Media and Music: The Easy-To-Love Summer Melodies of the “Paper Towns” Soundtrack
While the movie adaptation of John Green’s “Paper Towns” didn’t live up to expectations, its sunshiney soundtrack uplifts the story’s familiar coming-of-age elements.
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
Photo Courtesy of MovieMania
Author John Green is well known for his coming-of-age novels. Take for instance the critically acclaimed “The Fault in Our Stars,” an endearing story about two teens living with cancer. The novel was adapted into a 2014 film, starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, and won similar praise for its screenplay and the chemistry of its stars. With the film’s success, another John Green novel, “Paper Towns,” was picked up by production company Temple Hill Entertainment. Unfortunately, the 2015 film did not live up to its predecessor, receiving mixed reviews due to the cutting of important story elements from the novel.
The film revolves around Quentin “Q” Jacobsen (Nat Wolff) and his search for his love interest Margo Roth Speigelman (Cara Delevingne), who ran away after the pair shared an adventurous night filled with revenge. Q follows the clues Margo left behind, which eventually lead him to Agloe, New York, a “paper town.” Joined by his best friends Radar (Justice Smith) and Ben (Austin Abrams), Margo’s ex-best friend Lacey (Halston Sage), and Radar’s girlfriend Angela (Jaz Sinclair), Q heads on a road trip in hopes of finding and reconnecting with Margo.
A major theme from the novel that is not reiterated in the film is the search for true identity, as Q and Margo are both struggling to grow up and find inner peace. The film also stresses the importance of youthful friendship, as Q's friends are willing to drop everything and accompany him on a long journey right before their senior prom to find someone who Q perceives to be his true love. The novel does a great job at explaining Q's internal struggles and emphasizes how a childhood memory created a false romantic perception of Margo, but this analysis is absent from the film. Despite the film’s subsequently rushed narratives, its beautiful and emotional soundtrack lurks around the novel's themes in every scene and helps audiences understand the true meaning of the film.
The soundtrack works to capture the wide breadth of emotions that each character encounters, featuring a range of feel-good indie songs with summer tones. From underground groups like Son Lux to chart-topping artists like Santigold, every track complements the narrative with alternately melancholic and exuberant melodies, helping audiences to experience the constant push-pull feeling of finding yourself. Each song has its own sound and message, but the combination of these diverse sounds matches the film’s metaphorical narrative style.
Photo Courtesy of Vulture
The film begins by introducing Q and Margo as children while “Swingin’ Party” by Kindness plays in the background. As Q narrates and describes Margo’s personality, the song’s distorted lyrics and soothing beats parallel Margo: comforting but cryptic. As they transform into teenagers, De Lux’s “Moments” helps encapsulate Margo’s new angsty personality as she pushes Q’s friendship away. The singular upbeat rhythm, airy vocals, and synthesizer sounds come together perfectly and leave everyone wondering who these characters are and what they are capable of.
One night, Margo unexpectedly requests Q to accompany her on an all-night journey to get back at her cheating ex-boyfriend Jace (Griffin Freeman) and backstabbing friends. Q accepts, and acts as her getaway driver. After completing their comeuppance, they drive into the night as the instrumentals of “Lost It To Trying” by Son Lux begin to play. Consisting of an enchanting opera voice, orderly woodwind samples, and a weighty baritone bass line, the electronica track has a romantic charge electrifying every word. As Q gazes at Margo staring out the window, the volume increases, highlighting the seemingly remarkable chemistry between the two — at least from Q’s perspective.
Every good high school movie needs a party scene. What brings together the entire scene — in which Jace hosts an end of high school celebration —are the indie dance bops that make the party seem more mellow than crazy. During a phone call between Q and Radar, everyone at the party dances to “My Type” by Saint Motel, which follows an infectious beat with extravagant trumpets and a formulaic dynamic that energizes the partygoers. As Q enters the party to find his friends, “Radio” by Santigold plays in the background, marking the singer’s comeback after a three year absence. Although it steers away from her typical new-wave style, “Radio” embodies her flashy and memorable lyrics and helps lay the foundation for the party’s vibe, fitting in with the film’s warm-hearted aesthetic.
The main single for the film appears during the party scene as Q is searching for clues in Jace’s room. “Search Party” was performed by then up-and-coming electronic pop artist Sam Bruno. The song was meant to follow the same momentum as “Boom Clap” by Charli XCX, the main single for “The Fault in Our Stars” that soon became inescapable on the radio. “Search Party” has a catchy mid-tempo synth beat that intensifies the song’s idea of running away to a world where only one person can find you, reflecting the film’s plot. While “Search Party” didn’t receive the same acclaim as Charli XCX’s single, it still provided an uplifting summer anthem.
After introducing many joyous songs throughout the film, several melancholic tunes are presented during the road trip to search for Margo. “No Drama Queen” by Grouplove combines folk rock qualities, perfected guitar rhythms, and unique harmonies with lyrics that portray Margo’s eccentric personality in a nutshell. After 13 hours on the road dominated by the pressure of getting back home in time for prom, “Great Summer” by Vance Joy conveys the gloomy feeling of the road trip; Joy’s celestial vocals highlight a graceful piano riff as he sings of a bittersweet summer from an adolescent’s perspective. Both songs show the full roller coaster of emotions of the road trip, from the exciting departure to the later feelings of hopelessness that the journey may not be worth the hassle.
The group finally reaches their destination and drives through the scenic routes of New York to the chorus of “Burning” by The War On Drugs. Although it is fast-paced and modern, the subtle peaks in its verses and the abstract use of synth and guitar rhythms help anticipate the journey’s official end. It also serves as a symbol of arrival with its joyous synths and momentous lyrical drive. As the group approaches the mysterious address in Agloe, the song ends, finalizing their very tense 23 hour voyage.
After an anticlimactic end to Q and Margo’s relationship, Q’s friends head back to Orlando while Q stays behind in an attempt to understand Margo’s decision. He then returns home and decides to head to prom, where he sees his friends dancing to “Falling” by sister trio Haim. With groovy bass lines, signature harmonies, and vocal hooks, the track evokes ‘90s R&B nostalgia. The scene uses the song to its advantage, as it concludes the film with both a banger and a positive message: friendship helps overcome any obstacle.
Photo Courtesy of Vulture
All in all, the "Paper Towns" soundtrack constructs a new sense of nostalgia for young adults by combining the different kinds of indie styles that dominated the musical landscape of the 2010s. While the tracks are stand-alone, together they create a cohesive playlist that exhibits an eclectic yet mellow overview of life and love. The curation of the soundtrack embodies the warm-hearted tone of its characters, and highlights the obstacles faced by each of them. The movie itself might not be super impressive, but the soundtrack is worth the listen as it is a great way to revisit the songs that embody the indie-dance genre.