Pepi Sonuga always knew she would become a performer. Even as a little girl in Lagos, Nigeria, watching “Barney” tapes that her flight attendant mother brought home, Pepi felt certain that someday, she’d be the one onscreen. That childhood conviction helped Pepi survive the culture shock of moving to Los Angeles at age 10, teen bullying, and years of grinding in an industry that tried to tell her, over and over, that she was replaceable. With her star now on the rise – with roles in Tyler Perry’s “The Six Triple Eight” and Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy” – Pepi joins Sophie to reflect on her journey so far, the songs that defined her girlhood, and her ultimate dream: to lift up the country she came from and “the little girl just like me who deserves everything she dreams about, too.” Here are her songs. "I Wanna Be a Rockstar" – Barney "You Gotta Be" – Des’ree "This Is What Makes Us Girls" – Lana Del Rey "The Only Exception" – Paramore "Dreamer" – Charli XCX "Ready" – Tems "Ojuelegba" – Wizkid

Miss Peppermint wears a lot of hats (and wigs): drag queen, first openly trans woman on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Broadway actress, Traitors contestant – and through it all, vocal trans rights activist. She’s also hilarious, fabulous, and unapologetically herself. In this episode, Peppermint dishes on her early queer icons (think Prince and Amadeus), the danger and drama of the ’90s NYC nightclub scene – and why she’s always wanted to be anything but “basic and predictable.” Here are her songs. Prince - 7 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 “Haffner” Lenny Kravitz - Believe Bush - Glycerine Deborah Cox - Nobody's Supposed To Be Here Stars On 54 - If You Could Read My Mind Ariana Grande - no tears left to cry

As the host and creator of numerous hit culture podcasts, Sam Sanders is known for having a finger on the pulse of pop culture. But growing up strictly Pentecostal in Texas, non-religious music was forbidden – so Sam got resourceful, smuggling CDs into the house in his underwear and watching MTV in secret. At 18 years old, just as he was getting ready to leave for Stanford, Sam’s life was turned upside down. Both of his parents suffered major health crises in the span of a few months, resulting in Sam becoming their caregiver. Years later, Sam would face another devastating double-whammy with the death of his mother followed a month later by a crushing breakup. In this episode, Sam opens up about the music that carried him through – from Janet Jackson videos to soaring gospel tunes to revenge-fueled breakup anthems – and why today, he’s savoring the freedom he’s been chasing his whole life. Here are his songs. Janet Jackson, “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” Stevie Wonder, "Don't You Worry ‘Bout A Thing" Richard Smallwood, "Total Praise" John Mayer, “Stop This Train" Labelle, "Isn't It a Shame" Caroline Rose, “The Kiss” Fleetwood Mac, “Silver Springs”

Sonia Manzano knows you think of her as Maria on Sesame Street – and that’s exactly the point. Growing up in the South Bronx in a household “ruled by domestic violence,” TV was Sonia’s refuge as a child – but she never saw anyone who looked like her. Years later, when she landed the role of Maria on Sesame Street, Sonia made a choice. She wouldn’t play a character; she would be herself – on purpose. For 44 years, she served as an authentic and beloved role model for millions of kids. More recently, she’s created another iconic Latina heroine through the animated children’s show Alma’s Way — this one inspired by her childhood self. In this episode, Sonia reflects on growing up “at a time when Latin people were absolutely invisible,” the power of seeing yourself reflected in pop culture, and the music that accompanied her journey. Here are her songs. Numero 6 - Bobby Rodríguez y la Compañía Lamento Borincano - Rafael Hernandez When You Wish Upon A Star sung by Jiminy Cricket [aka Cliff Edwards] Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes I Wish I Knew How It Feels to Be Free - Nina Simone Bang! Bang! - Joe Cuba Sextet Sing - Joe Raposo, cast of Sesame Street

