Stargirl has a lot of things that set it apart from other DC shows, but one of the first season's truly remarkable aspects is its flair for the dramatic when it comes to music. Even setting aside regular background music, almost every episode features a song from outside the show chosen specifically to suit the scene it's scoring.
This can range from amazingly dramatic numbers to simple musical jokes. But regardless, the songs chosen for Stargirl truly go the extra mile to make the show worth watching. So, let's look at some of the best songs from the series' debut outing.
The Man by The Killers
One of Stargirl's strongest elements this season has been its villain, Jordan Mahkent (Icicle). He's cool, collected and above all else, terrifying. Mahkent is absent for the first two episodes of the show, serving only as a background threat. However, the end of the second episode sees Icicle returning to town, set to the cool tunes of The Killers' 2017 hit. The song's lyrics are meant to be ironic, bragging about a kind of over-the-top masculinity felt only by the young and invincible, but in this case, they serve to contrast Neil Jackson's understated performance.
Love Myself by Hailee Steinfeld
Hailee Steinfeld's 2015 song about self-acceptance serves as the opening track for Episode 4 as it plays over a flashback to Yolanda Montez's fall from grace. What had happened to Yolanda had been a mystery up until this episode, and the flashback puts her actions in the previous three episodes into perspective. What makes the song truly cutting is the audience knows what Yolanda is like in the present -- she's depressed, angry and self-loathing, the exact opposite of the positive and upbeat girl seen in the montage and described by the song.
Juice by Lizzo
Juice plays only briefly during Episode 5, serving as the track used to underscore the reckless atmosphere of Cindy Burman's Halloween party. But there's no more fitting song for a house with, as Beth Chapel puts it, "80 underage drinking violations." The song is unabashedly fun and does more work to establish the ambiance of the scene than any other singular element.
Heads Will Roll by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Heads Will Roll plays during the same scene as Juice, although it's used for a very different purpose. While Juice sets up the ambiance of the scene it's in, Heads Will Roll instead serves as a character theme for Cindy Burman (Shiv) as she dresses up for her party. It fits her imperious nature as the Queen Bee of Blue Valley High School, with the threat of execution foreshadowing her bloodthirsty nature (which wouldn't be seen until two episodes later). The other half of the song's recurring lyric (Off with your head/Dance 'til you're dead) also highlights the part of Cindy's character that wants to have fun. While she cares about status above all else, she throws parties and drinks because she genuinely enjoys doing so. Her character is centered on her own hedonism, and that applies equally to both partying and murder.
Timber by Pitbull ft. Ke$ha
Timber is inserted into the show on the flimsiest of pretenses, playing briefly while the Gambler gets to work acquiring the satellite codes needed for Project: New America. While it doesn't do much to score the moment, it's a highly effective gag that stands out amid an episode without much other musical accompaniment. It's also an oddly fitting piece for the Gambler, as it has the same amount of faux-Southern charm spread out over an otherwise vacuous interior.
Takin' Care of Business by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Takin' Care of Business is simply a very fun song. While it's not as epic as The Man or as contextually cutting as Love Myself, it serves its purpose: getting the audience into the same mood the new Justice Society is in. Whether it's Beth's overjoyed karaoke routine or Yolanda's almost giddy boxing, the characters' mood fits the song perfectly. The song prepares viewers, getting them into the same mindset before the one-two punch "Shiv" Parts One and Two represent.
Cannonball by Ray Stevens
The beginning of "Shiv Part Two" opens up with the frenetic guitar strings of Cannonball. A black screen then quickly cuts to show Pat driving at high speed in his Buick. The audience has no idea what he's doing, and the frantic nature of the song only serves to underscore that. While the song fits the scene tonally, it also has a cute second meaning. Cannonball was written for the 1981 film Cannonball Run, which features a race across the continental United States from New York to Los Angeles. This means the cars involved have to maintain an incredibly high speed. The song fits the scene so well because it was meant to accompany the same kind of fast-paced reckless driving.
Insane in the Brain by Cypress Hill
"Brainwave" is an episode focused around Henry King Jr. discovering his new psychic powers, a legacy passed down from his father. The first scene in which Henry is shown to start gaining active control over his telekinetic powers comes in the form of a brief montage where he watches tapes left to him by his father while causing a myriad of objects to orbit around him. The song's peppy nature fits the fun and upbeat tone of the scene but its title and lyrics are also a cute pun for a scene with a telepath -- especially the line "I feel like the Son of Sam," which references a serial killer famous for claiming he heard voices in his head.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye
Ain't No Mountain High Enough plays at the beginning of Episode 10, scoring a flashback that shows how Pat and Barbara first met. The song is a classic love ballad that speaks of the singer's devotion to his partner, which feels fitting for Pat. Pat's best feature is his how far he's willing to go for those he loves, as shown at numerous points throughout the season (including the aforementioned crashing of his Buick). In addition, it fits Pat's obsession with "the good old days" -- an aesthetic Stargirl maintains in each of the songs associated with Pat throughout the show.
DC Universe's Stargirl stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl) and Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan (S.T.R.I.P.E.). The series will return for Season 2 on The CW. It also stars Amy Smart, Yvette Monreal, Anjelika Washington, Cameron Gellman, Trae Romano, Jake Austin Walker, Hunter Sansone, Meg DeLacy, Neil Jackson and Christopher James Baker.