The chick flick is a genre that has been cheapened by our culture’s tendency to look down on anything “girly.” This is an issue that has been going on for centuries. Jane Austin was an author who has had huge inspiration on many classic “chick flicks.” In her book Northanger Abbey, Austin gave meta commentary on how novels like the ones that she wrote, which were seen as being “for women,” were perceived as less sophisticated than other written works of the time. I feel like this perfectly reflects how audiences view the chick flick, but I’d like to disagree with this notion. I believe that the chick flick is important in centralizing the lived experience of womanhood.
With this in mind, I decided to use a current artist, Beabadoobee, who creates music inspired by the 90s and early 2000s. This is an era that is widely thought to be the golden age of chick flicks, so when I was listening to her new album, it’s no surprise that I envisioned her songs as a part of a chick flick set around Y2K. Beabadoobee has a lot of variety in her songs, so much so that it’s enough to create every kind of song in a typical chick flick soundtrack.
The opener: “Beaches”
Arguably the most important song of the soundtrack, the opening song in a chick flick sets the tone for who the main character is and what the rest of the film is going to look like. “Perfect Day” from Legally Blonde sets up the idyllic life that Elle has at the start of the movie and reflects the contentment that she has with her daily status quo. Similarly, “Suddenly I See” from The Devil Wears Prada shows the ambition of Andy Sachs, and it also furthers the contrast between her perspective and that of the other women in the film’s opening montage through its lyrics.
With this in mind, I chose the song “Beaches.” It has a slightly upbeat pace, but still has a strong sense of emotion in its melody. It’s about someone who is fed up with their same routine and is showing signs of stress, which are great qualities to set up in a main character because it gives her the motivation to want change.
The change: “Radio”
Call it what you will: The new job, the meet-cute, the threats to a small business, the break up, the move to a new place, or whatever else may come to shake up the world of the protagonist. The change is filled with new or strengthened emotions.
“Radio” is an example of strong feelings of stress and burnout. Many chick flick protagonists are known as workaholics, which makes this song a perfect representation of what the main character may be feeling during the scene that this song is played in.
The challenge: “Nothing To Prove”
Every story is driven by a conflict, and chick flicks are no exceptions to this rule. Usually that conflict is heightened by a rivalry. Whether that rivalry is with another person or not, some sort of over-the-top hijinks always ensue, usually in the form of a montage.
“Nothing to Prove” is an ironic but accurate choice in song for the challenge because the song is about not needing to get a sense of self worth from others, but that’s usually what the protagonist is trying to do. She’s trying to prove herself worthy to her friends, rival, community, or boss, so I think adding this layer of irony would add humor or at least a sense of deeper meaning to this scene.
The calm before the storm: “Sway”
The calm before the storm is a scene where the main character feels like she is finally where she is supposed to be. It could be the fulfillment of finally reaching her goal, making her rival her friend, or finding romance.
I chose the romantic route because a good love song is always fun to add to a soundtrack, and Beabadoobee’s cover of Bic Runga’s song “Sway” is honestly my favorite single that she’s released.
The third act misunderstanding: “All I Did Was Dream of You (feat. the Marías)”
This is my least favorite part of a chick flick because I find myself wanting to yell at the TV every time because the miscommunication between the main characters is almost always completely avoidable. “Just tell them the truth,” I say as my friends give me looks that make me realize I’m overly invested in the plot.
There’s so much emotional angst embedded in Beabadoobee’s single, “All I Did Was Dream of You,” and with the vocal additions of the band the Marías, there’s a lingering sadness that is so often seen during these third act misunderstandings.
The dramatic turn around: “Satellite”
I was tempted to call this type of chick flick song the “running to the airport song,” because let’s face it: most dramatic grand gestures in chick flicks involve some sort of airport scene. I decided to broaden the name because sometimes the scene is stopping a wedding, a contract, or something else instead. However, airports are what typically comes to mind. Usually an airport scene looks something like this:
Character A: “What are you doing here, can’t you see I’ve got a flight to catch?”
Character B: “No, don’t leave. I need you to stay with me.”
Character A: “I thought you only kept me around because *insert third act misunderstanding here*”
Character B: “That’s not true. I only said that because I thought you’d be better off without me.”
Character A: “My life is better off with you.”
Character B: “So don’t get on that plane.”
It’s a very over-the-top segment. However, the drama of the moment is contrasted with the fast paced running scene that is usually attached to the confrontation. This is why I chose “Satellite.”
The end: “It’s Alright”
This is the feel good ending music that plays as a witty one-liner leads into the credits.
The type of song that makes you turn to the person next to you and say, “Aw, that was cute” or “Wow, good for her.”
For this reason I chose “It’s Alright,” it’s got a mellow chorus and a bridge that’s somewhat sentimental. I could see the verses working well with some creative graphics that would be shown at the beginning of the end credits.
I hope you enjoyed the outline of what this soundtrack would look like. If you would like to listen to the full thing in order, I’ve linked the Spotify playlist I created for it below: