Media and Music: The "Jennifer’s Body" Soundtrack Embraces Raging Teenage Angst
In the words of a certain wannabe indie band, “If you don’t get on some soundtrack, you're screwed!” Halloween is the perfect time to revisit the indulgent soundtrack of one of the best feminist cult classics to date.
In Media and Music, our writers take a deep dive into how movies use scores and songs to engage viewers, give new meaning and tone to some of our favorite scenes, and establish themes. It almost goes without saying, but there are spoilers abound.
Written by Keylee Paz
Photos courtesy of Fox Atomic Productions
In 2009, "Jennifer's Body" possessed audiences with its feminist resonance, quirky dialogue, and angsty soundtrack. Penned by Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody and directed by "Girlfight" writer Karyn Kusama, "Jennifer's Body" is a dark comedy flick released ahead of its time. The film received strong criticism for not satisfying horror needs, but what critics failed to see was the sincere reflection on misogynistic implications that remain socially relevant.
Named after the iconic Hole track, “Jennifer’s Body,” the film follows high school hottie-turned-boy-eating-demon Jennifer (Megan Fox), and her nerdy best friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfriend), who attempts to stop Jennifer from eating everyone in their small town — appropriately named Devil's Kettle. By having the protagonist and antagonist portrayed by two A-list actresses and centering on a complex response to trauma specific to women, "Jennifer's Body" cements women as the backbone of the horror genre.
Not only does the movie include the perfect amount of blood and scares, it also intertwines the themes of adolescence and "Fangoria"-esque sex appeal, making the film a strong contender for a more compelling breed of teenage slasher flicks. Emo and alternative acts like Cute is What We Aim For and Cobra Starship, hailing from the Fueled By Ramen label and sprinkled throughout the soundtrack, are what bring these conventional themes to life. Aimed at adolescent audiences, the "Jennifer's Body" soundtrack complements the dark comedy genre with its embrace of raging teenage angst.
The soundtrack opens with “I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You” by Black Kids. Accompanied by a bubbly bassline, whistling synths, and and quirky guitars, the song plays during a pep rally, with a flag-twirling, normal Jennifer, a cheering Needy on the bleachers, and Needy’s boyfriend, Chip Dove (Johnny Simmons), rocking out on the drum line. Diverting from the film's playfully sinister tone, the sugary riffs and upbeat drumming of the opening track create a distinct reality of high school normalcy. Every student is stuck in their oblivious social bubbles, no one expecting a series of disastrous events to send their tiny worlds crashing down on them. Who expects the head cheerleader of a small town high school to become a flesh-eating succubus?
"Through the Trees," a power ballad by fictional wannabe indie band Low Shoulder, functions as the twisted musical motif of the film. On the surface, the song sounds like a rehash of others on the soundtrack, but it definitely makes an iconic mark through its culminating chorus and rhythmic fuse of piano and guitar, sonically contradicting the band’s satanic intentions and haunting the town throughout the film.
After Low Shoulder performed the track at a dive bar that mysteriously caught fire, the band emerged as heroes of Devil’s Kettle and were catapulted to stardom. While other underground bands were handing out tapes at the Warped Tour, this painfully generic indie band was striking deals with the devil and sacrificing a not-actual virgin to get themselves on the map. The lyrics of "Through the Trees" create a disconnected imagery with the iconic scene of Jennifer getting sacrificed in the woods during the main chorus: “Through the trees, I will find you / I will heal the ruins left inside." These lines are heard throughout the film in different forms, from elevator music to ringtones, illustrating the lingering presence of the band's actions after Jennifer’s sacrifice.
Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams makes a notable appearance on the soundtrack with her first cogent solo, "Teenagers." The song only plays for a grand total of three seconds while Needy is making a sandwich, but its vigorous acoustic sound and gradual volume changes perfectly summarize contradictory moods and commonalities teenagers face, such as painful breakups and hypocritical mindsets. This dread-filled tune highlights the know-it-all mentality of Needy and Jennifer, whose personalities clash much too often ("We count the years, we think we’re smart / But we’re not / We don’t know anything"). Williams’ uplifting vocals and exuberant messages intensify the movie's naïve atmosphere and toy with teenage obliviousness, just as Jennifer begins her cannibal rampage on the teenage boys of Devil’s Kettle.
Despite Jennifer’s most recent kill, the students of Devil's Kettle High fixate on the upcoming school dance as if their classmate didn't just get brutally murdered. In the chaos of dance preparations and Jennifer's killing spree, Needy temporarily breaks up with Chip after discovering Jennifer isn't as human as she thought.
Florence + the Machine provides the vindictive “Kiss With A Fist” as the backdrop for the heartbreaking moment before the film dives straight into the montage of school dance preparations in full swing. The lyrics depict an extreme psychological relationship between two people, perfectly outlining the strain on Needy and Chip’s relationship: “A kick to the teeth is good for some / A kiss with a fist is better than none.” With feisty lead vocals, blaring guitar riffs, and tumultuous percussion, "Kiss With a Fist" displays an audacious attitude that successfully defines the scorned fate of the couple.
Following their split, Needy and Chip get ready for the dance by themselves to the tune of the soundtrack's lead single, “New Perspective,” by Panic! at the Disco. Inspired by a lucid dream lead singer Brendon Urie had before recording the song, "New Perspective" reflects on how teenagers are pressured to impress anyone watching. The sound is more optimistic than the rest of the soundtrack and works with impressive musical elements, containing enticing “woo-hoos,” steady, head-bopping beats, and a harmonizing chorus that differs from Panic's previous work. After Needy has cut ties with her boyfriend and best friend, the song captures her uncertainty of the future, and emphasizes how she has a literal new perspective without the company of her closest friends.
Accompanied by Hole's thrashing "Violet," the credits scene is one of the most memorable, as viewers follow Needy’s vindictive journey to kill the band that unknowingly ruined her life. On screen, a series of photographs and video recordings reveal Low Shoulder living the rockstar lifestyle the band always wanted. Courtney Love’s aggressive vocals accentuate the eccentric chord progressions and raw emotions wrapped around copious verses of resentment. As the song’s tempo dramatically increases, Needy arrives at the indie band's hotel room and kills everyone with the same murder weapon used to “'kill'” Jennifer — a bowie knife.
Low Shoulder's cover of Blondie’s “In the Flesh” (the soundtrack’s first and only cover) plays over a montage of evidence photos depicting the band's bloody corpses. The bold vocals and romantic instrumentals complement the velvety harmonies and lustful lyrics of the cover: “Warm and soft / Hot and close / In the flesh.” From heavy grunge to slow classic rock, the two credit tracks create a magnificent contrast that underline the band’s newly acquired fame and karmic loss of it in the same way it was earned.
"Jennifer's Body" is a momentous film that creates a feminist storyline embedded with a journey of adolescence that expresses sexual autonomy through Jennifer’s character. The soundtrack finds common ground with younger audiences by featuring artists whose music blend indie and rock to capture the sentimental vibe of coming-of-age films.
What makes this soundtrack superior to that of other dark comedy films is the songs’ entwinement with the movie's premise, just like how a fictional band with an indie anthem includes indirect lyrics about their satanic background. Unique tracks like "New Perspective'' and "Teenagers" compliment the film’s satanic cults and man-eating-vixens by emphasizing the story’s teenage melodrama. Unlike any other horror soundtrack, "Jennifer's Body" provides temperamental emo-kid tracks that reflect the experience of anyone's teenage years — raging hormones and stubborn angst.