Heartstopper has taken the world by storm, and that can be attributed to elements, including the soundtrack. The Heartstopper characters are based on a graphic novel by Alice Oseman, and the show gets many things right about the source material. Heartstopper's soundtrack remains true to the message of the show—that anyone of any sexuality deserves love and a supportive community. Many of the artists included in the show are a part of the LGBTQ+ community and talk about their experiences in their music.
From its hit first season to the upcoming Heartstopper season 3, the show follows Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring as they develop a friendship, and, eventually, a romance. It also follows their friends Tao, Elle, Tara, Darcy, and Isaac through the same journeys. The most impactful part of the show is that it openly and honestly talks about the exploration of sexuality in a teen drama that doesn’t make it seem so extraordinary for them to exist. Heartstopper is an uplifting story, much thanks to its soundtrack, in a world of movies and TV shows that usually focus on the community’s trauma.
10“Pressure To Party” by Julia Jacklin
“Pressure To Party” is a great song alone, but within the context of Heartstopper, the song is even better. In season 2, episode 1, “Out”, Nick hosts a gathering so he can come out to his friends who didn’t know, mainly Imogen. This song plays in the background of the friends enjoying the party. It references the pressures of society to have certain experiences as a teenager, and while the scene is at a party and completes that stereotype, Nick is struggling with the expectation to come out to everyone when they want them to.
9“seven” by Taylor Swift
While "seven" is not the final song played during Heartstopper season 2's ending, it is the secondary closer. While the final song is much more intimate, this song celebrates the joint journey of every character in the main cast. After prom, the group of friends go to Nick’s house to have a private party. They have the serious conversations needed, but more importantly, they have a good time and celebrate their time in high school. "seven" by Taylor Swift plays in the background as a montage is spliced together with memories of playing pool, dancing, eating snacks, and snuggling. It accompanies the joys of being a kid while highlighting the difficulties of letting go.
8“Tired” by beabadoobee
In season 1, episode 7, “Bully”, Charlie is being bullied by Harry, and when his bullies show up at the movie he and Nick are going to see, it only gets worse. Harry makes Charlie feel uncomfortable, and when Nick confronts him about it, they get into a fight. Nick's mom was cast as Olivia Coleman. She picks him up at the movies and notices the bruises he has. "Tired" plays in the background of his conversation with his mom while they’re driving in the car. It’s one of the first times Nick seems truly defeated by what is happening around him.
7“My Own Person” by Smoothboi Ezra
"My Own Person" plays during a very important scene in season 1, episode 3, “Kiss”. At the end of the episode, Nick is staring at pictures on Charlie’s Instagram when he heads for his computer. Nick starts to take quizzes and read about his sexuality. He is quite confused and this song playing in the background solidifies that feeling. Smoothboi Ezra sings about the need to fit into a label, but he struggles with that.
6“Sappho” by Frankie Cosmos
"Sappho" song plays at the start of Nick and Charlie’s friendship. They start messaging each other on Instagram—because all forms of communication happen on Instagram in the Heartstopper universe—and this show plays in the background. The song details what it’s like at the beginning of a crush when there’s a desperation to know everything about the other person and seem interesting to them. The texting between the two characters conveys the same emotions, as Nick and Charlie are hesitating and rereading before sending their texts.
5“Smokey Eyes” by Lincoln
In season 1, episode 7, “Bully”, one plot line of Charlie’s comes to a head. Throughout the season, he had been dealing with bullies like Harry Green who started tormenting him after he was outed. His best friend, Tao, always tries to stand up for him, which puts him at the center of the bullying. This song plays when, after Tao becomes fed up with Harry’s actions, they fight in the schoolyard. It continues as Tao yells at Charlie for not telling him about his relationship with Nick. It’s the pinnacle of tension in the show’s first season, and it sets up the season finale well.
4“Buzzkill” by Baby Queen
Baby Queen is Heartstopper. She’s been adopted as the show’s honorary member, writing an original song for each season. This is not one of those songs, but it is still an absolute hit. In season 1, episode 5, “Friend”, the group of friends gets together to celebrate Charlie’s birthday. They go bowling, and once the festivities begin, this song starts playing. Though the lyrics exactly fit, it’s a great song for a party.
3“girls” by girl in red
girl in red is a perfect artist to feature in Heartstopper. She is a young musician who fits in with the message of the show, and the way “girls” is used is perfect. Two of the show's main characters are Tara and Darcy. In the beginning, they’re in a secret relationship and everyone thinks they’re just best friends. Elle—another main character—is envious of their friendship and wishes that she had a friendship like that at Higgs. Later in season 1, episode 2, “Crush”, Elle discovers their real relationship and the trio develops a strong friendship. Though the song's meaning is pretty clear, the show uses it unexpectedly, which elevates its meaning.
2“ur so pretty” by wasia
"ur so pretty" is the song that closes out season 2, and it is perfect for so many reasons. One, the song is written by Will Gao, who’s the actor that plays Tao. Second, is the meaning of the scene. At the end of season 2, Nick and Charlie have a serious conversation about some of Charlie’s more unhealthy habits relating to his mental health. The conversation is honest and painful. Season 2 ended with an "I Love You" cliffhanger, and Nick is researching how to help someone with an eating disorder. This song plays in the background, and it perfectly communicates the yearning of both characters.
1“Dance with Me” by beabadoobee
This is probably one of the most famous songs in Heartstopper because of the scene it’s paired with. In season 1, episode 2, “Crush”, a scene is shown about Charlie and Nick hanging out for the first time outside of school. They’re playing Mario Kart and realize that it’s snowing outside, and take Nick’s dog Nellie outside to play in the snow. In a classic moment of one character realizing their crush on another, there is a lot of slow-motion flirting. This song plays in the background of the scene, which just elevates the feeling of romance in the perfect Heartstopper scene.