The Music Behind Creatures of Habit

Creatures of Habit is a character-driven story, and music became one of the clearest ways to reflect who Yovanni Guerra is. Like many people, Yovanni adapts depending on the room he’s in. Around family, friends, coworkers, and strangers, he becomes slightly different versions of himself—carefully shaping his personality to fit the people around him.

The music in Creatures of Habit is deeply thematic, often tied to specific parts of Yovanni’s life and the different worlds he moves between. Certain songs lean into the seedier corners of his past, while others reflect the quieter, more wholesome parts of his life with his wife, Nicole, and their family. These choices were intentional. The genres and stations often reveal Yovanni’s state of mind and foreshadow what’s about to come.

I embedded the Spotify playlist below for anyone who wants to listen along while reading, though some songs are also listed individually here for those without Spotify.

• “Che Che Colé” — Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon
• “Nadie Como Ella” — Marc Anthony
• “Baker Street” — Gerry Rafferty
• “Bring da Ruckus” — Wu-Tang Clan
• “Blue Monday” — New Order
• “I Feel Love” — Donna Summer
• “Play at Your Own Risk” — Planet Patrol
• “Para Tu Amor” — Juanes
• “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” — CCR
• “Cruisin’” — Smokey Robinson
• “War Pigs” — Black Sabbath
• “Sunday Bloody Sunday” — U2
• “Tú Eres Ajena” — Eddy Herrera
• “Aguanilé” — Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon
• “Hooked on a Feeling” — Blue Swede
• “Nights in White Satin” — Moody Blues
• “Layla” — Derek and the Dominos
• “Si No Te Hubieras Ido” — Marco Antonio Solís