In the summer of 2010, I watched the Australian TV show, H2O: Just Add Water (H2O), for the first time on Netflix. Six-year-old me was obsessed, and frankly, 22-year-old me is just as obsessed. There’s something about high school best friends who become mermaids, the 2000s aesthetic, and Australian accents that makes me nostalgic.
After spending a chilly spring break in Washington, D.C., I’m dreaming of beach trips and pool days with my friends. If you’re excited and a planner like me, here are seven songs to add to your summer playlist, inspired by the original girls who played mermaids:
- “Island In The Sun” by Weezer
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You knew this was coming. Real ones associate this song with the nostalgic mermaid film, Aquamarine. Obviously, this association transfers over to H2O, too.
I just know Emma, Cleo, and Rikki were listening to this song and thinking about Mako Island. “Island In The Sun” conjures up idyllic memories of chill days at the beach or by the pool. Every time I hear this song, I immediately think of summer, mermaids, and being a teenager.
- “Dirty Little Secret” by All-American Rejects
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Secrets are big in H2O. In fact, throughout the TV series, it’s essential to keep the largest secret: the three girls’ mermaid identities. Although I wouldn’t define this as a “dirty little secret,” I can easily think of a secret that lives up to this song: Rikki and Zane’s relationship.
Zane is your classic rich kid scumbag who has a few (a lot) of lessons to learn in life. Rikki, our resident rebellious, doesn’t-give-a-GAF teenage mermaid, is ready to put him in his place. To no one’s surprise, this makes for one fire enemies-to-lovers plot line.
For a hot second in Season 1, Rikki and Zane’s relationship was their dirty little secret. Rikki knew that her friends wouldn’t initially be supportive of her attraction to the long-time bully, especially since he became so interested in finding the mermaid who saved him.
Did I mention that Zane doesn’t know Rikki’s a mermaid for a while there? Yeah… “Dirty Little Secret” works in that context, too.
- “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne
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This Avril Lavigne classic went triple platinum on Cleo’s iPod during Season 2, and you can’t convince me otherwise.
If you remember anything from Season 2 of H2O, I’m sure you remember how awful new girl, Charlotte, was to Cleo, especially when it came to Cleo’s friendship with Lewis.
Since Season 1, it was so obvious that Cleo and Lewis were meant to be. Yes, she breaks up with him, but Charlotte taking advantage of this opportunity and being so cruel to Cleo was uncalled for.
Since Cleo and Lewis get back together at the end of Season 2, one could say that this song was simply a manifestation of what was to come.
- “Everybody Loves Me” by OneRepublic
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OneRepublic slaps every time. I’d consider most of their music summer-adjacent, and “Everybody Loves Me” is no exception.
When it comes to H2O, this song is definitely a more polished version of something the character, Nate, would sing. Nate is… he’s a character, alright! Nate is Zane’s best friend, equally as nasty but with a twist.
What is the twist? Well, Nate is an egotistical slimeball who thinks every girl is in love with him; therefore, he would totally sing this song off-key and with enthusiasm.
- “First Time” by Lifehouse
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Shoutout to the collab between Kidz Bop and McDonald’s back in 2009 for providing CDs with Happy Meals and introducing me to this song.
“First Time” is about the early stages of falling in love. I think this song pairs well with Emma’s romance with Ash in Season 2. In my opinion, the sub-plot in Season 1, where Emma kinda has a thing with Byron, doesn’t feel as authentic as her developing relationship with Ash.
At first, Emma is resistant to Ash as a person and as a potential love interest because he challenges her bossy, know-it-all authority. However, they’re so similar that Emma is likely scared of catching feelings for him.
“First Time” captures the fear of being vulnerable with someone who you can see having a deeper, romantic relationship with — perfect for Emma and Ash.
- “You Know It” by Colony House
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“You Know It” has that fun, upbeat summer sound. The band, Colony House, even describes their music as “landlocked surf rock.”
Emma, Cleo, and Rikki could definitely connect with the lyrics of this song: “Take that picture from that frame / I put it in my pocket so that every day you’re with me / I keep you close to my heart.”
These lyrics could easily be referencing the matching lockets they have that belonged to the original mermaids from the 1960s: Gracie, Julie, and Louise (AKA Miss Chatham).
The main chorus is the band singing, “And we’ll be back before you know, you know it.” When things were tense in the show, the girls often turned into mermaids to handle a problem or get some well-deserved time by themselves.
No matter the circumstances, they always came back, even when times were tough. (Well, unless you’re Emma in Season 3…)
- “Ordinary Girl” by Kate Alexa
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This may be a given, but I had to include it anyway. This iconic song served as the opening and end credits to the show. If you haven’t already committed the lyrics of this song to memory, do it because nothing is more healing than singing this song with your friends.
In fact, the whole Kate Alexa album includes songs from the show, including “Another Now,” which to this day I still see war flashbacks from when they played it during Cleo and Lewis’s post-breakup montage.
“Ordinary Girl” and Kate Alexa’s other tracks perfectly complement the other additions to your H2O playlist!
As we tough out the remainder of the semester, look for the light at the end of the tunnel! Soon you’ll be living out your mermaid girl summer with a fire playlist to remind you of this fabulous Australian TV show.
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