Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

It's no mystery that women and men have different, if not opposing preferences and opinions. Pink versus blue, fancy clothes versus hot rides, there are some stereotypical symbols attached to them. However, the demographics don't lie: the number of women is half the population, or, in another words, exploring and catering for their tastes is a pretty sure bet. The movie industry is no exception; with tens of romantic comedies, Cinderella-like stories and girls' night out films coming out every year, this is a recipe for box-office success worthy of taking on the action-packed, more thrilling male type of movies. Chick flicks are here to stay.

Of course, maybe even more so than  their macho counterparts, chick flicks require a special musical accompaniment. They bring up laughing and crying, partying and being depressed and a whole lot of other emotions and attitudes that revolve around a woman's dreams of love, friendship and accomplishment, so not just any one song will do. Instead, they are a melting pot of  assorted tunes, a heaven for artists and music supervisors alike, but still holding some defining trends of their own.

Music Placement That's a Piece of Cake

First off, these girlie-targeted productions come in various shapes and sizes. We have the romance tales showing two people stumbling their way into love and stealing a few laughs in the process, the sappy dramas that deal with family issues, unrequited love and not so happy endings and we have the adventurous, empowering hits that put the fun back into "girls just wanna have fun", so music supervisors have their work cut out for them.

27 Dresses, for instance, is a household name. Hailed as one of the best romantic comedies of 2008 and passing as quite a believable and deliciously feminine story, this movie talks about marriage, dream weddings and idealistic relationships, only to reveal the joy that comes from the little things under your very nose. This simple fulfillment, aside from the script and the plot itself, also comes via some pretty memorable music, like Corinne Bailey Rae's warm-hearted "Like a Star" or Ray LaMontagne's wistful softie, "Be Here With Me". Amy Winehouse pitches in with her catchy and flirty "Valerie" and the combination is nothing short of delicious; it's not cheesy or overly girlish and doesn't exaggerate in the sensitivity department. Instead, its cuteness is proof of some impeccable music placement, as the sweet track compilation seems to be a smile in its own. (Kudos to 27 dresses' music supervisor Buck Damon).

What Came First, The Movie or the Song?

In some fortunate cases, to go even further, the soundtrack becomes as famous as the film itself. Dramedy "Love, Actually" had a stellar line-up of artists and tunes to go along with its interweaving of hook-ups, break-ups and mere flirting, all centered around love and its many different facets. American Idol Kelly Clarkson wooed the fans with her amazing vocals and hit-the-spot lyrics in "The Trouble with Love Is", while UK-based girl-bands Girls Aloud and Sugababes each pushed very different buttons: the first, with their catchy, energizing cover of The Pointer Sisters' "Jump", managed to get you all excited about falling for someone, the second, with anguished pop ballad "Too Lost In You", got under your skin and stroked your vulnerable side .  

It's also worth mentioning that all three hit singles had videos that featured cutouts from the movie and were clearly inspired and supported by what was happening on screen, delineating a direct link between the music and the story. This was a match made in heaven- whenever you heard the songs, you thought about the movie, and, when you went to see the movie, something in your mind clicked and remembered that you had heard those songs before. Even today, quite some time after the actual release of the movie, many cinema fans will happily admit that "Love, Actually"'s soundtrack is one of the best ever in the chick flick category, no less diverse, universally likeable or impressive than the plot and the acting (We can thank music supervisor Nick Angel for that impeccable selection).

Girl Power in the Music Biz

While "Love, Actually" is an excellent ode to love and affection and romantic comedies like" 27 Dresses" or "He's Just Not That Into You"  help take the edge off of the difficulties of being a single woman with their airy and humorous take on finding the perfect man, romance is hardly the sole dimension of female existence and there's no better demonstration of this than "The Devil Wears Prada" (music supervised by Julia Michels).  

A very "Sex and the City", strong, independent, "girl who knows what she wants" kind of story, the major focus of the movie is cast upon accomplishment and the rise to the top of a woman whose career and general path in life undergo harsh, but utterly amazing changes. Shifting from fresh Journalism graduate to glamorous assistant of a cruel fashion magazine's editor-in-chief, the main character's blooming into a posh and self-confident female is paved with chords of revelation, empowerment and sexiness. KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" speaks cheerfully about acknowledging new priorities, while Madonna spices up the glitter job with "Jump". Love is not the culmination of this story, but self-discovery, self-improvement, self-acceptance and self-confidence definitely are, and that is exactly what this particular music placement combo reflects.

The New Chick Flick Music Mix

When looked at from so many different directions, the effort of music licensing for chick flicks astonishes through its apparent intricacy, but, if you catch a glimpse of it as an ensemble, then you'll most likely notice one crucial tendency that they all somehow go by, in music and movie alike: evolution. The truth is chick flicks are hardly what they used to be; gone are the days when tear-jerking, family dramas such as "Beaches" or "Steel Magnolias" shun in the spotlight, and gone are the days when Humphrey Bogart in a love story melted hearts away. Female emancipation has reached new peaks, and with it, so have chick movies, and, with them, so must music.

Music placement in chick flicks has strayed from sappy-to-the-core to fun and motivating. All these tracks and films are flirty, happy-go-lucky and even optimistic when times get tough, underlining an overall belief that the characters are strong enough to make it through anything and enjoy every moment of it. It's this very variety and versatility that makes it so advantageous and relatively accessible to have your music licensed for this kind of movie.  

As long as a track is enjoyable, sensitive, but not overly dramatic, playful and positive, but not too in your face, it has a shot of making it into the official soundtrack and into the iPod's and stereos of millions of women. It's easy to get noticed when your audience has a fine spirit of observation and is expecting to hear something great in the background. Just think of all the LeAnn Rimes in "Legally Blonde" or Counting Crows in "Two Weeks Notice" kind of inspirational moments and you'll realize the massive potential that a chick flick holds. Women want something to make them smile while they're crying and get up after they've been down; remember that and your music will reach new heights.

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