Nobody Wants This, the hit Netflix series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, is at its best when the love at its core is marked by uncertainty and enduring curiosity. The series returned this week for its second season, which finds its characters, Joanne and Noah, putting their relationship to the test, unsure about whether what they’ve built together can survive. If they’re looking for guidance, they can find it in the songs that make up the Nobody Wants This Season Two soundtrack.
The record boasts an extensive list of featured guests, including Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Selena Gomez, Dermot Kennedy, Finneas, Role Model, Towa Bird, Alessia Cara, Benee, Givēon, Cuco, Teddy Swims, and more.
Cuco’s “Homesick” appears in the first episode of the season. The musician shared a clip from the show on Instagram set to the song. In the scene, Joanne brings coffee to Noah, whose immediate dejected expression when she asks, “How’d it go?” causes her excitement to vanish. “If it’s easier to be/Alone than being with me/I’ll love you just the same/It’s fine,” Cuco sings.
Finneas’ record “Palomino” appears in episode three, underscoring the series’ central theme of endurance as he sings, “If it’s complicated, then it’s complicated.” Episode four skips over soundtrack selections — though it does feature Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” and Alessi Rose’s “That Could Be Me” — before picking up in episode five with Baylee Lynn’s “That’s What I’ll Be.”
Alessia Cara’s “My House” and Just Jayne’s “Climate Change” appear in episode six, while episode seven packs in three soundtrack cuts, including Benee’s “What,” Role Model’s “Saddle Again,” and Teddy Swims’ “You Got Another Thing Coming.”
In episode eight, Portugal. The Man cuts through with “Reach You,” and Royel Otis contributes an acoustic version of “Who’s Your Boyfriend.” The episode also includes Ella Langley’s “This Version of Us” and Towa Bird’s “Your Girl.”
Chris Stapleton’s soundtrack spotlight comes in episode nine, when “Heart Letting Go” rings out. “It’s hard to stay, but leaving hurts/And I’m not sure which one is the worst,” he sings. “‘Cause tonight I’ll hold the love I used to know/And listen to a heart letting go.”
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In the season finale, Joanne and Noah’s love story is set against five songs from the Nobody Wants This soundtrack. Selena Gomez brings propulsive funk to “In the Dark,” where she sings, “I’ll be there when you lose yourself/To remind you of who you are.” Dermot Kennedy slows the mood down with “Melodies,” a record about growing apart and saying goodbye. “‘Cause you deserve melodies/More than just words/And I’ll always love you/That’s why it hurts,” he croons. “We used to sing symphonies/But now we can’t carry a tune.”
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Kacey Musgraves says a preemetive goodbye on “If the World Burns Down,” just in case the core of the Earth cracks open and swallows everything whole before she gets a chance to say what she’s feeling. “If the way it goes goes against our dreams,” she sings, “if I never told you, you were it for me.” Givēon’s “Dancing in the Smoke” offers a similar apocalyptic perspective, and Cassandra Coleman’s “Bite My Tongue” closes out the season.
“The fact that we were able to put together a one-of-a-kind soundtrack with incredible artists speaks to the success of the first season,” Core Entertainment CEO Simon Tikhman said in a statement per Hollywood Reporter. “I wanted the music to reflect the same mix of honesty, sharpness, and heart that Erin brings to the story, while also creating a soundtrack that can stand on its own. I’m deeply invested in this project — and, of course, in its creator — which made getting the music right all the more meaningful.”
