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Becca Krueger, a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, has made songs for Dancing with the Stars, Partner Track and Love Island USA
She tells PEOPLE she stumbled into the niche after making a song for TV early in her career that took off
Though some viewers have speculated that the songs are created by AI, Krueger tells PEOPLE they’re all created by real artists — and that AI “can’t quite replicate that human experience”
As season 7 of Love Island USA set the internet ablaze with its characteristic sparks of romance and heartbreak this summer, some viewers took notice of a less-appreciated part of the production: the show’s oddly specific soundtrack.
For instance, when Huda Mustafa revealed to flame Jeremiah Brown that she was a mom in episode 4, on cue, an emotional ballad by British singer Paloma Faith started playing with apt lyrics for the way Brown may have been feeling in the tense moment: “Everything is changing, I can’t do this anymore.”
“How do they even find these songs!!😭😭😭😭” one fan posted to TikTok in a frenzy.
Becca Krueger, a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, has the answer.
In a TikTok video viewed over 2 million times, Krueger says, “Have you ever wondered who’s singing those hyper-specific songs on reality TV? Well, sometimes it’s me.”
The performer’s music has appeared in a variety of TV shows, including Netflix’s Partner Track, Fox’s Game of Talents and Dancing With the Stars. And most recently, Krueger’s cover of the Bell Biv DeVoe track “Poison” soundtracked Mustafa’s tearful reaction to Brown in the Fourth Base Challenge on Love Island USA.
Related: Love Island USA‘s Jeremiah Reveals ‘Where I F—– Up’ in His Rocky Relationship with Huda (Exclusive)
As a kid, Krueger didn’t watch much reality TV — her dad was a fan of The Bachelor franchise, and so she was “always a little resistant to it, because I was like, ‘That’s my dad’s show,’” she tells PEOPLE with a laugh. As she grew older, however, she started watching The Bachelor as a way to keep in touch with her dad, since they no longer lived in the same city.
“And now I definitely try to stay up to date, especially with the shows that I’ve had some songs in,” adds Krueger.
Celina Kenyon
Becca Krueger
But Krueger didn’t always anticipate that she’d be making music for reality TV. After graduating from college in 2017, she connected with her longtime manager, and together they were trying to figure out her place in the music industry.
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“Was I going to release my own music? Was I gonna work for other people? I was doing a lot of different things, just trying to see what was gonna work for me,” the singer remembers.
During this period of self-discovery, she found a website where she could offer freelance vocalist and music production services, and she was contacted by a producer who had a lot of experience creating music for TV.
“That first song that we did ended up doing well,” says Krueger, “and so we just kept working together.”
Celina Kenyon
Becca Krueger
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But how do Love Island producers seem to find a song that perfectly matches a moment on the show?
“I think it’s because all of these shows really highlight the human experience, and we all experience very similar emotions and scenarios,” speculates Krueger, who doesn’t typically make music with a specific intention of getting it placed in a TV show. “No matter what happens, chances are there’s gonna be a song out there.”
She notes that many of the comments on her original viral video came from Love Island fans who were shocked that the music wasn’t made by AI — and that’s partially why she feels passionately about sharing her experience as an artist on TikTok.
“I really wanted to make it clear that there are real people behind these songs,” says Krueger. “It’s a very, very important part of the industry, and I think that seeing people care about it is really important because there are a lot of things that AI can do, but it can’t quite replicate that human experience.”
She continues: “The songs may seem silly or whatever, but they’re created by real people, and this is a lot of people’s livelihood.”
Outside of creating music for TV and film, Krueger also helps write and produce music for other musicians — she has a songwriting credit on Slovak singer ADÉLA’s 2024 track “SUPERSCAR” — and she’s in the process of launching a new solo project.
And as far as TV music placement goes, Krueger says she has her eyes on someday getting one of her songs in the credits of Grey’s Anatomy.
“The closing montage is so wonderful and dramatic. I would absolutely love to be in Grey’s,” she laughs. “You get to hear a lot of the song, and I’ve definitely found some amazing songs from that show, too. Whoever’s placing those songs is doing an excellent job.”
Read the original article on People
