Pop Culture Happy Hour Halloween Songs
Oct 28, 2025
Hazel Sills, NPR Music Editor, shares her insights on expanding the Halloween music canon. They discuss the spine-tingling atmosphere of songs like Phoebe Bridgers' 'Killer' and Fever Ray's 'If I Had a Heart.' The conversation dives into nostalgic hits like the Goosebumps theme and Halloween classics, examining how commercial pressures can overshadow niche artists. New releases, such as Lady Gaga's collaboration with Tim Burton and Ethel Cain's haunting tunes, surface as fresh additions to this eerie playlist.
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Intimate Horror Resonates
- Phoebe Bridgers' "Killer" shows horror can be intimate and human rather than campy spectacle.
- The song's whispered, self-reflective tone makes internal fear feel truly terrifying.
Soundscapes Create Creature Empathy
- Fever Ray's "If I Had a Heart" uses opaque lyrics and foreboding sound to create monster-as-human dread.
- The music and visuals make the project feel like a living, monstrous presence.
Halloween Canon Goes Commercial
- The hosts note Halloween music's chart resurgence invites commercial opportunism from labels each October.
- They worry mainstream pop could crowd out niche spooky artists like Fever Ray.
