Have you ever been walking down the street or riding in a car and a song comes on that makes all your surroundings fade away? Suddenly, you’re the main character in a movie, everyone else is a side character, and you create an entire plot in your head to match the song. We all know that feeling.
Here is a list of main character songs to put you right in the centre of your own world. You’re the main character now.
1. Underground – Cody Fry
What’s a list of main character songs without a Cody Fry tune?
Starting off with this amazing orchestral piece, Underground will put you right in the centre of your own short film. The amazing thing about this song is that the lyrics actually tell the story. So just sit back, relax, and let the song take you to your own little world.
2. Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man
I imagine this song to be playing during some sort of race scene, whether its against someone else or against time itself. Either way, in my head, it’s a lot of running, and it definitely feels like a main character moment.
3. Please Don’t Touch – RAYE
This song portrays the moment in a rom-com when two friends, who have secretly been in love with each other for ages, take their relationship to the next level in the heat of the moment. Who doesn’t love a good friends to lovers trope?
4. Helium – Glass Animals
This song gives off forbidden love vibes. Definitely a main character song to get you in your feels. It builds, and then it’s quiet. I recommend for when your mind is racing.
5. Cry Me A River – Michael Bublé
Well, this song is so just so powerful, isn’t it? Much like the main character of the imaginary movie scene this song in playing in. It always give me James Bond villain vibes. It’s a great song for an angry main character moment. Very dramatic, very loud, and very intense.
6. September – Earth, Wind & Fire
This is a feel-good main character song for the end scene of a movie where everything works out for the main character. Perhaps there’s a little celebration in the town they live in, and the whole community comes out to dance and sing. This is a great song to go on a walk to. Strut your stuff, main character!
7. Woke Up Late – Drax Project, Hailee Steinfeld
If you’ve seen the music video for this song with Liza Koshy in it, you know exactly what main character song this is. Dancing down the street, no cares in the world, with a guy that you met last night chasing after you because you forgot your housekeys at his place. Classic strangers to lovers trope.
8. Still Feel – Half Alive
Still Feel reminds me of that scene in a film where the main character is planning on carrying out a bank heist, and this is the music accompanying the pre-heist montage. Then, on the swell after second bridge of the song, the main character is walking out of the bank with the alarms blaring and police barging into the bank, having pulled off the heist.
Oh, and they’re wearing tinted sunglasses.
9. If The World Was Ending – JP Saxe, Julia Michaels
This is such a gorgeous song, ideal for the main character going through a heartbreak. If you’re this main character, give this one a listen. Also, maybe consider adding it to your sad playlist (if it’s not already in there). Hits you right in the feels, doesn’t it?
10. Leave Me Lonely – Ariana Grande, Macy Gray
Next, we have Leave Me Lonely. This song is dedicated to the main character who just found out they’re getting cheated on. Sure, they’re sad at first, but then the anger takes over, and then the revenge plan hits them. They get back on their feet, get all dressed up and they go out. The cheating ex is there, and they watch them move on (with a much better-looking person, by the way) right in front of them. The ex regrets ever hurting the main character. And the main character has won. Yeah, that’s this song.
11. Pluto Projector – Rex Orange County
Oh, gosh. Pluto Projector may be one of my personal favourite main character songs. This song feels like when you know you have to let something or someone go, but it hurts so much. I’m sure we all have been there once or twice. This song is for those times. Remember, main characters have bad days too.
12. Balaclava – Arctic Monkeys
I think it goes without saying that the main character is wearing a balaclava while this song is playing in the background of their scene. For this one, I imagine a high-stake jewellery heist, in which the main character and their accomplices have to sneak around before getting caught, and then they have to dodge and flip in between bullets flying at them. They get away with the heist in the end though, of course.
13. Sofia – Clairo
*Sigh*. The queer love story we adored in Heartstopper in the form of a song. The main character and the love interest have their first kiss. And it’s exactly what they had both dreamed of.
14. POLTERGEIST! – CORPSE, OmenXIII
This song is the heaviest, and probably has the most bass, of all the songs in this list. This one is for the mysterious main character. They’re dark, they’re quiet. Nobody can quite figure them out. But when it comes down to it, they’re willing to do anything to protect their loved ones. So, if you’re feeling in a bad b**** mood and want a bass-y song to stomp down the street to, POLTERGEIST! is great.
15. Lilo – The Japanese House
Ever been sat on a bus or in a car while its raining, just staring silently outside at the gloomy world? Now imagine you’re longing for something you can’t have, but you’re also comforted in knowing you’re surviving without it. That’s exactly what main character song this is.
16. Close – Nick Jonas, Tove Lo
Next, we have Close, the song that I think portrays the story of the main character falling in love for the first time. They’re scared to admit their feelings to their crush, but when they finally do, everything falls into place, and boy is it amazing.
17. Centuries – Fall Out Boy
It’s a classic for a reason. This song gives ‘getting ready for battle’ vibes. Like, a ‘the Avengers have just assembled’ type situation. There may be a massive army opposite of the main character, and the main character’s side may be outnumbered, but the enemy is no match for the brave main character and their team. No, sir.
18. Wouldn’t it be nice? – The Beach Boys
This is the song that I imagine ironically plays in the background of the most chaotic main character scene. People are running, screaming, and crying while the main character is fighting, tables and glasses getting smashed, food getting thrown. Everything is going wrong, but the The Beach Boys are carrying us through it.
19. Teeth – 5 Seconds of Summer
The main character song for revenge and nothing else. You’re furious. You’re full of hatred. Someone did you wrong and you’re not going to let them get away with it!
20. Electric Love – BØRNS
Lastly, for this song, I imagine a scene in which the slow burn relationship finally goes somewhere. The main character and the love interest have been hiding their feelings for each other for so long, and they finally do something about it. Go main character! Couldn’t be happier for you!
The takeaway message
I hope you’re feeling like the main character now! If you can’t get enough of being your own protagonist, there are plenty of Spotify playlists and YouTube playlists dedicated to making you feel like the main character through music, with all different genres included. There’s truly something for everyone, no matter what type of main character you are.