How Netflix’s Adolescence has a hidden detail in its songs 

Netflix's Adolescence was released on March 13, 2025.

It has received widespread critical acclaim. Co-written by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, the four-part drama depicts a horrific tale of brutality and adolescent radicalization among teenage boys. It highlights the role of online communities and rampant misogyny behind the radicalism.

Adolescence has also received acclaim for its thoughtfully chosen soundtrack. The show skillfully incorporates music into its plot, using it as a crucial storytelling tool. The music in each scene offers its emotional depth and helps convey themes of sorrow and guilt.

A hidden detail that adds to the narrative of the show is the use of Emilia Holliday's voice in the soundtrack. Holliday plays the role of Katie, the girl who was killed by Owen Cooper's Jamie Miller. This particular element gave the show an additional depth of meaning and sadness.

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More about Netflix’s Adolescence and the Hidden detail in its soundtrack

Adolescence centers on 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is taken into custody after killing his classmate Katie. As they deal with the consequences of his actions, we see the narrative from different points of view, including Jamie's family, especially his father, Eddie (Stephen Graham). The show looks into how Jamie's exposure to radical misogynist content played a role in his crime.

In Adolescence, Jamie is suspected of murdering a classmate. Despite his denials, CCTV evidence proves his culpability. The series looks at online influences, masculinity, and incel culture. A year later, Jamie decides to plead guilty, knowing that he will most certainly face life in prison. While the trial is not portrayed, his fate emphasizes the perils of digital radicalization in the modern world.

The soundtrack infuses the narrative with intense passion. Graham's Eddie Miller is a distraught father whose son Jamie is charged with the murder of his classmate Katie. Jamie appears to be a typical teenager, however, there is more than what meets the eye.

In an emotional scene, Eddie lays flowers for Katie where she was killed in Episode 2. A children's choir sings a melancholy rendition of Sting's Fragile in the background. A lesser-known detail is that Emilia Holliday sang the final lines of the song as a tribute to her character. Director Philip Barantini confirmed this, saying,

"The voice in the score is Katie’s voice."

Another hidden detail appears in the last episode. When Eddie sits in Jamie's vacant room, Through the Eyes of a Child plays in the background. Holliday also sang this rendition. This adds to the sadness of the moment in the show.

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Cast of Adolescence

The cast of Adolescence includes Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller, a devastated father coping with the community's reaction while trying to comprehend his son's behavior. Jamie Miller, played by Owen Cooper, is a 13-year-old accused of killing his classmate, Katie.

Manda Miller, played by Christine Tremarco, is Jamie's mother. Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe, played by Ashley Walters, is the lead investigator who is committed to learning the truth about Katie's death, and Briony Ariston, played by Erin Doherty, is a clinical psychologist.

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