Dive into every song from The Shards soundtrack

The Shards: Where American Psycho Meets 1980s Paranoia

Step into the neon-drenched, morally ambiguous world of Los Angeles in 1981, where aspiration clashes violently with absolute terror. The new television thriller The Shards is not just a show; it is a visceral, stylish dive into the toxic landscape of semi-autobiographical literature.

At its heart, the series draws inspiration from Bret Easton Ellis’ seminal novel, American Psycho. It explores the suffocating atmosphere of elite prep school life, only to introduce a seismic disruption: the arrival of a mysterious new student named Robert Mallory, which immediately spirals into a deadly investigation orchestrated by the chilling serial killer known as The Trawler.

The tension is amplified by the setting and the characters navigating a society obsessed with superficiality. Bret, an aspiring writer facing internal turmoil, finds his existence fractured when a deadly unknown enters his orbit, forcing him to confront questions of paranoia and identity. This high-stakes drama is anchored by a stellar cast including Kaia Gerber, Hayes Warner, Graham Campbell, Wes Bentley, and Evan Rachel Wood, with Ryan Murphy steering the series as executive producer.

The aesthetic commitment to the 1980s era is beautifully woven throughout the production. Beyond the period visuals, the soundtrack injects a potent dose of nostalgia and anxiety. The show features an original score composed by David Klotz and Morgan Kibby, while Troye Sivan contributes music inspired by that iconic decade.

To fully immerse viewers in the era, The Shards throws in carefully selected needle drops that evoke the sounds of 1981 Los Angeles. These cinematic sonic backdrops include tracks from Duran Duran, The Pretenders, The Human League, and more.

For instance, the opening episodes feature classic tracks that set the mood instantly:

• EPISODE ONE: The Cars – ‘Moving In Stereo’, Ultravox – ‘Vienna’, Duran Duran – ‘Planet Earth’, The Go-Go’s – ‘This Town’, The Stranglers – ‘Golden Brown’, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – ‘Crimson And Clover’, along with The Pretenders – ‘Bad Boys Get Spanked’.
• EPISODE TWO: The Human League – ‘Don’t You Want Me’, Dionne Warwick – ‘Deja Vu’, The Buggles – ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’, Fleetwood Mac – ‘Tusk’, Floyd Lloyd – ‘Rasta Roots Man’, Sly Fox – ‘Let’s Go All The Way’, and Al Stewart – ‘Year Of The Cat’.

This curated mix, released across FX and Disney+, successfully blends high-octane suspense with the unmistakable sonic texture of the decade it seeks to capture, leaving audiences simultaneously thrilled and deeply unsettled.