The circularity of music in ‘Anyone But You’
⏱ 5 min
As always, a trip to the movies is an enlightening one.
My most recent visit, led me to the cosy armchairs of an Everyman Cinema, watching ‘Anyone But You’. Directed by Will Gluck, it reminded me of one his earlier films: ‘Easy A’ (2010). It was through the particular scene of Emma Stone’s iconic trance into Natasha Beddingfield’s upbeat single ‘Pocketful of Sunshine’ (2007), that led me to start thinking about circularity of music, and how films give songs timeless lifespans.
In ‘Easy A’, the tactful curation of Beddingfield’s pop song, started out by playing from a birthday card… as shown here. It quickly transcended out of the film, flurrying into the ears of former millennial viewers and became a much loved song by the entire audience. This is reaffirmed by the comment section of the video above too. And personally, I firsthand remember the effect of this song, post-watching and playing it aloud — which makes me wonder, would we engage with some songs, if it wasn’t for the movies?
Now, let’s study a more recent example: In ‘Anyone But You’ (2023), we see the same thing taking place! Without sharing an influx of spoilers, it’s inspired by William Shakespeake’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and has sparked one thing for sure: the power of music to bring forth memories of nostalgia upon an audience, and moments of joy for Gen Z viewers too. Here, I’m referring to the song ‘Unwritten’ (2004), also (written) by Natasha Beddingfield. The song played repeatedly throughout the film, starting with a spark of comedy, and then gradually becoming the very theme song of the movie itself. It has since circulated around the digital space, with a massive amount of videos created in response on TikTok, repeating the rhythmic lyrics and popular melody.
As we speak, movie fans are dancing to the lightness emitted through Beddingfield’s ‘Unwritten’ - like an act of hypnosis.
It’s kind of dystopian if you think about it — the way one song plays in a movie and then hypnotises the masses into a continuous dance, evolving the lifespan of a song that would otherwise, remain unheard, unless, of course, you’re a loyal Natasha Beddingfield fan. In some ways it highlights the desire that audiences have to escape into the fictional realities of cinematic viewing experiences, feeling into new dimensions of being, out of their mundane, daily lives.
To reinforce this notion of the circularity of time, emitted through music & film, let’s look at another recent example: Just a few months ago ‘Saltburn’ was released and we saw the exact same thing with Sophie Ellis Baxter’s 2000s hit ‘Murder on the Dance floor’ reignited in modern-day cinema.
So what does this say about the impact that sound has for us, the audience, when watching movies?
The music reminds us of the eternal lightness which is bound in reflecting moments from the past — nostalgia. Taking us momentarily away from the present, and then back into a newly formed future.
For me, hearing ‘Unwritten’ in ‘Anyone But You’, was somewhat lighthearted. Possibly because the film created a new memory associated with that song for me, that took me back to the original time hearing it, whilst simultaneously placing the song into a completely new context all together.
There was joy bouncing off the cinema’s walls, audience members smiling with happiness. Was it synethetic? Transmitted through the pixels of the wide-span screen, nodding to the evocative acting, staging concepts of love & lightness. For a moment, quite possibly it was heartfelt — is that the power of Rom-Coms? The ability to remind us of our own inner feelings of love and happiness.
So, is ‘Anyone But You’ worth watching? Yes, if you’re looking for a light, humourous, entertaining viewing experience with athletic, fit, and attractive bodies on-screen, embracing in the art of light living (with a splash of drama, because of course, what would a Rom-Com be without that?). Then, this is for you. Showing across cinemas since December 2023.
