Design by Tyler Farmer
From Smerz and Mackeeper to Sibylle Baier and Skinny Pimp, here’s every song featured on 'The Drama' soundtrack, the musical backdrop to Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s new A24 film, plus insights from the music supervisor who selected them.
April 30, 2026
BY Jacob Moore
The Drama stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as an engaged couple, but it’s far from your typical rom-com. One surprising discovery turns the plotline into something far more complicated—dark, hilarious, mischievous, taboo, and chaotic, sometimes all at once.
Directed and written by Kristoffer Borgli, The Drama strikes a uniquely odd tone, and that comes across in the accompanying music as well. The film features an original score by Daniel Pemberton and a soundtrack stacked with surprises, ranging from current songs from rising acts like Smerz and Mackeeper to underrated classics from artists like Sibylle Baier and Skinny Pimp.
See the full list of songs included in The Drama below, and read our Q&A with music supervisor Jemma Burns from Pulse Points for more on the thinking behind the song selections.
Mackeeper — “Pieces Of Yours”
Sally Oldfield — “Blue Water”
White Light — “I Want You To Know Me”
Todd Terje — “Leisure Suit Preben”
John Carroll Kirby — “Wind”
Jordan Raf, Ben Leach & Zach Galsky — “Sky Turns Red”
Shira Small — “I Want To Lay With You”
Jesse Rae — “Inside Out”
Judee Sill — “The Lamb Ran Away With The Crown”
Skinny Pimp ft. Lady B — “Boom Dat Shit”
Nolan Strong & The Diablos — “The Wind”
Alicia Keys — “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart”
Smerz — “You Got Time And I Got Money”
Juliette Gréco — “Sans Vous Aimer”
Skinny Pimp — “Skinny Shouts”
Jackie Gleason — “Tangerine”
Katie Fash — “Again”
Sibylle Baier — “Forget About”
Moondog — “Do Your Thing”
Jemma Burns is an Australia-based music supervisor who has worked on over 130 productions. She's also the founder of Pulse Points, an award-winning music company designed to service music needs for film and television production.
She regularly works with renowned companies such as Ari Aster’s Squarepeg (Beau is Afraid), See-Saw Films (Apple Cider Vinegar, Lion, Top of the Lake: China Girl), and Plan B Entertainment (Bong Joon Ho’s Okja, multiple David Michôd films). She has also been responsible for key Netflix production soundtracks, winning Best Soundtrack for Heartbreak High at the 2025 AACTA Awards.
She's currently working on productions including Liz Doran’s adaptation of Australian film My Brilliant Career (Netflix) and Jen Peedom’s scripted feature debut Tenzig (Apple Studios), which was written by Luke Davies.
Here’s what Burns had to say about her role as music supervisor for The Drama:
When choosing music for this film, what was the starting point?
Actually the two dance lesson songs needed to be chosen first, for practical reasons. Kris was very specific about what qualities he was looking for and what he was trying to convey. Reference tracks he shared were clues to the type of film he was making and another side of his sensibility. All this intel helped me narrow down which songs might work. This process is all about honing in on parameters, otherwise we’d just drown in a sea of possibilities.
Do you have a personal favorite music moment from the film?
Oof, that’s like asking about my favourite child! Honestly, I’m obsessed with every song. But here’s a few:
“Blue Water” by Sally Oldfield. I love this eccentric and unexpected song blasting from Emma’s headphones and letting audiences know the film is going to be playful and unexpected.
“Inside Out” by Jesse Rae, for so many reasons! But it was really key to helping me understand the couple's dynamic.
“Boom Dat Shit” and “Skinny Shouts” by Skinny Pimp. They may be short, but these two bursts of Memphis rap really land! The film is edited so economically, every frame is loaded with meaning.
I know Robert Pattinson is a big music fan. Did he or any of the actors offer any feedback or have any requests? Is that something that happens in your world?
It definitely does happen, but not so much with this film. A director and I can discuss a scene at length and agree on a sound, but it’s always interesting when an actor chimes in, since they interrogate characters on a different level and can have very compelling insights.
Are there any songs that you really wanted but couldn’t clear?
Not on this film! When it does happen, it’s usually for one of these reasons: we can’t work out who owns a song, the cost is prohibitive, or the songwriter or artist objects to the nature of the film or what takes place in the scene. And sometimes when a group falls out, it's impossible to get them to all say yes, which recently happened on an upcoming A24 film. No amount of money was going to get them to agree.
Were you already familiar with all of these songs and pulling them from memory, or are you discovering new artists and searching for music as you’re putting a project like this together?
I was already familiar with the songs I suggested. Like everything in film, this is a collaboration so they can come from different sources. Several of the emerging acts were in Kristoffer’s orbit such as Mackeeper, Jordan Raf, Fakethias (who created the Katie Fash song with Elusin).
I usually start by trawling through my own collection, which spans most genres. We’re also sent a ton of new releases daily and try to keep up with all the interesting emerging acts and scenes, which you’ll know is a huge task! I also keep an ear out for the reissues coming out on brilliant labels like Efficient Space, Music From Memory, Numero, Chapter Music, and Stroom. But yes, every film takes you on a musical journey and I inevitably gather new sounds with each one.
The Sibylle Baier inclusion was really cool. Her story is unique as an artist who was rediscovered later in life. I might be reading into it, but that felt like it tied into some of the themes, like getting a chance for a re-do. Do you ever consider artists’ stories when selecting music, or is it strictly about the sound and mood you want?
Yes, I try to be cognizant of artists’ stories and love when there’s a synchronicity between the origins of a song and the film’s narrative. I’m also mindful of the opportunity to showcase underrepresented music and artists. Ultimately, the most important factor is whether the tone of the music serves the narrative and the world the director is building.
I also loved hearing rising artists like Mackeeper and Smerz in there, who a lot of people might be hearing for the first time through this. What do you think of movies as a way for fans to discover new artists? Is that something you aim for?
Definitely. I feel like the context in which you discover music has a big impact on your response and connection to it. With this film, it’s been particularly gratifying to see all these slightly eccentric old songs connect in a huge way. Shira Small’s LA Times profile is a case in point! But even an act like Smerz, while well-loved in certain circles, deserves to be a household name!
It does depend on the type of project. Not every film means exposure. With a show like Heartbreak High on Netflix, I loved the way it piqued the interest of Aussie teens, as to what underground subcultures are going on in their backyards. And that they began to explore music outside their siloed tastes.
The Jesse Rae song plays a funny role. I had never heard of Jesse Rae and that’s the first song I wanted to look up when I got home from seeing the movie. How did you land on that one for such an important recurring track?
Their wedding dance song needed to be very sweet and slightly old-fashioned. In contrast, this track is very playful, their in-joke, the song they put on when the other is being moody. That playful quality was key and Kris wanted it to be British, since Emma uses it to tease Charlie. And he essentially wanted something by an artist who hasn’t already been celebrated with an NTS special.
This was actually the very first song I thought of and definitely landed me the job! When you’ve been doing this for a while, you really pay attention to your instincts. I love how well it works in the film, but also how audiences have lapped it up. Seeing all these young girlies dancing to it on TikTok is so fun and surreal!
If you were to take this soundtrack out of the context of the film, how would you describe it?
Sweet and plaintive vintage meets new sounds that hit different.
