“I always think about these artists”: Olivia Wilde picks her five favourite songs
Like many of today’s greatest directors and filmmakers, Olivia Wilde constructs her worlds and views around her favourite musical artists. As someone with a knack for boundary-pushing no matter the critics on the receiving end, Wilde has absorbed tidbits from the best, factoring innovation and effortless storytelling into her own work, the way many of her heroes did.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that one of these heroes is none other than the Starman himself, David Bowie. While Wilde isn’t unique in her love for the innovator from another planet, this endearment stems not only from a place of artistic adoration but also from the basic teachings of stepping out of your comfort zone. For Wilde, Bowie symbolised risk-taking, which ultimately paid off with an artistic vision matched by nobody.
This acknowledgement of filmic, narrative, and musical convergence is also why, when asked to name her favourite songs of all time for KCRW’s Guest DJ Project in 2013, Wilde discussed her personal appreciation for Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ and how it made her realise something about her own approach to acting. “I always think about these artists in music when acting,” she said.
Adding: “I think about, if we put in the same amount of passion into a performance that a great musical artist puts into a performance, you can’t fail to connect with an audience, because it’s just that amount of passion, energy, and effort into a song, rarely is seen in an acting performance.”
Throughout her life, Wilde has also listened to The Rolling Stones excessively, even describing them as the soundtrack to her life, besides attending more than six shows and knowing the lyrics to every song. However, despite the multitude of potential favourites among their extensive discography, Wilde opted for ‘Miss You’, as it’s the first time she remembers pretending to be Mick Jagger in front of the mirror.
Wilde likened the track to another of her favourites, Al Green’s ‘Love and Happiness’, both containing an unmistakable opening sound that sparks a deep, emotional response. The difference, however, is that the actor enjoys the dark, grittiness of the Stones track, while remaining enamoured with Green’s tune because of how many firsts it signified—her first vinyl, first poster in her room, and an early first love at just ten years old.
Perhaps one of the more unexpected entries on Wilde’s list is Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Push It’. However, aside from being an undeniable hip-hop favourite across the board, it also reminds Wilde of its groundbreaking achievement for “the female presence” in the space, one that did so with unapologetic fervour and grace. Not to mention the dancing and fashion staples that enhanced their “message of empowerment”.
With tastes as eclectic as Wilde’s, it’s clear that not only does she thrive on boundary-pushing legends like Bowie, but she also enjoys a mix of ones that incite deeply ingrained memories and ones that challenged the course of history. In many ways, this is the appeal Wilde brings to her own stories and characters, with effortless and delicate layering that pulls you in every single time.
Olivia Wilde’s favourite songs:
- Al Green – ‘Love And Happiness’
- Salt-N-Pepa – ‘Push It’
- Paul Simon – ‘Graceland’
- The Rolling Stones – ‘Miss You’
- Alexander – ‘In the Twilight’
