The soundtrack to the new film “Promising Young Woman," starring Carey Mulligan, Alison Brie, Connie Britton and Laverne Cox, was released Friday
By CRISTINA JALERU Associated Press
December 4, 2020, 8:08 PM
• 2 min read
Various artists, “Promising Young Woman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” (Capitol Records)
The “Promising Young Woman” soundtrack will not play with your emotions. Instead, it will straight up kick you in the gut with a dark playlist to let you know this is not a comfortable ride. The protagonist’s secret life and inner torment are laid bare either in the gothic, grunge sounds or in the disturbing lyrics about male violence.
The 16 all-female-led tracks split into four categories: two previously unreleased songs, six released, four covers and four written with the film in mind. New artist Cyn's two songs fall in the latter category: “Drinks” is a casual electropop tune that was released in April when the film was first supposed to come out and “Uh-Oh" is a horror grunge track that is part-playful, part-warning. FLETCHER's “Last Laugh” rides high on a buzzy R&B tune mixed with party pop, while DeathbyRomy’s “Come and Play with Me” delivers industrial, danger zone-level rock. Previously unreleased tracks “Nihilist” by MUNA and “Ur Eyes” by BLESSUS come as two sides of the same dreamy coin — the former in ambient warm pop and the latter a colder, mechanical iteration.
Charli XCX makes an appearance with the DROELOE remix of her playful bop “Boys” and Sky Ferreira commands the airwaves with her trip-pop sound and sinister lyrics in “Downhill Lullaby.”
But the most impactful tracks are — surprise of surprises — Paris Hilton’s 2006 attempt at music stardom with “Stars Are Blind,” which lightens the mood with its reggae, easygoing flow, and Anthony Willis’ reworking of Britney Spears' Grammy-winning hit “Toxic,” in his hands a foreboding violin-heavy arrangement that will send shivers down spines.
The “Promising Young Woman” soundtrack’s impactful aura exceeds its promise all the way to accomplished.
