ADRIAN MA, HOST:
For the last few weeks, we've been talking to some of the directors of ALL THINGS CONSIDERED about the music they've listened to most this year. We've been calling it ALL THINGS CONSIDERED Wrapped. Directors, by the way, are sort of like orchestra conductors for radio. And to close out the year, my colleague Scott Detrow spoke to the director of all directors on our show - Jonas Adams.
SCOTT DETROW, BYLINE: Every director had to pick a theme for the kind of music that they listen to. What was your theme for this year?
JONAS ADAMS, BYLINE: You're a father, so I'm hoping you can relate. The majority of the songs that I listened to this whole year were picked by my kids.
DETROW: Yeah.
ADAMS: They're the ones they wanted to hear over and over and over. So I really had no choice but to name my theme my kids have the aux.
DETROW: Your kids have the aux. Your kids are in control of what music is being played. I get it. I live that life, too. You've got a big squad though, so I imagine even conceding this, that you have no control, you are being pulled in different directions different times musically.
ADAMS: Absolutely. And we're going to start with my two boys here. So we'll start with my sons, Austin and Jace. They're both really heavy into comic books, graphic novels, superheroes, all of it.
DETROW: All of it.
ADAMS: They're into all of it. Yes, absolutely. And that means that they're really, really into Spider-Man and "Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse." We all went to go see it as a family, and it easily is our favorite movie of the entire year, hands down. I wanted to go with the first song on the soundtrack that they really love. It's called "Annihilate."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ANNIHILATE")
SWAE LEE: (Singing) Suit up and swing through the city. Hey, annihilate.
ADAMS: Another one of their favorites from that soundtrack, and mine as well, I won't front, is "Am I Dreaming."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AM I DREAMING")
ROISEE: (Singing) I'm still fighting. I don't feel I've lost. Am I dreaming?
ADAMS: This song, it plays just as the credits are about to roll in the movie. And if you've seen the movie, you know it gets really dramatic. When those strings start to play, I can't explain it.
(SOUNDBITE OF METRO BOOMIN, ASAP ROCKY, AND ROISEE SONG, "AM I DREAMING")
ADAMS: It just hits you in a different way. This song is incredible to me. And Roisee's voice is perfection to me on this. My daughter sings this one in the house all the time.
DETROW: I love it. The sequel was, like, a little too scary for my 5-year-old, so we've watched it maybe just once, as opposed to the 600 times of the first one. But the soundtrack to the first one was our soundtrack for the ride to school for, like, a full year, so your sons have great taste is what I'm saying.
ADAMS: Thank you. Thank you.
DETROW: You've got a daughter too, though. What is she listening to in addition to singing the "Spider-Man" music?
ADAMS: My daughter Joi, the 4-year-old ringleader - everything changed when we went to see "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" in theater. And this is her top request - "Peaches" by Jack Black.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PEACHES")
JACK BLACK: (As Bowser, singing) Peach, you're so cool. And with my star we're going to rule.
DETROW: (Laughter) I just need to point out this is the second week in a row something related to "Mario Bros." has made it into the segment, and that's OK.
ADAMS: Mario had a big year. He had a big year.
DETROW: He did.
ADAMS: Scott, my wife and I have played this song way more times than we care to admit, but it's hilarious. And Jack Black really goes all out playing the voice of Bowser. I have a video in my phone right now of my daughter singing this to me in my face, nose to nose, at the top of her little lungs. She loves it. She made us play the song over and over.
DETROW: I mean, there's a clear theme here of movie soundtracks. Is that intentional, or did that just kind of happen as the year played out?
ADAMS: I didn't even realize it until I got into it, but it's somewhat intentional, I guess. I do love soundtracks. I love scores to a good movie. When it's done right, it really takes the movie to another level for me, and I think that's why I love directing ALL THINGS CONSIDERED so much. I get to control the overall feeling of the show and help add a little more texture to it. I really enjoy that a lot. The songs I chose today though, just happened to be from the soundtracks my family and I enjoyed the most.
DETROW: Well, we always appreciate the feel and direction you place on the show each week directing. That's Jonas Adams telling us how his kids have taken over the aux chord in his truck. Thank you, Jonas.
ADAMS: Thanks, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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