When I went to go see “Bridget Jones’ Baby” at 100 Oaks last weekend, I was expecting a hilarious movie full of Bridget’s awkwardness and Patrick Demsey’s gorgeous face. Not only did I get that, but I walked away with several new additions to my favorite playlists. Here are five of the songs that I can’t get out of my head since leaving the theater.
1. “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne
This mega-upbeat, dance-pop song first grabbed your attention when the trailer for “Bridget Jones Baby” came out. It’s quickly become the song that I put on the second I’m out of classes for the day and get to finally go home. Unlike a lot of trailer songs, this one is actually in the movie too. Jess Glynne is more popular in the UK than the US, but this song did chart at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her first solo chart entry on the list.
2. “Still Falling For You” by Ellie Goulding
If you weren’t sure that Ellie Goulding is the queen of the movie soundtrack, then this song proves it. She follows up the success of “Love Me Like You Do” for the first Fifty Shades movie with this charming melody. The lyrics depict a love story just like Bridget and Mark Darcy’s, and the song was actually written by Tove Lo (singer-songwriter on “Habits (Stay High),” “Talking Body”) and Shellback (who worked extensively with Taylor Swift on “1989”) just for “Bridget Jones’s Baby.” This is the “I’m already in love with you but I’m falling all over again” song that I hope to play at my wedding one day. Ellie, please never stop making music, especially for movies. Your voice just makes me want to lean back into the passenger seat and look out the window at the pretty lights of downtown. Ahhh.
3. “Meteroite” by Years and Years
Years and Years return from their year off with this “unashamedly disco and upbeat” track off the new “Bridget Jones’s Baby” soundtrack. First time I heard it, I thought it was Justin Timberlake because it manages to be a sensual dance track, which I thought was JT’s exclusive genre. Years and Years does it, though, and hits it out of the park. Good news is they’re set to start work on their second album.
4. “Reignite” by Knox Brown, Gallant
My mistake, THIS song is the sensual one on the soundtrack. It reminds me of a more jazzy, Bridget-y version of The Weeknd’s “Earned It.” One review said it best when they advertised this song as the one to put on “take me back” post-breakup playlists. It’s smooth, soulful nature will have you contemplating a reunion with an old flame (but take it from this writer, DON’T do it).
5. “F**k You” by Lily Allen
It’s CRAZY to think that this song came out in 2009. It’s about time it came back into circulation, and I have Bridget to thank for that! Especially with all of the hateful comments being hurled around in 2016 election and police brutality dialogues, this song can serve as a calming breath of fresh air. In Bridget’s case, I can see her charging into that daunting annual Christmas party, singing this song in her head as a mantra.
You can find all the songs featured in the movie and on the soundtrack on this Spotify playlist. Now don’t just bloody sit there! Get to listening!