Playwrights' Playlist: Jen Silverman

I love music that combines power with playfulness - music that provokes or overturns, but does it with a smile. From Childish Gambino to Die Antwoord, from Man Man to Calle 13, the beats are undeniable but the lyrics are fiercely smart. I love the gentle melancholy of Lewis & Leigh or the Lumineers, the elegant portraits of moments that these songs contain. I love the irreverence and honesty of Max Vernon, the range and lyricism of Jean Rohe. Some of the music I love the best is by my friends, and often I loved their music before we became friends. Maybe the things that I love in songs are also the things that I love in people, and when I find the people who make that kind of music, I can’t resist them.

The play-list below has taken me all over the world. From Iowa City to Osaka, from Boston to Riga, from New Haven to Peru, from one end of Manhattan to the other, these are songs that I’ve listened to again and again across miles and years. Maybe there’ll be something in here for you, too.

The Playwright’s Playlist