For comedian Katherine Ryan, the music she grew up with left a lasting impression. She recalls her mother frequently dancing, singing, and cleaning the kitchen to 1980s divas like Madonna and Paula Abdul. Hearing Madonna’s Material Girl sparked a formative realization for Ryan, who thought to herself, “This is who I want to be.” So I’m the one who has to social climb for one, my father has no sons.
When it came to purchasing her first singles as a young person in Sarnia, Ontario, Ryan spent her chore money on Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill, a Sheryl Crow track, and TLC’s Waterfalls. She credits her uncle with introducing her to significant Canadian music during that period. Despite her love for diverse sounds, Ryan avoids karaoke, viewing it as a potential signal of an attention-seeking nature, though she concedes she would likely perform Son of a Preacher Man if forced. And he wasn’t wrong for doing so, my uncle was always trying to influence me with Canadian music. So I do try to stay away from it, although I think karaoke is the best way to let many people know straight away that you are an attention-seeking alcoholic. I’m the oldest and the wittiest and the gossip in New York City is insidious.”.
Her musical range remains broad. While she claims to know every lyric to the musical Hamilton after watching it twice, she also enjoys early-2000s R&B and hip-hop for party settings, specifically mentioning Daddy Yankee’s Gasolina. Regarding the Spice Girls, Ryan rejects the idea of being a music snob, admitting she happily plays Wannabe at any time without shame. And somehow I know all the words to the entire score of Hamilton, even though I’ve only seen it twice. [Sings Satisfied] “I’m a girl in a world in which my only job is to marry rich, the song I inexplicably know every lyric to Give me a wine.
Certain songs evoke deeper emotions for the performer. She finds Will.i.am’s What I Am, a collaboration with Sesame Street, difficult to listen to because it brings her to tears; she finds it saddening that children might need such reminders to feel special. Similarly, Boyz II Men’s Water Runs Dry makes her emotional, as the track reminds her of her changing relationship with her daughter as she matures. Conversely, she finds the song I’m So Happy by Ms Rachel perfect for her current morning routine with her children. It makes me cry because he’s giving positive affirmations to young kids about being strong and being the best version of yourself. I can’t even get through it because it makes me so sad.
Ryan notes that her perspective on comedy and music shifted around age 11 or 12 when she first heard Adam Sandler’s The Chanukah Song and Ode to My Car. Discovering those tracks showed her that music could incorporate humor and that difficult subjects or personal trauma could be made “trauma-adjacent” and funny. This realization remained with her as she developed her career.
When discussing more intimate settings, Ryan admits she generally prefers an “uncomfortable silence” to having music playing during sex, though she notes that Mario’s Let Me Love You would be her choice if required. For her own funeral, she has selected the Thong Song by Sisqó.
Katherine Ryan has recently partnered with the meal-subscription service Gousto. Further information is available on the company’s website.