After 25 years with American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland is taking her final bow this October. Just ahead of her last performance, the groundbreaking ballerina – who made history as ABT’s first Black female principal dancer – joins Sophie to reflect on her journey. From a shy girl nicknamed “Mouse” who grew up without a home for much of her childhood in Southern California, to a stunning career on the stages of Lincoln Center and beyond, Misty’s is a story of defying the odds. In this episode, Misty opens up about her tumultuous upbringing, dancing through six stress fractures, finding love at a nightclub, and the music that has carried her through it all. Here are her songs. Aretha Franklin - Ain't No Way Mariah Carey - Looking In N.E.R.D. - Run To The Sun Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Concerto No 21 in C Major K 467 II Andante J. Cole - Be Free Sade - Kiss Of Life Drake - Nice For What

Jamie Brisick was living the California dream – a pro surfer sponsored by Quicksilver, traveling the world and competing on the ASP World Tour. But beneath the “Malibu Barbie” facade, tragedy was brewing: his brother was descending into a drug addiction that would soon claim his life. Jamie left the world of surfing and reinvented himself as a writer, with his words appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Guardian. But sudden tragedy would soon strike again. In this episode, Jamie shares how music became both an escape from pain and a pathway toward healing. His story shows us how sometimes our greatest losses become our most profound teachers – and that life has an extraordinary capacity to “totally blow you away,” even when it seems utterly broken. Here are his songs.

To celebrate (a little over) one year of Life in Seven Songs, Sophie answers some burning questions about the show, shares a few songs off her list, and turns the mic to you — our listeners — to hear about the songs tied to your life stories. Here are your songs: Ronan Keating - When You Say Nothing At All Glass Animals - Heat Waves Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue The B-52's - Roam Radiohead - Paranoid Android Carole King - Beautiful U2 - Beautiful Day Stevie Wonder - As Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of SIlence Madonna - Vogue The Police - Every Breath You Take Thank you to everyone who sent us songs. Our inbox is always open lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.

This week, we Willkommen actor and musician Josh Radnor! Josh is best known for playing Ted Mosby on the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother for nearly a decade. But that success came at an unexpected cost: an identity crisis that left him feeling trapped in a character he didn’t create. In this episode, Josh talks about his formative role as the MC in his high school’s production of Cabaret, his first “almost kiss” (soundtracked by Aretha Franklin), how psychedelics helped him stay centered amidst the whirlwind of fame, and the chance encounter that launched his second career as a musician in his 40s. Here are his songs. Rocky Mountain High – John Denver Respect – Aretha Franklin  Willkommen – Cabaret (Joel Grey, original cast recording)  “Cabaret” All I Want – Joni Mitchell Delicate – Damien Rice  Tara – Dechen Shak-Dagsay Cmon – Fred Again/Brian Eno Listen to ⁠Josh Radnor's playlist⁠ on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Dr. Orna Guralnik broke barriers by bringing actual therapy sessions to millions of viewers through Showtime’s hit docuseries “Couples Therapy” — but her rebellious streak started much earlier. In this episode, Dr. Guralnik talks about the songs that transformed her into a "real" teenager, the therapist who changed her life, and how music has sparked both connection and conflict in her family. Plus, she draws a surprising line between Kendrick Lamar and Igor Stravinsky—and explains why therapy, like music, is a lifelong process of learning and discovery. Here are her seven songs. The Beatles - Let It Be Igor Stravinsky - Rite Of Spring Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby Robert Wyatt - A Last Straw Tuxedomoon - Bonjour Tristesse Modest Mouse - The Good Times Are Killing Mw Kendrick Lamar - Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst

Keeley Hazell has lived a life that would make great television – which is probably why she inspired the beloved character Keeley Jones on Ted Lasso. In her new memoir, “Everyone’s Seen My Tits,” Keeley chronicles her chaotic childhood, her conflicted experience as one of Britain’s famous Page 3 topless models, and her journey to shed internalized shame as she reclaims her narrative. In this episode, Keeley gets real about her internal battle between empowerment and objectification, the time she went to jail at age 14 for punching a cop, and the disastrous interview that launched her journey to become an “unlikely feminist.” Here are her songs. Pulp - Common People Mariah Carey - Hero Eminem - Criminal So Solid Crew - 21 Seconds Fish Go Deep ft Tracey K - The Cure and The Cause Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do Father John Misty - When You Are Smiling And Astride Me Listen to Keeley Hazell's playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs.com⁠⁠⁠. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠⁠⁠.

