Anyone but You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, came out this past January and experienced surprising box office success. Not surprising to me, a twenty-two-year-old female college student who has seen Sydney Sweeney in Euphoria, her collaboration with Frankie’s Bikinis, and is sick of binging low-production, Netflix rom-coms with subpar acting. Needless to say, my love for film coupled with an actress adored by Gen Z, made me so excited to watch it in theaters. Maybe I’m biased, but it was so good I watched it twice.
The reason I love it so much is because, to me, this movie signals the return of the Hollywood rom-com. I am on strike against the cheaply churned out films that get sucked into the black hole of streaming platforms. I have been dying to see a household name, with no distractions (*coughs* TikTok), on a big screen. There’s nothing like the magic of movies, especially when it’s paired with a fantastic PR Team.
I don’t know about you, but I took note of every Sweeney and Powell appearance, witnessing all the efforts that fueled the film’s tremendous word-of-mouth traction. In true rom-com fashion, they were seen cozying up with endless banter and flirtatious touch, leaving us all with an ‘oh shit’ face when thinking about Sweeney’s fiancé. This is just one of the factors that seamlessly contributed to the success of one the first in-theater rom-coms since COVID.
A writer at Variety coined it “a rom-com for the age of antipathy” https://variety.com/2024/film/columns/is-streaming-becoming-a-form-of-stockholm-syndrome-anyone-but-you-1235896638/. After a quick Google search to define “antipathy” as a strong feeling of dislike or aversion from someone, I had my a-ha moment. Yes, this movie is undoubtedly tailored for Gen Z. We’ve flipped the previously immutable dating rules of asking someone out, getting to know them, and starting a relationship, on its back. Exclusive? A novel concept we pioneered. Everything but the label? Absolutely. It’s the ‘I don’t really like you, but I also can’t be without you’ syndrome. Gen Z has turned traditional courtship into a chaotic blend of undefined gray areas. That’s exactly what this film is about. Sweeney and Powell, Bea and Ben, start as a one-night stand who turn to hate each other, something that has become an all too frequent occurrence. They then pretend to be in a relationship to help each other get back with, as well as fend off, their respective significant others. Might I say “anything but traditional?” Throughout the film, we watch them fall in love and fight about it, something any generation can relate to.
My main point of this article is that while watching, I couldn’t help but notice the film’s songs I recognized and loved. This led me to look up the official Anyone but You Spotify playlist and I have since become obsessed. For the past month, I’ve been playing it for my roommates and they’re hooked. Below, I cultivated my top nine from the official film’s playlist.
- “Didn’t I” (Dave Allison Rework) by Darondo, Dave Allison
- “Anyone But You” by Still Woozy
- “Got Me Started” by Troye Sivan
- “Photo ID” by Remi Wolf, Dominic Fike
- “The Spins” by Mac Miller
- “Dummy” by Portugal. The Man
- “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield
- “The Vacationer” by Hungry Kids of Hungary
- “Sick” by Dominic Fike
These songs are tried and true. If I had to sum this playlist up, it’s a blend of spring vibes (insert “The Vacationer” and “Sick”) and college classics (“The Spins” and “Photo ID”). They remind me of hanging out of a car window in your college town on the first day of spring, blasting these songs through campus, or tanning in your backyard, corona with lime in hand. Both of which I can’t wait to be doing in about two months.
The first song that stood out to me was “Didn’t I” by Dorando. The song listed here is a remix of the original, first released in 1972. It’s characterized by soulful lyrics, with elements of funk and blues. I recognized it because I’m used to hearing a sped-up version at frat parties and bars. After doing some research, Dorando apparently never gained popularity for his music until the 2000s when multiple artists, such as Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa, started sampling his tracks for their outros and choruses. I find this pretty cool as its 70’s theme permeates going-out culture across campuses today. Honest to god, I just went to my twentieth disco party this past weekend. I am a firm believer that once something goes out of style and comes back, it’s here to stay. This song might be my favorite on the playlist.
The last song that I want to emphasize is “Anyone but You” by Still Woozy. Again, I am biased, but I’m a huge fan of this artist because he was my next-door neighbor while growing up. Obviously, I am going to give him a shout-out. Regardless, of whether you are waking up to a forecast of seventy degrees or having a chill night in, Woozy’s music is perfect for any time of day. His genre is innovative and experimental; it blends electronic, psychedelic, and indie pop. It’s a sound you’ll find nowhere else with his whimsical and dreamy vocals. The intricacy of his songs is mesmerizing. He wrote this particular song specifically for the film and I’m finding my seven-year-old crush to be re-ignited.
As the self-appointed DJ of my household, my expertise doesn’t span far. But, I like to believe I know a good song when I hear one and I have about five roommates who would back me up on this. I hope you listen to these songs from Anyone but You and they make you daydream of warmer times.