1899 premiered on Netflix one year ago today and even though I’m still completely utterly devastated over the unrightfull cancellation I’m just so thankful this show got to exist in the first place. I’m so thankful that it got what it got even though it deserves more🥲
And I truly can’t recommend it enough! 1899 is captivating and thought provoking, with a plot that runs so deep and characters that are far more than what you see on the surface. It truly truly is worth the watch and will keep you guessing till the very end (and beyond because yk Netflix is shit)
So please if you haven’t yet GIVE IT A WATCH! You won’t regret it
Rating Song Spotify Picks for 1899 Characters (1/2)
I shuffled my liked songs (the most vast playlist I have), then analyzed them to see how well the lyrics or overall vibe matches the character. Here's how it went!
Maura - Cigarette Daydreams (Cage The Elephant)
Strong start! I think this actually isn’t far off from Maura, and the theme of loss can tie back to Elliot, relating to Elliot’s condition slowly getting worse, but Muara’s struggle because of it going up alongside it. The themes of there being a physical closeness but emotional detachment make me think of Maura’s possible relationship with Daniel throughout all of it. There are definitely some takeaways, but I think I’ll give this a solid 7/10!
Daniel - House Of The Rising Sun (The Animals’ version)
Now, Daniel doesn’t waste his life away in the House of the Rising Sun which is widely understood to be a brothel, but if you really try, you can make the house out to represent the simulation. It doesn’t directly relate back to him, but you cannnnn see it as wasting time in a perfect world instead of facing the reality of 2099 (if that really is reality…). I’ll go with 4/10.
Eyk - You Get Me So High (The Neighborhood)
I can see this relating back to Sara, because I like to believe that she and Eyk deeply loved each other before she passed, regardless of Maura’s later connection. However, this song is about the high and intoxicating part of being with someone who understands you and it being taken away, I don’t think that’s exactly what they had. The latter part, though, can resemble their connection being broken when Eyk’s work gets in the way, and I think that’s worth something. 5/10.
Ángel - Please Please Please (Sabrina Carpenter)
I think out of anyone on this list, this applies to Ramiro, not Ángel. The overall tone doesn’t match (I’d be more convinced if it was the acoustic version), but the idea of ‘keep yourself together’ makes me think of Ángel having to keep his head down and Ramiro enforcing that. But this just isn’t it; I save so many songs that encapsulate Ángel, and this just doesn’t do it for me! 3/10!
Ramiro - The Killing Moon (Echo & the Bunnymen)
This is an amazing pick! While the song encapsulates the show with its core theme being the meaning of life, the verse reminds me of Ramiro with Ángel, depicting some being taking the protagonist by force. In my head, this makes me think of an early reluctance to love and Ángel cutting to the chase. I could be reading into this too much, with this song and the others, but I’ll give this a 7/10 for effort!
Ling Yi - A Different Age (Current Joys)
I’ve said it five times and I’ll say it again: I can see the vision, and I believe it can go back to Ling Yi and her mother. She wants to leave their harbor and see more things, which eventually leads her to make big mistakes. Yuk Je, and her eyes, cannot understand this like she can because she has lived a safe life as a prostitute to provide for the two of them; Yuk Je bottles herself, Ling Yi does not. But by the end of episode three, Ling Yi starts to want to change, sort of going back to “And I wish I could change, but I’ll probably just stay the same”. 6/10 for effort.
Yuk Je - Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles)
It was bound to give me a Beatles song at some point with my music taste! But I do not see the vision. You could argue that Yuk Je is one of the many lonely people, surrounded by people but only remembered by her daughter, but I believe that’s as close as the story of this song and that of hers collide. Great song, though! 3/10 because I have a Beatles bias.
Jérôme - The Bug Collector (Haley Heynderickx)
Yeah, I don’t think so. The story in this song shows someone trying to make their partner feel safe while also teaching them to enjoy the world, and nothing comes to mind relating Jérôme or others in his journey. I’ll give this a 1/10 because I can’t find anything that may relate to him.
Clémence - Advice (Alex G)
Interesting! I would say it could resemble Clémence confronting Lucien, but the narrator truly cares about the person receiving the Advice, and the rest speaks for itself. I feel like I’m missing something, but other than that, 2/10!
Lucien - Stress Relief (late night drive home)
I don’t think it’s impossible to associate this song with Lucien, but I can’t. I’ll cut to the chase: 1/10.
I think I was hoping for shocking responses, but this bunch isn’t too bad! Cigarette Daydreams rightfully earned first place for this half of my list of characters, and we’ll see what arises next shuffle!
