The title to my new adult romance novel, The Porn Star’s Daughter, explains a lot! It’s written about Tali, the daughter of…well…a porn star. Tali escapes Los Angeles, the epicenter of her mother’s world, and attends college in New Orleans with plans to leave her scandalous past behind. But what Tali wants isn’t what she gets. As her family secret slowly unravels, Tali has to choose to keep running from her past or pull her friends close and embrace her future.
I re-read The Porn Star’s Daughter from cover to cover to be sure I was capturing its most important scenes in this playlist. And I pulled from each song the lyrics that directly speak to the book’s central themes. I hope you have as much fun playing it as I did putting it together.
“Down in New Orleans” by Dr. John
“Get everything you want, lose what you had. Down here in New Orleans.”
I’ve been told people only have two logical responses to visiting New Orleans for the first time. Some people arrive only to see sin, crime, and trash-filled streets—they’ll flee the city, never to return. And then there are people that are immediately infected with the city’s magic. Speaking from experience, if you catch that magic, your soul will never be able to truly separate from the Crescent City.
Dr. John’s “Down in New Orleans” captures the magic that New Orleans offers to those able to accept it. It’s the magic that draws Tali to the city to start her new adult life and the magic that keeps her there, even on her darkest days.
“Get Free” by Lana Del Rey
“Finally I’m crossing the threshold.”
When I hear Lana Del Rey’s insanely beautiful “Get Free”, I remember that terrifying, exhilarating rush of emotions that comes with moving into an adult life—leaving behind someone else’s world in an attempt to embrace your own. It’s the same feeling I had when writing Tali’s first view of her new college life. Easy? No. Breathtaking? Absolutely. But then . . .
“Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
“I tread a troubled track. My odds are stacked. I’ll go back to black.”
After the thrill of entering adult life fades, college can feel both harsh and cruel. You’re scrambling to move into an unknown while figuring out where to hide all the childhood baggage you brought with you. My characters in The Porn Star’s Daughter try to deal with the resulting trauma in a variety of less-than-healthy ways—hiding, self-isolation, assuming fake personalities, and, yes, even the substance abuse described in Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black.”
“I Bet on Losing Dogs” by Mitski
“I bet on losing dogs. I know they’re losing and I pay for my place by the ring.”
Mitksi’s “I Bet on Losing Dogs” addresses the confusion of seeking out harmful relationships—maybe even platonic relationships. Why do we do it? Is it yet another unhealthy mechanism we use to distract ourselves from a confusing world? Does it feel better than risking our hearts on real relationships that could fail? In Tali’s case, yes and yes.
“Not Allowed” by TV Girl
“And I’m starting to suspect. You don’t intend to do anything you say at all.”
In The Porn Star’s Daughter, Tali discovers an unintended consequence of seeking out a harmful platonic relationship—it can lead to a one-sided romance. And, in Tali’s case, she finds herself the recipient of unrequited love that grows dangerous. The lyrics of TV Girl’s “Not Allowed” evoke that sense of discomfort that can come when a platonic relationship devolves into toxicity.
“Angels” by Sam Baker
“Love and angels conquer all. Like rain her healing angels fall.”
If you haven’t heard Sam Baker’s music, open up YouTube and grab the closest box of tissues because his words are powerful. And in “Angels” I hear the beauty and healing that comes from discovering your found family—those people that will guide you back to love when it feels like your world is on fire. I can’t listen to “Angels” without crying over this central theme in The Porn Star’s Daughter.
“Cheers (Drink to That)” by Rihanna
“Life’s too short to be sitting round miserable. People gonna talk whether you doing bad or good.”
I don’t know if anyone can hear Rihanna’s “Cheers (Drink to That)” without feeling the joy in laughing at society’s expectations of them. Well, at least I can’t. It’s my Happy Birthday song to Tali, even though her 19th birthday party doesn’t end up exactly as she expects.
“Replay” by Zendaya
“We can start all over again.”
Zendaya’s “Replay” brings all the nostalgic second-chance-at-love feelings. It’s for anyone that, like both Tali and her author, has rediscovered a comprehensive love only to wonder—how did we ever let this go the first time?
“Freedom! ’90” by George Michael
“Today the way I play the game is not the same. No way. Think I’m gonna get myself happy.”
By some stroke of luck, the greatest song of all time fits squarely into The Porn Star’s Daughter playlist. This iconic song by George Michael demands liberation from the perceived imposition of public control. And it was banging through my head while I wrote about Tali’s second emergence into her adult life.
“We R Who We R” by Ke$ha
“Got that glitter on my eyes. Stockings ripped all up the side.”
To my readers that, like my characters, have learned to blast their true selves to a judgmental world, I present to you: Ke$ha.
How do you escape the stigma of your parents’ porn empire?
For Tali Hunter it’s easy . . .
—Attend college in New Orleans, a city her parents hate. Check.
—Overhaul her image to leave all traces of her past behind. Check.
—Invent a story about a stay-at-home mom and a business-mogul dad where the world of pornography has no place. Check. Check. Double check.
Tali’s plan goes sideways when the first person she meets in the airport recognizes her. James is not only hot—he’s also attending the same school—and has the power to expose her secret.
Tali dives into college life for better or worse. Laugh or cry, what she wants isn’t what she gets. She faces a roommate who has no regard for social norms, a sleazy dean that wants to capitalize on her family money, and an attraction to the one person who knows her secret—exactly what she doesn’t need at a time she doesn’t want it.
Tali can keep running from her past or pull her friends close and embrace her future.
You can learn more and connect with Kay at www.kaystephens.com and on Instagram @kaystephensbooks.