At 20 years old, Amanda Knox found herself alone in an Italian jail cell, falsely accused of a brutal murder, and facing 26 years in prison. She was called “Luciferina” in the courtroom – and far worse in the tabloids. But Amanda never stopped fighting to clear her name and tell her story – most recently, as Executive Producer of a new miniseries on Hulu. In this episode, Amanda opens up about how music became a lifeline – via the three CDs she was allowed in her cell and a paper keyboard to practice piano. Music connected Amanda to her fellow prisoners, to the outside world, and to the silly, optimistic person she’d always been. Here are her songs. Gipsy Kings - Hotel California Dido - Thank You Regina Spektor - Apres Moi Cat Power - Maybe Not Flight Of The Conchords - Hurt Feelings Florence and The Machine - Shake It Out Chris Ballew - Troubles Behind Listen to ⁠Amanda Knox's playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs.com⁠⁠. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠⁠.

This week, we’re revisiting a favorite – our conversation with former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who just released “Coming Up Short,” a memoir that doubles as a national reckoning. The title is a nod to his height — just under 5 feet — but also to a country that, he argues, has fallen short of its ideals. He offers a blueprint for how to find its way back. In this episode, Bob reflects on the moments — and music — that shaped his politics: being bullied as a child, narrowly avoiding the Vietnam draft, and his love for Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” Here are his songs. Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers Chain Gang – Sam Cooke Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops Lady Madonna – The Beatles Metaphor – The Fantasticks Suzanne – Judy Collins

You probably know Mary Louise Kelly’s voice as the co-host of NPR’s All Things Considered. But you may not know that the veteran journalist has faced her fair share of challenges – from discovering she had severe hearing loss at 40 to making an agonizing choice between work and motherhood while reporting from a Black Hawk helicopter over Baghdad. In this episode, recorded live at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, Sophie dives deep with the former national security correspondent, whose tales from the front lines are almost as exciting as her tales of falling madly in love in her fifties. Here are her songs: Debbie Gibson - Only in My Dreams James Baskett - Zip a Dee Doo Dah Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion Oasis - Champagne Supernova Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten Ylvis - The Fox What Does The Fox Say Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow Tracy Chapman - Give Me One Reason

In our first ever live episode, recorded at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, Sophie sits down with Walter Isaacson, the acclaimed journalist behind the definitive biographies of visionaries like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Leonardo da Vinci. In this episode, Walter reveals why – despite a career spent chronicling some of the greatest minds in history – the most formative “character” in his life story might be the city of New Orleans, where he grew up. Here are his songs. The Neville Brothers ft. The Dixie Cups - Brother John Iko Iko  Sweet Emma Barrett (The Bell Gal) and Her Dixieland Boys - When The Saints Go Marching In Irma Thomas - Its Raining The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil Bruce Springsteen at New Orleans Jazz Festival 2006 - My City of Ruins The Rolling Stones and Irma Thomas - Time is on My Side Jon Batiste - FREEDOM Listen to Walter Isaacson’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠lifeinsevensongs⁠.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠.

