Compare songs made for a movie’s score to those made for, regular, everyday listening. There’s no denying just how different the two are. The story behind movie-score songs is made to connect to the audience on a deeper level, and, when done successfully, is amazing for both the artist and the movie.
While 2016’s “Suicide Squad” wasn’t everyone’s favorite film, there’s no denying that the score was remarkable, including 21 Pilot’s “Heathens”, Imagine Dragons “Sucker for Pain”, and Say Grace’s “You Don’t Own Me”.
Played when introducing the ever-popular Harley Quinn, “You Don’t Own Me” starts with a calm, hypnotic, melody, not exactly what you’d expect for the crazy villainess turned anti-hero. Despite this, it slowly starts to make sense.
Broken up between rap and calm singing, the song is a look into the relationship between Harley and the Joker, recognizing that Harley is independent yet still portraying how she is trapped in a bad relationship. The song also emphasizes Harley’s awareness, showing the place she is currently in and how she doesn’t want to feel “owned”.
Going from dark to pretty-in-pink, 2023’s “Barbie” had many memorable songs, including Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night Away”, Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken”, and Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”
The closing song, “What Was I Made For” was a major success. Listening to the lyrics, it doesn’t scream “fashionista, do-it-all, feminist icon” that is Barbie. But, given the route the movie decided to take, with Barbie starting to become more aware and exploring the real world, it works. Perfectly summarizing the plight Barbie finds herself in, the lyrics explain her story and the decisions she made along the way. An extremely thought-provoking, moving song, “What Was I Made For” is something anyone can relate to at any time. It has often been used as background music on various social media outlets.
When a song is made for a movie, there’s extra pressure on the artist to make it perfect. Something else gets added, and the song is somehow even better. Following the story, characters, or symbolism, songs that are part of a movie’s score add to the experience of watching a film, and sometimes become the new ‘go-to song’ for music lovers.
