'The Idol' soundtrack is causing a buzz—here are all of the songs from the HBO series

Listen to a few tracks from 'The Idol' soundtrack and see what The Weeknd had to say about his curated project

All of the songs on The Idol soundtrack. Pictured: Lily-Rose Depp HBO The Idol Season 1 - Episode 2
(Image credit: Eddy Chen/HBO)

Jocelyn's story might be a contentious one, but viewers are relishing in The Idol soundtrack. (Well, at least what they've heard thus far.)

For weeks, The Idol controversy has dominated headlines, but when the Max miniseries by Sam Levinson, Reza Fahim and Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye premiered on Sunday, June 4, viewers listened up. Regardless of how they felt about the show's explicit content, they seemed to be in favor of its musical accompaniment. 

The Idol follows up-and-coming pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), who crosses paths with a tainted nightclub owner and cult leader, Tedros (Tesfaye), so track lists were going to be an incredibly important part of the storyline. (Here's who The Idol is based on, by the way. And if you're wondering, 'Is The Idol about Selena Gomez?' we've got news on that, too!) In fact, The Idol Vol. 1 promises a bunch of playlist-worthy tracks you probably won't want to miss. 

"There’s a whole album. I’m not shying away from making music. It’s just adding another element to my already crowded schedule," Tesfaye told Interview about the album he's curated for the show. 

'The Idol' soundtrack: here's how to listen

Although The Idol has already premiered—and new episodes will stream on a weekly basis—The Idol Vol. 1 won't be released until Friday, June 30. You can pre-order it on The Weeknd's website

Judging from the initial song selections featured in the episodes so far and in Tesfaye's interview, where he states he took inspiration from Prince's Purple Rain and Pink Floyd's The Wall, fans are curious to hear more.

"What I know is that I do challenge myself, and this was a challenge," Tesfaye further revealed to Interview. "This was something that I’ve always wanted to do. Film and TV, mainly film, has always been kind of the heartbeat of everything I do artistically."

(By the way, if you were wondering if Lily-Rose Depp is really singing as Jocelyn, we have the intel.)

'The Idol' soundtrack: released tracks

Though we're still waiting for the album in its entirety, you can still enjoy some of the singles from the show over on Spotify: 

Songs in 'The Idol' episode 1

  • “Criminal” by Fiona Apple
  • “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj
  • “Andromeda” by Ethel
  • “Like A Prayer” by Madonna
  • “Telegram Sam” by T. Rex
  • “On My Mind” by Diplo
  • “I Put Something In Your Drink” by Ramsey
  • “Piece Of Your Heart” by Meduza
  • “From Death” by Mike Dean
  • “Darling Nikki” by Prince

Songs in 'The Idol' episode 2

  • “Double Fantasy“ – The Weeknd with Future
  • “Family“ – The Weeknd with Suzanna Son
  • “Devil’s Paradise“ – Mike Dean

Songs in 'The Idol' episode 3

  • “A Lesser Man” by The Weeknd
  • “Take Me Back (All Of Me)” by The Weeknd
  • “Get It B4“ by Moses Sumney

If you're more interested in the fashion featured on the show, check out how to get a pair of Lily-Rose Depp's sunglasses from The Idol and the buzzy Lily-Rose Depp bikini lookalike—but keep in mind that you'll definitely need a large helping of SPF for that skimpy number.

The Idol airs on Sundays at 9pm Eastern on HBO and Max.

Danielle Valente
Digital News Writer

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.


Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few. 


When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again.