LA, you either love it or you hate it. The traffic, the overpriced smoothies, the heat… I love it. And how can you not love Rachel Sennott, the creator, writer, and star of HBO’s I Love LA!? She perfectly encapsulates what it means to be in your twenties, struggling to balance career, friendships, and love, all while hustling in LA.
This hilarious and unfiltered series is paired with a soundtrack that I have not been able to stop listening to, and feels very nostalgic to my twenties. Queue the playlist and let’s jump in!
Winston and I went to visit my brother, Drew, who lives in LA. Here we are in Echo Park, the same park where I Love LA‘s poster was shot.
Rachel Sennott and I are pretty much the same age (and both virgos), so I identify a lot with this series. If you’re cronically online, love pop culture, and are under forty, chances are you are going to identify with this show and its music, too.
Stand out Music moments
Episode 1 – Block Her – The premier episode starts off strong musically with the use of Randy Newmans I Love L.A. playing while Maia (Rachel Sennott) is working on a walking pad, meanwhile her friends are driving around LA, getting stoned, and going to the beach. Newman’s screams of “We love it” juxtaposed against a hustling Maia was perfect in my opinion. Also, I have to say I really enjoy it when the name of a film or tv show is somehow incorporated in the dialogue or music, so extra points for that!
Episode 4 – Upstairses – In this episode, we see Maia and her friend Alani awkwardly trying to seduce Elijah Wood (a hilarious self-parody) into a threesome while All Star by Smash Mouth plays. Every time I hear this song, I am transported back to my childhood and immediately think of the original Shrek. Both Shrek and the initial Lord of the Rings (Elijah Woods claim to fame) were released in 2001, so I wonder if this song choice was done on purpose to make the viewer nostalgic? Regardless, it was a hysterical choice.
Episode 7 – Divas Down – At the end of the second-to-last episode of the series, we see Maia fighting with her boyfriend Dylan about her ambition and their relationship. As Dylan goes to leave, we see a sobbing Maia say “That’s what I said” (referring to not knowing Dylans colleagues name) paired with the synth of LCD Soundsystem’s oh baby. The ending of this episode made me laugh out loud and again included a great song from my twenties.
Special shout-outs to Paris Hilton’s The Stars are Blind, Metrics Help I’m Alive, and Grimes Oblivion. Honestly, I could keep going; there are so many great tracks in this series.
This show made me feel so seen as a young woman trying to figure out her life. The music was fun, familiar, and made me reminisce on times in my life that were messy and full of self discovery.
I’ve added an extended version of the I Love LA soundtrack to the Playlist page if you want to dive deeper into the songs used in the series!
Have you watched I Love LA? Did you have a favourite track used in the show? Let me know in the comments below!
*Featured photo credit HERE
Sound & Colour 
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