A new series, “Daisy Jones and The Six,” recently made its debut on the streaming channel Amazon Prime Video. As soon as I saw the cast, which includes actors such as Sam Claffin, Riley Keough, Suki Waterhouse, Camila Monroe and more, I knew I needed to watch it. However, when I learned that “Daisy Jones and The Six” was also a book, I immediately begged my friend to let me read her copy. I proceeded to read the interview-style novel in less than a week and was blown away by the 1970s genre, imagery and plot twists within the book. The book itself was inspired by the legendary band Fleetwood Mac, which is also known for its tensions and relationships between the many musicians in the band. What really got through to me in the series, as well as the book, were the recurring themes of love, passion and addiction, which were often displayed throughout the songs written by the band. Daisy Jones, one of the two lead singers in the band, struggles with finding her footing in the music industry until she joins the band The Six on tour, which is where the series on Amazon Prime really kicks into gear.

The show starts off in 1970 and does a brilliant job of displaying the ‘70s atmosphere, where there are bright lights, rock and roll and a raging nightlife. Actress Riley Keough, who plays Daisy, is often dressed in flowy tops, skirts, hoop earrings, many bangles and has red hair. Her character is known as a free spirited, driven singer who is always high on life and sometimes drugs. Something about the way Keough plays Daisy makes me desire to be born decades ago, so I, too, can let my hair back, sing my heart out and dance to the music without a care in the world. Compared to Daisy, Billy Dunne, the male lead singer in the show played by Sam Claffin, is almost too sober and calm to be paired with his fiery female counterpart. His clothes are often denim and beige, which perfectly symbolizes him as well as the ‘70s men’s fashion trends. The two have an entertaining push and pull relationship where they compete with each other when they sing, write and eventually develop a deeper relationship. 

The show does a brilliant job of demonstrating just how complex a relationship can truly be. I loved the representation in the show when it came to LGBTQ+ rights and how many music labels weren’t okay with the idea of same-sex relationships. It also does an amazing job showing what different types of feminism looked like in the ‘70s. Karen, the keyboard player of the band, is always fighting the image of being “just the girlfriend” and instead wants to make a future for herself and travel the world playing her music. This was in the end why she felt so conflicted when she had a relationship with the main guitarist of the band, Graham, and ended up getting an abortion because he wanted a family life while she just couldn’t imagine that for herself. The true showstopper relationship dynamic though had to be the love triangle between Daisy, Billy and Camila (Billy’s wife). All throughout the season we would get little teases throughout the show of the idea of Billy and Daisy being together but ultimately nothing could happen. Billy is always torn between his devotion to his wife and family and Daisy, who he sees as his “twin flame.” I think so many people can relate to Billy in this way because we are always torn between what we want to do and what the right thing to do is.

I ultimately think this show will influence more teens like me to do a number of things that in most ways stemmed from the ‘70s decade. For instance, the genre of soft rock and roll with a mix of indie and pop will become more popular, influencing people to listen to more bands like Fleetwood Mac, and other ‘70s bands that have similar music to Daisy Jones and The Six. I also think ‘70s fashion will become popular again due to the amazing clothing design from Denise Wingate. I expect there to be lots of flowy clothes, bell bottoms and more orangey toned shirts, like Daisy and the rest of the band wear in the show. I cannot wait to put in my earphones and listen to the series’ album on repeat after reading and watching the show.

On this blog, members of the Carmel High School chapter of the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists (and the occasional guest writer) produce curations of all facets of popular culture, from TV shows to music to novels to technology. We hope our readers always leave with something new to muse over. Click here to read more from MUSE.