With the recent release of Mean Girls (2024), the movie-turned-musical-turned-musical movie came to talk around the movie’s soundtrack. Inspired by the 2018 Broadway musical, the soundtrack retains a handful of iconic songs but adds new musical elements and tracks as well. With the inclusion of original musical cast members like the talented Renee Rapp, the movie had the potential to add a fun twist, but its poor execution of the songs ended up ruining the film.
The film’s first musical number is “A Cautionary Tale,” a song taken from the musical, and gives a poor first impression for the rest of the soundtrack. Sung by Janis (Aulii Cravalho) and Damien (Jaquel Spivey), the song is cringeworthy in many ways. The lyrics are odd, the percussion is out of place, and the vocals do not mix. In addition, the manner in which they sing seems more fitting for Disney Channel than a musical movie about the drama of a high school clique. Falling into the same category are “Apex Predator” and “Revenge Party.” “Apex Predator” falls short of its Broadway counterpart. A song that was originally full of drama, suspense, and tension, which perfectly embodied the “predatory-ness” of the song, is turned into a toned-down, strangely upbeat tune with the random addition of maracas and background voices. “Revenge Party,” although features a catchy chorus, is extremely repetitive and uncomfortably long.
“Stupid With Love” and “I See Stars” sung by Cady (Angourie Rice), and “What’s Wrong With Me” sung by Gretchen (Bebe Wood) are surprisingly all different songs, despite sounding identical. Each song is extremely unmemorable overall with the same corny lyrics paired with mismatched instrumentals.
That’s not to say that the film didn’t deliver any good songs. Renee Rapp who plays Regina George left many audience members, like myself, stunned with her hauntingly beautiful voice. “Meet the Plastics,” “Someone Gets Hurt,” and “World Burn” are show-stopping songs that not only demonstrate her talent but also reflect the climactic scenes in the film that captivate the audience. Although the background instrumentals could have done more to add dramatism and oomph to accompany Renee’s powerful voice, the background chorus-like vocals add a heavenly sound that the Broadway version didn’t have. “Sexy” is another song that is a successful adaptation of the original Broadway song. It is cohesive, exciting, and upbeat. Avantika Vandanapu captures the essence of Karen’s funny and unpredictable personality perfectly through her upbeat and energetic voice. The only criticism of this track was the out-of-pocket dance break at the very end, which was uncalled for. Finally, “Not My Fault (with Meghan Thee Stallion)” was the perfect song to play during the end credits of the movie, adding a really catchy and fun pop song.
Despite these few good songs, it doesn’t save the rest of the soundtrack, or the rest of the movie, quite frankly. A beloved 2000s classic fails as a modernized remake again. Three out of five stars.
