People We Meet On Vacation is a friends-to-lovers story that basically lets the music carry the luggage. The movie swings from airport farewells to wedding dance floors, and the soundtrack is doing a lot of the romance and nostalgia heavy lifting. So if you came here to figure out what song was playing when your heart cracked a little, I’ve got you.
The setup
Based on Emily Henry’s novel, the film pairs Emily Bader and Tom Blyth as longtime best friends Poppy and Alex, who are opposites in every possible way and, for years, refuse to let anything cancel their one-week summer trip. Then a vacation in Tuscany goes sideways, they stop talking for two years, and life (as it does) shoves them back together at Alex’s brother David’s wedding in Barcelona. The movie jumps between past trips and the Barcelona present, which is why you’ll see a Canada bus ride and a wedding cocktail hour living in the same love story. Through all of it, the music keeps the feelings honest.
The score: breezy on the surface, bruised underneath
Composer Keegan DeWitt (All the Bright Places, Hearts Beat Loud, Love Again) provides the film’s pulse: warm, airy cues that sneak up and gut-punch you in the quiet moments. Netflix Music dropped the People We Meet On Vacation score album digitally on January 9, 2026, day-and-date with the film. You can stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music. Worth noting: the score is officially out as an album; there isn’t a single official release bundling all the licensed songs, so you’ll have to hunt those individually.
The score cues don’t blare; they breathe under scenes, especially the ones where nobody’s saying the thing they should be saying. Highlights include:
'Alexander the Greatest' (1:34) eases you into the film’s world with a warm, inviting opener. 'Be Who You Want to Be' (1:16) is a soft, self-reflective motif. 'Vacation from Vacation' (0:49) is a breezy travel pulse. 'Only Weird with You' (2:22) turns into the quiet romance thread, like when Poppy and Alex share that low-key bar dance. 'She’s All Yours' (1:28) hints at friction when Poppy’s boyfriend shows up during a summer trip. 'One of My Favorite Trips' (3:07) leans nostalgic, looking back at their best days. 'I Don’t Deserve You' (1:08) is a small, aching sigh of a cue. 'You’re My Friend' (3:13) lifts with strings and piano, celebrating their bond. 'Probably Always' (2:22) is wistful, landing on a pivotal emotional beat. 'Home' (5:35) is one of the score’s most poignant themes and plays at the end when Poppy and Alex finally find some version of belonging together. And 'People We Meet on Vacation' (2:46) closes the loop as the title theme.
Every needle-drop and where it hits
- Forever Your Girl — Paula Abdul (10:50): On the drive to Ohio, this early-90s pop blast matches their playful back-and-forth and Poppy’s free-spirited energy.
- Ani Kuni — Polo & Pan (20:48): During Poppy’s gym sequence, the eclectic French electronic track mirrors her restless, conflicted headspace about going to David’s wedding.
- Hang with Me — Robyn (24:21): Poppy waits at the airport to fly out after two years of radio silence with Alex; the vulnerability in this song, used in early trailers too, nails her nerves about seeing him again.
- It All Feels Right — Washed Out (29:48): On the bus up to Canada and into their camping detour, it captures the easy rhythm they fall into when they’re just traveling side by side.
- Genesis — Grimes (34:29): On a boat ride that turns into a spontaneous invite to a camp, the track’s dreamy propulsion makes the detour feel adventurous and slightly otherworldly.
- Esperar Pra Ver — Evinha (37:02): Alex goes skinny-dipping, Poppy goofs off with their boat driver, and this Brazilian gem brings playful, flirty looseness to the moment.
- I Don’t Know What I Can Save You From — Kings of Convenience (44:36): Driving a rental car to David’s wedding in Barcelona, Alex at the wheel, the introspective indie-folk mood lines up with Poppy’s uncertainty about what they are now.
- Hello Hello Hello — Remi Wolf (49:55): In a bar on one of their summer trips, when they pretend to be married, Remi Wolf’s chaotic charm matches their chemistry and how easy it is for them to blur boundaries.
- Forever Your Girl (Reprise) — Paula Abdul (53:00): Back on the bar dance floor re-creating a wedding dance that never was, the song circles back to underline how silly and sincere they can be together.
- august — Taylor Swift (1:09:30): At David’s rehearsal dinner, the bittersweet summer ache of this track tracks perfectly with Poppy’s complicated hope and fear.
- L-O-V-E (Italian version) — Nat King Cole (1:11:06): After a post-dinner argument, this classic croon plays with cool irony, soothing the scene while emphasizing how fragile things are between them.
- When I Get My Hands on You — The New Basement Tapes (1:30:21): As they get ready for the wedding and finally give in to the make-out energy, this folk-rock slow burn amplifies years of pent-up longing.
- Stumblin' In — Cyril (1:31:17): Wedding reception time; the dance floor lights up and the crowd’s joy becomes the backdrop for everything coming to a head.
- X’s — Cigarettes After Sex (1:32:34): Poppy and Alex dance together at the wedding; the hazy dream-pop glow makes their realization feel inevitable and wordless.
- High Ground — ODESZA feat. Naomi Wild (1:48:16): In the closing vacation scene, this lift-off of a track brings the story home on a hopeful note: love, growth, repeat.
Between DeWitt’s unobtrusive-but-devastating score and a licensed mix that ranges from Paula Abdul to Taylor Swift to ODESZA, the movie plays like a summer playlist with an actual plot. The score album is out now; the licensed tracks aren’t bundled in one official release, but you can stream each song on your platform of choice.
People We Meet On Vacation is now streaming on Netflix. Favorite track from the movie? Drop it in the comments and make me update my playlist.