CNN
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The music featured in Showtime’s hit series “Yellowjackets” is a standout element of the show.
The series, which alternates between a team of teenage soccer players stranded in the Canadian wilderness in the 1990s after a plane crash and their adult counterparts in the present, incorporates nostalgic music from the late 20th century, including songs by Tori Amos, early Smashing Pumpkins, Massive Attack, and Veruca Salt.
In a recent episode of “Yellowjackets,” alt-rock artist Alanis Morissette debuted a brand-new, original song called “Little Bird,” which plays during a pivotal scene.
“I wrote ‘Little Bird’ after the first season of ‘Yellowjackets,'” Morissette said in a statement. “It got under my skin for many reasons, not the least of which is the obvious one: of these women being left to their own devices.”
Nora Felder, the music supervisor for “yellowjackets,” spoke about the collaborative process of selecting music for the show.
“Everyone on the team always wants the best song-select possible to enhance the story,” she said. “When we get to post (production), the common question that comes up among us during the collaboration process is simply, ‘Do we think we can beat this?'”
During that collaborative process, Felder says she doesn’t “believe there is an exact roadmap into how to merge songs with any given scene or story.”
“I always say, ‘Let the picture tell you what it needs.’ (Kind of like the Wilderness I guess?)”
Another moment that feels perfectly melded to the music playing is the now-infamous ‘last supper’ scene from last week’s second episode, which boasts Radiohead’s “climbing By The Walls” from their mindblowing 1995 album “OK Computer” on the soundtrack.
“the song seems to refer to those unspeakable monsters that can live in one’s head,” Felder noted, referencing the strange collective hallucinations the group undergoes while cannibalizing one of their own. “I can’t think of a more perfect way to hauntingly accent (that) scene, a.k.a. ‘the feast.'”
To drive home just how important music is to the specific ambient feel of “Yellowjackets,” one need look no further than the super creepy Season 2 trailer for the show, which features Florence + The Machine’s exceptional and haunting rendition of No Doubt’s timeless 1995 hit, “Just A Girl.”
“I’m such a huge fan of ‘Yellowjackets’ and this era of music, and this song especially had a huge impact on me growing up, so I was thrilled to be asked to interpret it in a ‘deeply unsettling’ way for show,” band frontwoman Florence Welch said in a statement shared with CNN.
“We tried to really add some horror elements to this iconic song to fit the tone of the show. And as someone who’s first musical love was pop punk and Gwen Stefani, it was a dream job.”
Of her collaboration with “Yellowjackets,” Morrisette,too,felt inspired by the show.
“I see parallels between ‘Yellowjackets’ and my perspective while songwriting: the sheer intensity, that going for the jugular with no fear around going for the profane,” Morissette said in a statement. “I’ve strived my entire career to support the empowerment of women and sensitives, and see the world through the female lens, and what’s so marvelous about this show is that each character is allowed to be dynamic and complex as opposed to oversimplified, reduced versions of women.I feel honoured to be a part of the legacy of ‘Yellowjackets.'”
The Music of “Yellowjackets”: How Soundtracks Enhance the story
By Anya Sharma | LOS ANGELES – 2025/06/22 08:35:45
CNN
–
The music featured in Showtime’s hit series “Yellowjackets” is a standout element of the show.
The series, which alternates between a team of teenage soccer players stranded in the Canadian wilderness in the 1990s after a plane crash and their adult counterparts in the present, incorporates nostalgic music from the late 20th century, including songs by Tori Amos, early Smashing Pumpkins, Massive attack, and Veruca Salt.
In a recent episode of “Yellowjackets,” alt-rock artist Alanis Morissette debuted a brand-new, original song called “Little Bird,” which plays during a pivotal scene.
“I wrote ‘Little Bird’ after the first season of ‘Yellowjackets,'” Morissette said in a statement. “It got under my skin for many reasons, not the least of which is the obvious one: of these women being left to their own devices.”
The Role of Music Supervision
Nora Felder,the music supervisor for “Yellowjackets,” plays a crucial role in selecting the perfect songs to enhance the show’
