Petra Marquez Character Playlist from @arsparadoxica
As I was inspired by Lauren Shippen’s character playlists for The Bright Sessions, I decided to make some for the podcast @arsparadoxica. Like Lauren, I’m also writing the reasoning and thoughts behind why I chose these songs and creating a moodboard for each character. “Each playlist is a combination of a few things: music that I think the character would listen to, music that fits the overall aesthetic of the character, and music that lyrically fits into the character’s emotional life.” Without further ado, the first playlist is for Petra Marquez (voiced by the remarkable Lia Peros)! Please note that some of the songs relate to events later in the series including the last episode so SPOILER ALERT!!
https://open.spotify.com/user/kornell.kitsune/playlist/62BaC1VK1Vif1lrUjqsXKJ?si=2VC6DmZ6S6CQE2brwazs4g
The key points to convey in this playlist is Strength and Confidence but also paired with Pain and Loss. Petra is confident and impulsive, but she’s also sorting through a lot of sorrow and anger from her childhood. As a result, there are a lot of guitar songs ranging from acoustic to electric. This playlist starts softly then goes louder then goes softer again for the end. The playlist also goes through in chronological order through Petra’s life (well about as chronological as a podcast about time travel can get ;P). The opening song is about the bond between sisters, but then the playlist reaches the point of anger at the loss of childhood and innocence in song 4 and continues. Until finally finding peace, or at least acceptance, abruptly at the last song much like Petra in the last episode of the show. -Kit
1. “O'Sister” - City and the Colour
These first three songs are about Petra’s childhood in ODAR. This song is about Petra’s first realization that it’s not normal for a kid to watch her friends die and watch other classmates slowly decay from the Butterfly Syndrome.
2. “Cursis Melodías” - Natalie Lafourcade
A joyful Spanish song with sadder lyrics about wanting to go back to the fun times of childhood. I can picture Petra looking back to when Carmen and Petra could play together without the weight of time on their shoulders. Petra would sometimes glorify the memories, imagining them happier than they actually were.
In my interpretation of this song, this is Petra saying goodbye to everyone who’s died for this project. Also she’s projecting her anger onto them and Esther to an extent, for leaving her alive and making her go through all this trauma. She’s feeling like having to go through all of the experiments is worse than death because everyone she loves is leaving her to deal with it alone.
Destroy the middle, it’s a waste of time From the perfect start to the finish line - Refers to time travel. The ability to go back in time to fix past mistakes until the solution is achieved and then it seems that the way was perfect all along.
4. “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” - The Smashing Pumpkins*
I mean this is the perfect Petra anger song and it’s SUCH a classic. Even the title has the word Butterfly like the syndrome. Also it’s a big change from “Youth” but it still somehow works and it’s the start of the more “angry” songs.
It’s the feeling of having so much anger but being powerless to do anything
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage - Even this works as a comparison to Maggie Elbourne’s studies of the rats and the Timepiece
5. “Do it or Die” - Die Mannequin
6. “Psychic Trauma” - Cloud Nothings
Try to stop it, try to feel something But nothing happens, I stay the same Is it alright to end up this way? Life gets boring, it fades away - She feels this disconnection from the world and time itself from missed birthdays to not knowing how old she actually is
7. “Don’t Mess With Me” - Brody Dalle
I feel this is how Petra sees herself. She’s defended herself from the punches from the universe and now it’s time for her to hit back. And she’s not pulling back her attacks.
Also this is the song I picture playing in the background when Petra is creating all of the different timeline versions of herself for the grand finale.
8. “Time Bomb” -Dismemberment Plan
This song is an absolute masterpiece. Throughout the song, the singer describes themselves as different dangerous things. His tone slowly gets more agressive, up to the fault line verse. Finally, at the end, the singer’s voice starts to falter and says that he’s a “lost soul”. It’s just the perfect song for acceptance. Also, the title of course and the last verse seems to relate to the quote “I see the beacons, dotting the arc of time, lighting the way to dawn.“
This is when the playlist begins to fall back down and it speaks to that, maybe not total peace, but acceptance of who you are as an individual, faults and all.
9. "Plastic Soldiers” - Portugal. The Man
Damn this song is good. I picture this song during the last episode. It continues on the vibe of acceptance but also there’s a hint of forgiveness. It is in the moment on the ship where it all began that Petra realizes that Sally may have been the one to travel back in time causing Petra to go through all the trauma. But they’re united by the fact that neither of them had the choice. Everyone else gets an important choice. Esther gets the choice to become Director, Anthony, my boi, gets the choice to go into the Blackroom etc. However, Petra didn’t get the choice of whether or not she wanted to be an agent of ODAR by Van. Just as Sally didn’t have the choice to decide if she wanted to join ODAR by Bill Donovan and events that occur afterwards. Just like plastic soldiers following orders.
10. “Running from the Rain ” - Thursday
Talk about pure emotion and no one does it better than Thursday. His voice is so heartfelt and somehow gives me all the Ars Paradoxica feels.
This is the perfect credits song.
This song captures the feeling of Sally(’s) and Petra running away from their livelihoods and everything they ever knew. Finally, they made a choice. Sally finally gets to have her road trip and both of them get to finally be free from the clutches of ODAR.
