Writing The Last Love Song tapped into so many little corners of my heart, and one of my favorite parts of the process was working on the original lyrics, woven throughout. The book is structured around its own playlist—a discography that exists inside the story. Outside of this story world, every time I would try to fall back into Mia and Tori’s lives after being away from the keyboard, I had a playlist of songs I love to kept me company, and I’m excited to get to share these with you.
You’ll find a mix of genres, decades, and artists—and of course a track from Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again—but I think Kelsea Ballerini, Taylor Swift, and Maisie Peters take the reign. Unsurprisingly, they’re also in the top five of my Spotify Wrapped each year. These artists in particular have provided me solace and such a safe space for so long. When I was fifteen going through my first heartbreak, I had Kelsea Ballerini on repeat. When I was falling in love for the first time, it was along to a series of Taylor Swift love songs. And Maisie Peters is always there for the unique existential crisis of fumbling through your early twenties.
In The Last Love Song, Mia connects with Tori through the songs she’s written. I find pieces of myself in music as much as in books. And I hope you’ll find something in this story and this accompanying playlist that’ll keep playing in your heart after you turn the last page.
—Kalie Holford
scan the qr code to listen
to the playlist that inspired the novel
