Kourtney Kardashian Barker and Travis Barker Break Down Their Wedding Playlist
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Kourtney Kardashian Barker has become accustomed to the majority of her life being captured by the cameras, but when she and Travis Barker originally began considering their 2022 nuptials, they had no plans to record any part of it. The couple embarked on three weddings: a drunken post-Grammys romp in Las Vegas as well as small, family-focused parties in Santa Barbara and Portofino, Italy. To their surprise, their friends and families captured a lot of it on their phones, creating intimate footage of the pair’s love and joy that they decided to turn into the Hulu documentary Til Death Do Us Part: Kourtney and Travis.
“I feel like so many people probably don’t watch a lot of their wedding footage afterward,” Kardashian tells Rolling Stone over the phone. “It was just so, so special to create this. And the music was actually a big part of that.”
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Accompanying the documentary, which is out now, Kardashian and Barker crafted a 13-song playlist full of music featured in the wedding special, or privately during the ceremonies. “Each song was such a specific choice in the documentary,” she says, “and I think it’s cool that we get to talk about that.”
“First Day of My Life,” Bright Eyes
“I had never heard Bright Eyes until Travis played this for me,” Kardashian admits. It’s used in the documentary to soundtrack the pair getting reading for their wedding in Portofino. “It so reminds me of him. Every time I watch [that scene] or hear the song, I get emotional.” It was already a song that Barker loved, but that now has a new meaning because of its connection to his relationship with Kardashian. “When you find your person, suddenly these songs have a deeper connection to you,” the drummer, who also spoke to Rolling Stone over the phone, says.
“At Last,” Etta James
Barker says Kardashian didn’t want a first dance, but he insisted they mark the occasion with one. They technically have a few they can count now: the Elvis impersonator in Vegas, as well as Andrea Bocelli’s set. But the Etta James classic soundtracked their first dance alone in Portofino.
“Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Elvis Presley
All of the footage of the Vegas wedding was “super raw,” according to Kardashian, since it was taken by Barker’s drum tech and manager on their iPhones. They ended up not being able to use the recording of their Elvis impersonator officiant singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in the documentary. “The Elvis estate won’t clear the song,” she says. “I understand that.” But the song also made a special appearance at the Portofino wedding when Andrea Bocelli sang it during his surprise set, bringing the moment full-circle. “Our first wedding and our last wedding had that.”
“Love in Portofino,” Andrea Bocelli
Like at her sister Kim Kardashian’s wedding to Kanye West, Bocelli gave a surprise performance at the Kardashina-Barker nuptials. “It was just legendary,” Barker says of the unexpected guest. “That one felt really special to us,” Kardashian adds. “He performed with his son, which was really cool too.”
“Wish You Were Here,” Pink Floyd
“This is the song we fell in love to,” Kardashian says before explaining the story: One night, after hours of drinking, Kardashian asked Barker what his five favorite albums were. It was a difficult prompt for Barker, especially under the circumstances. He settled on playing her one of his favorite songs, this Pink Floyd classic. “It was three in the morning after making love, completely naked in bed, and it was one of those moments where you’re like, staring at someone, and it dawns on you that you’re falling in love with the person,” the drummer describes. “I’ve listened to that song since I was really, really young, and I love that it’s something I fell in love with her to.”
“All the Small Things,” Blink-182
During the documentary, Barker’s son Landon is seen introducing a special performance by Machine Gun Kelly before the DJ blasts Blink-182’s “All the Small Things.” Barker has loved seeing music he had a hand in creating be used in moments like these, not just for his special day. “With ‘All the Small Things,’ my band at one point were like, ‘We never want to play that song, and we never want to hear it ever again,’” he admits. “And then it comes around, and you’re like, ‘This song is actually awesome.’ And you’re proud of what you wrote.”
Soon, Kardashian, who has never been to a Blink-182 show before, will see Barker’s band play live on tour. They’re both excited for the experience which has been accidentally put off for ages. “He used to invite me all the time when we were friends,” Kardashian explains. His frequent touring kept them from having the space to pursue a romantic connection until the pandemic hit. The upcoming Blink-182 reunion tour with Tom DeLonge will be the first time the group has played since Barker and Kardashian began their relationship.
“Everlong (Acoustic Version),” Foo Fighters
Barker was close with Taylor Hawkins, and was intensely grieving following the drummer’s passing. During the couple’s shared gym time, they would blast music by the Foo Fighters to keep Hawkins near and help prepare for the tribute show in London. A week out from his appearance at the September 2022 memorial concert, “Everlong” came on and created a special moment of release and connection for the pair. “I remember the song coming on, and I didn’t really have the words,” Barker recalls. “We just stood there for the entire song, holding each other and not saying a word. It was just the deepest connection brought on by the most unfortunate circumstances. It struck a nerve and has been a part of us ever since.”
“Just Like Heaven” & “A Letter to Elise,” The Cure
Other than being a longtime fan of the Cure, Barker’s love for “A Letter to Elise’ has grown stronger — but not necessarily by choice. When he plugs his phone in to play music it’s one of the songs that automatically starts playing if he doesn’t put something specific on right away. So the couple have heard the track a lot together and feel like it’s an apt description of their relationship and love story. Similarly, he describes “Just Like Heaven” as a “very good soundtrack to everything that happened with her and I.” Kardashian remembers listening to the song on their Valentine’s Day trip to Amangiri, Utah, in 2021.
“Fly Me to the Moon,” Frank Sinatra
One thing that may surprise fans of the couple is that they listen to the Siriusly Sinatra channel all the time together while riding in the car. They have a shared love for the American Songbook and jazz standards by the likes of Sinatra, Etta James, and Nat King Cole, all of whom appear on the playlist. “It’s our favorite music to listen to,” Kardashian says.
“Tired of Being Alone,” Al Green
Barker thinks the lyrics of this Al Green song perfectly encapsulate the pair’s slow-burn relationship. They had been friends for years before they got together, even when they were both single at times. Their respective friend groups kept pushing for them to consider each other. “We both knew that the minute we get together, it was going to be powerful, and we might not be able to control it,” he says. “We got together in a time when we were sick of being alone. We were home for each other long before we had been together romantically.”
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