People submit music to me, and I also go and search on my own. KL: I would say we go through thousands of songs because a big part of my job is to filter. In a typical season, how much music are you going through to craft a soundtrack? This season the theme was about choices - reflecting on choices that you’ve made or thinking about choices that you are going to make and what is the impact of that decision on your life, whether in the past and where it’s led you and how this choice will affect your future. It will depend from season to season a little bit. KL: At the beginning of the season, I’ll read the scripts that come through and then I usually talk to Issa a little bit at the beginning about what are the story themes that she wants to really highlight through the music. And we were all kind of in a room together just talking about artists that we were really excited about, and there were names like Thundercat and Anderson Paak.Ĭan you break down the creative process of choosing music for each episode of “Insecure” and particularly this last season? Solange was involved at the beginning, along with me, musical composer Raphael Saadiq, and Prentice. She gave some kind of references of artists that she really liked. But she really wanted to focus on local L.A. I think she even said a few times, that even if the show is trash, the music will be amazing. Kier Lehman: The original direction came from Issa. Kier, what were some ideas you had when you were hired to oversee the music for Insecure? Prentice Penny - Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP I had not worked with Black people since I left “Girlfriends” in 2007, and “Insecure” felt fun and creative. I just thought there’s never going to be a show that’s so specific to my life and my background. Prentice Penny: When I read it I just thought it was like a great script- the pilot was just a great script and I knew those worlds and I grew up in that area. What were some of the ideas that you had going in, and did you think that “Insecure” was going to be the cultural phenomenon it turned out to be? “Insecure” was your first showrunning gig. IndieWire caught up with Penny and Lehman to discuss their initial goals when first joining the show and the cultural impact “Insecure” leaves behind. A former Sony music executive with a golden ear, Lehman has forged an enviable career, selecting the music for the Oscar winning animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and scoring an Emmy nomination for his work on “Insecure.” The other part of what made “Insecure” must-see TV is its impeccably curated soundtrack, headed by music supervisor Kier Lehman. I really think I have something that I can uniquely offer different than any showrunner you’ll find.” “I just thought, this is… this is really a good script. Penny, who had an admirable resume as a writer and producer with hit comedy series like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Scrubs,” and “Happy Endings,” read the pilot script for “Insecure” and was instantly sold. Part of the success of “Insecure” is the assured leadership of the series’ showrunner, Prentice Penny. 'Euphoria' Season 2 Trailer: Zendaya and Cast Make an Explosive Return to HBO The Best Gifts for 'Game of Thrones' Fans Rae would eventually partner with comedian and producer Larry Wilmore (“Black-ish,” “The Bernie Mac Show”) to develop the concept for “Insecure,” and HBO optioned the series in 2015, with the pilot episode airing one year later. During the 2020 Emmys, Rae shared a story about how a white executive tried to explain to her what Black viewers wanted to see. But even with over a million views, a loyal fan base, and a 2012 Short Award for Best Web series and a spot on Forbes 30 under 30, Rae found it difficult to pitch her series to network executives. Issa’s depictions of being “Black and Awkward” resonated with audiences who could see themselves in the main character, J. The Stanford University grad first found fame with her hilarious web series “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl” in 2011. Rae’s journey to getting “Insecure” on the air is a study in patience and determination. Through the eyes of Issa Dee (the show’s protagonist) viewers were given access to the highs and lows of a single Black woman doing her best to navigate her personal and professional relationships with wit and passion. The brainchild of star/writer Issa Rae, “Insecure” focuses on the lives of a group of 30-something friends in southern Los Angeles, highlighting a cultural specificity of Black life rarely seen on the small screen. After a five season run, the hit HBO series “ Insecure” will make its final curtain with the airing of its series finale December 26.
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