Content warning: Spoilers ahead for the series and novel, Daisy Jones & The Six
As one of the most anticipated series of the year, the book-turned-television adaptation Daisy Jones & The Six has taken the pop culture scene by storm. Since author Taylor Jenkins Reid released the best-selling novel in 2019 about the fictitious rock band, fans have been longing to know what their music would sound like — since not only did readers get a sense of what songs were about, but they were provided lyrics to each song at the end of the novel as well. The television series starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne) tells the story of the band Daisy Jones & The Six — a fictional rock group roughly inspired by Fleetwood Mac and their infamous 1977 album Rumours — and why they inevitably broke up. Released alongside the series, Daisy Jones & The Six’s fictional album, Aurora, has now become a reality.
With 11 songs featuring revamped original lyrics, Aurora offers the main characters, Daisy and Billy, an outlet for their bottled-up rage and chemistry, which naturally, explodes. From the beginning of the series, the audience is told the band breaks up after their biggest show yet, in Chicago in 1977 — and the whole story in between reveals why. Since the novel and the show illustrate Daisy Jones & The Six as one of the most legendary bands in history, their believability as a band was a determining factor in the series’ success. However, the cast and label have successfully created a group that could have believably reached high levels of fame. Daisy Jones & The Six actually are the first fictional band to hit No.1 on iTunes. As a huge fan of the series myself, here are my top three tracks off Aurora that I just can’t get out of my head.
1. Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)
“Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” is the song that starts it all in the series, with music producer Teddy bringing in Daisy to feature on The Six’s track. This is the piece that bonds Daisy and Billy together. While Billy wrote an original version of the song himself, as a love song to his wife, Camila, about “happy ending after turmoil,” it’s Daisy’s revisions that bring the song together into the six-minute anthem they record together the first time they meet. Constantly changing tempos, this track keeps you on the edge of your seat. Paralleling Fleetwood Mac, the song’s drums and guitar lines imitate their hit, “The Chain.” The vocalists duet separately and together, their emotions and frustrations palpable as they lyrically describe an insecure relationship, with questions of doubt and uncertainty. The couple reflects on who they were, how their relationship has affected who they’ve become, and if they’re right for each other, or dragging each other down.
2. The River
With this track being my favorite vocal performance from Riley Keough on the album, “The River” is an exploration of life and love, revolving around temptation and leading to the questions painted out in lyrics such as “Give me your hand, here is my heart, Where does it end? When do we start? / Will you stay with me forever? Will you chase me in my dreams?” Encapsulating the classic rock sound that embodies all that Daisy Jones & The Six is, this feels like a song that could really have emerged during the ’70s rock era and that could have been heard on the radio. While some of the lyrical themes connect to the tension between Daisy and Billy in the series, it isn’t as relevant storyline-wise (one of many songs that differ from TJR’s original songs and lyrics in the novel), but it is an incredible performance to watch on the show and listen to as well.
3. Aurora
Serving as an entry point into the record and the rollercoaster of emotions it takes us on, the high energy and feel-good track starts the record off on a high note with the title track “Aurora.” This song, in the book and in the TV show, is written as Billy’s tribute to Camila, showing his appreciation for her standing by him throughout his struggles and for being his anchor, but in the novel is more of a ballad. While the recorded version is sunnier, the lyrics still reference the romantic message of the original (“you’re the one; you’re my morning sun”). Aside from the vibrance of the recording, its place in the television show is also electric. In the finale, Daisy Jones & The Six perform the song at their final concert in Chicago while Camila watches from the audience. Billy, assuming Camila has left him, doesn’t realize she is there and Daisy and Billy’s chemistry during this performance is at an all-time high — visible to everyone watching, including Camila — adding to their already alluring final performance.
Though many fans are disheartened at the changes made between the novel and the television adaptation (the Aurora tracklist, as one example), the final work that is the Aurora studio album pairs with the television show perfectly. While this album could never recreate the non-fictional favorites of its time period, Aurora beautifully immortalizes and encapsulates the essence of the beloved Daisy Jones & The Six.
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