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and 2024 MacArthur Fellow who writes books for young people – but he didn’t finish a book until he was 17. Instead, Jason found his literary voice in the rap lyrics printed in cassette tape liner notes. In this episode, Jason traces his journey from a kid disconnected from his assigned reading in school to becoming one of the most influential voices in young adult literature. He opens up about his fraught relationship with his father, spinning Bob Marley records by hand on a broken turntable, and why he doesn’t want to be a parent despite having “dedicated [his] life to kids.” Here are his songs. Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y. Goodie Mob - Soul Food Tracy Chapman - Talkin' Bout a Revolution Bob Markey & The Wailers - Is This Love Camp Lo - Luchini AKA This Is it Billy Joel - Vienna Clarence Carter - Patches

Griffin Dunne was a Hollywood insider long before he became the successful actor he is today – in fact, he might not have survived childhood if Sean Connery hadn’t pulled him from the bottom of a pool. But Griffin’s story, captured in his memoir The Friday Afternoon Club, is much more than a catalog of celebrity encounters. In this episode, Griffin opens up about his parents’ divorce, landing his breakout role in An American Werewolf in London, the sudden tragedy that changed his family forever, and the music that has accompanied a life lived in the spotlight’s glare and shadow. Here are his songs: Volver Volver by Vicente Fernandez Last Train to Clarksville by The Monkees Nature's Way by Spirit Symphony No. 5: IV. Adagietto. Sehr Iangsam by Gustav Mahler Life During Wartime by Talking Heads Sailing by Christopher Cross Cortez the Killer by Crazy Horse and Neil Young Listen to Griffin Dunne’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠lifeinsevensongs.com⁠. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠.

If you’ve ever wondered, “What if God was one of us?” you probably have Joan Osborne to thank. But you might not realize that Osborne didn’t actually write her chart-topping hit. In this episode, the singer-songwriter traces her evolution from a Catholic girl in Kentucky singing in church choirs, to accidentally discovering her voice at a New York blues bar covering other artists, to finally writing her own songs and sharing hard-won wisdom with her daughter. Here are her songs: So Long, Farewell - Sound Of Music I Saw Three Ships - The Oxford Trinity Choir God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday How Blue Can You Get - BB King Shine A Light - The Rolling Stones Crazy Baby - Joan Osborne Nobody Owns You - Joan Osborne

As the creator and host of “Death, Sex & Money" – the hit podcast about "the things we think about a lot and need to talk about more” – Anna Sale has tackled her fair share of tough questions. In this episode, Anna shares the songs that helped her navigate life’s most uncertain moments – from leaving her home in West Virginia for Silicon Valley’s limitless possibilities, to figuring out how a radio reporter in New York City could build a life with a wildlife ecologist in Wyoming, to the moment her beloved show was (briefly) cancelled. Here are her songs: Bill Withers - Lean on Me Luscious Jackson - Here The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize Lucinda Williams - Side of the Road Townes Van Zandt - If I Needed You Sly and The Family Stone - Que Sera Sera Whatever Will Be Will Be Tony Toni Tone - Feels Good

W. Kamau Bell has made a career out of asking uncomfortable questions about race in America – both as a standup comedian and in his award-winning CNN series, United Shades of America. In this episode, Kamau shares the soundtrack to his life story – from bombing onstage as a young standup to inheriting “the family hardware store” of fighting racism. Here are his songs. Wade In The Water - Jireh Gospel Choir Rappers Delight - The Sugarhill Gang Times Up - Living Colour Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles Swing Low Street Chariot - 103rd Street Gospel Choir Featuring Pat Lewis Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears To Be Young Gifted and Black (2005 Remix) - Nina Simone Listen to W. Kamau Bell's full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠lifeinsevensongs.com⁠. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠.

Long before Natasha Rothwell started stealing scenes as Belinda on The White Lotus or Kelli on Insecure, she was a self-described people-pleaser and peacemaker (yes, she’s a Libra). In this episode, Natasha reveals how creating some of the most iconic characters on TV today has been a form of self-discovery – one that has transformed her from a military kid trying to fit in into a creative force who has fallen deeply in love with herself. Here are her songs. Riverside by Kirk Franklin & The Family Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra, Count Basie Oh My God - Jay-Z I Have Nothing - Whitney Houston You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette She Used to Be Mine (from Waitress) - Sara Bareilles Fix You - Coldplay Listen to Natasha Rothwell’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com.