"355" Soundtrack Lyrics

"355" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Who composed the score for The 355?

Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL) composed the original score.

Is there an official soundtrack album?

No commercial score album was released; only a few cues and suites surfaced online. (as reported by Film Music Reporter)

What songs are featured as needle-drops in the film?

“Dima Labes” (Klay BBJ & Rayan), “Ya Lili” (Balti & Hamouda), and “Boys Wanna Be Her” (Peaches).

What track plays over the end credits?

Peaches’ “Boys Wanna Be Her.”

Who handled music supervision?

Ian Neil oversaw song placements and clearances.

Where can I stream the film to hear the soundtrack?

It premiered theatrically in January 2022 and later streamed on Peacock in the U.S. (according to Decider)

Notes & Trivia

• The diegetic cues lean North African and Maghrebi when the action hits Morocco, then pivot to electro-action textures elsewhere.
• Only three licensed songs appear in-film; the rest is driven by Holkenborg’s pulse-heavy score. (as reported by Vague Visages)
• End-credits swagger comes from Peaches’ “Boys Wanna Be Her,” a feminist anthem previously heard across TV and ads.
• Trailer marketing leaned on “Run This Town” (JAY-Z feat. Rihanna & Kanye West) in epic trailer form, not used in the movie proper.
• Music supervision by Ian Neil (Kingsman, Rocketman) kept needle-drops sparse to protect momentum.

Overview

Why do only three songs feel louder than a wall of score? Because The 355 uses needle-drops like scalpels, not fireworks. Holkenborg’s sound—compressed kicks, serrated synths, covert strings—stitches the globe-trotting chase together while the few vocal tracks punch character beats.

The result is a tight blend: Arabic-language bangers to texture the Marrakesh sequences, an empowerment blast for the exit, and propulsive electronics under everything else. It’s not a jukebox; it’s a spy motor. (as reported by Variety)

Genres & Themes

• Electro-action score ↔ perpetual motion: side-chained pulses mimic surveillance anxiety and the “always-watched” theme.
• Maghrebi pop/rap ↔ situational realism during Moroccan ops; diegetic placement grounds the undercover café/restaurant scenes.
• Riot-grrrl/alt-rock ↔ camaraderie and defiance; the end-credits cut reframes the team as an ongoing initiative, not a one-off.

Key Tracks & Scenes

“Dima Labes” — Klay BBJ & Rayan
Where it plays: Khadijah goes undercover in Morocco; restaurant sequence around 00:49:00. Diegetic ambience in-scene.
Why it matters: Plants location and undercover cover—music as camouflage while surveillance shifts rooms.

“Ya Lili” — Balti & Hamouda
Where it plays: Team decompresses and swaps first-kill stories at ~00:53:00 in Morocco; largely diegetic in the space.
Why it matters: Contrasts light toast with dark confessions; a humane breather before the next sprint.

“Boys Wanna Be Her” — Peaches
Where it plays: Final shot and end credits, ~01:55:00; non-diegetic needle-drop.
Why it matters: A victory-with-edge coda; signals the team’s ethos extending past the mission.

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats as connected to songs)

• Morocco arc: The Arabic-language tracks (“Dima Labes,” “Ya Lili”) anchor place and crowd noise so Khadijah’s tech sleuthing can hide in plain sound.
• Team dynamic: “Ya Lili” rides over confessions, softening hard-edged tradecraft with shared gallows humor—music as social lubricant.
• Aftermath tone: “Boys Wanna Be Her” reframes the capture of Nick as a beginning; the song’s swagger tees up a franchise-ready myth.

How It Was Made (supervision, score, behind-the-scenes)

Holkenborg approached The 355 as “high-octane,” designing cues to buoy practical action—heavy low-end, terse motifs, minimal melody until breathers. Variety flagged his involvement well before release, and his site later cataloged the credit. Music supervision came via Ian Neil, known for precise, minimal needle-drop strategies rather than wall-to-wall hits.

Notably, no official score album dropped—unusual for a studio spy film in 2022. A few suites and promotional uploads circulated online, but labels kept quiet. Vague Visages logged only three licensed songs, suggesting a deliberate keep-the-engine-running brief rather than soundtrack marketing.

Reception & Quotes

Critical response to the film was mixed, and commentary on the music split accordingly.

“A vigorous formula action spy flick… mostly holds your attention.” Variety review

“Dynamic score from Tom Holkenborg.” Simon Dillon (Medium) review

“From the B-movie prologue featuring Tom Holkenborg’s generic music…” Film Review Daily

“The score… sets the entirely wrong theme for the movie.” The GWW

Availability note: the movie later streamed on Peacock after its theatrical run in January 2022, but a commercial OST album hasn’t materialized.

Technical Info

• Title: 355 (The 355) — Soundtrack
• Year: 2022
• Type: Movie
• Score Composer: Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL)
• Music Supervisor: Ian Neil
• Needle-drops (selected): “Dima Labes” (Klay BBJ & Rayan); “Ya Lili” (Balti & Hamouda); “Boys Wanna Be Her” (Peaches)
• Trailer music (marketing): “Run This Town” (epic trailer version) — not in the feature
• Album status: No official score/OST album released as of 2025
• Release context: Theatrical Jan 2022 (U.S.); later on Peacock

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Variety; Vague Visages; Tom Holkenborg official site; Film Music Reporter; Decider; Film Review Daily; Medium (Simon Dillon); The GWW.

October, 22nd 2025