar- Ivy Queen
- I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)- Meatloaf
- Atrévete-Te-Te- Calle 13
- Basket Case- Green Day
My playlists are available on Spotify, so check them out at NatCañaWrites
A Proposal They Can’t Refuse is available from Amazon and Bookshop. Read an excerpt from A Proposal They Can’t Refuse.