Soft Voice

Naomi Scott, Bel Powley, and Olivia Cooke star in this immersive audio drama about imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and that vicious internal critic that tells you nothing you do is good enough. Lydia has spent her entire life guided by a "Soft Voice" -- and then one day, it disappears. She is left to navigate the world on her own for the first time, and the results are messy and real. James Bloor wrote and directed the series, and the creative choices are inventive. Episode 5 features a podcast-within-a-podcast format that incorporates a fictional true crime show -- the kind of formal experimentation that audio drama is uniquely suited for. The 10 main episodes range from 11 to 35 minutes, and the tonal shifts between episodes keep the show from settling into a comfortable rhythm, which feels intentional. Apple Podcasts selected it for their Series Essentials collection, and it holds a 4.3-star rating from over 1,100 reviews. The show handles mental health themes, self-harm references, and LGBTQ+ representation with care and specificity. Some listeners wanted more resolution in the ending, but the journey itself is what makes Soft Voice stick with you. It takes the abstract experience of self-doubt and gives it a narrative structure that makes it tangible.