"Birds of Prey" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Birds of Prey: The Album" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Birds of Prey: The Album (Atlantic Records) released Feb 7, 2020; the Daniel Pemberton score album followed on Feb 14, 2020.

Who handles the film’s original score?

British composer Daniel Pemberton. His score mixes glitchy electronics, fat drums, and surf-rock guitar to mirror Harley’s chaotic POV.

Which track underscores Harley’s police station rampage?

“Danger” by Jucee Froot punches through the glitter-gun chaos during the lockup sequence (non-diegetic).

Does Black Canary really sing in the movie?

Yes. Jurnee Smollett performs a cover of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” live in Roman Sionis’s club (diegetic).

What song plays during the Ace Chemicals break-up catharsis?

“Joke’s on You” by Charlotte Lawrence scores Harley’s post-Joker emancipation visuals.

Is the album all women?

Yes—an intentionally all-female lineup of artists to echo the film’s POV (as noted by entertainment outlets at release).

Notes & Trivia

• The companion album debuted in the U.S. Top 25 and later won Top Soundtrack at the 2020 American Music Awards.
• Five singles rolled out weekly before opening day: “Diamonds,” “Joke’s on You,” “Boss Bitch,” “Sway With Me,” and “Experiment on Me.”
• Smollett’s diegetic club performance was recorded for the film; an official audio release arrived alongside the album.
• “Diamonds” winks at Marilyn Monroe’s classic by sampling “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
• Pemberton’s score leans into crunchy analog synths and distorted drums; his peak-energy cue titles even borrow Harley-isms (“The Fantabulous Emancipation Explosion”).
• “Barracuda” by Heart powers the funhouse melee—one of the film’s most replayed needle-drops.
• There are more songs in the film than on the retail album; a few vintage cuts appear only in-film.

Overview

Why do glitter bombs and bass drops belong in the same frame? Because Birds of Prey treats music like Harley treats breakfast—loud, indulgent, and weirdly precise. The album corrals a wall-to-wall roster of women to embody the story’s independence streak: trap swagger for mischief, glossy pop for comic beat-switches, and bruising rock when the Birds finally click as a team.

What makes it distinct is the push-pull between diegetic moments (Black Canary singing for her villain boss) and deliriously stylized needle-drops that supercharge action with candy-colored attitude. Pemberton’s score then stitches the chaos together with clattering percussion and synth grit, giving Harley a sonic POV that swerves from flirt to fight in a heartbeat (according to Entertainment Weekly’s framing of the album’s all-women concept).

Genres & Themes

• Hip-hop & trap → swagger, agency, and Harley’s rule-breaking momentum.
• Alt-pop → candy-coated bravado masking romantic fallout.
• Rock & riot-grrrl energy → the Birds’ group-upshift from fragmented to fierce.
• Vintage soul/classic covers → irony and power flips (e.g., Canary reclaiming a James Brown staple in a den of mobsters).
• Glitchy score textures → Harley’s unreliable narration rendered as sonic jump cuts.

Key Tracks & Scenes

“Boss Bitch” — Doja Cat
Where it plays: Harley revels in club chaos early on; an attitude statement (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Plants the film’s cocky, post-breakup POV; a calling card for Harley’s solo era.

“Joke’s on You” — Charlotte Lawrence
Where it plays: The Ace Chemicals aftermath / emancipation montage (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Turns heartbreak into propulsion; the title line doubles as Harley’s mission statement.

“Danger” — Jucee Froot
Where it plays: Police station and lockup blitz with confetti rounds (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Syncopated menace matches Harley’s playful brutality; one of the movie’s most shared action beats.

“It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World (with Black Canary)” — Jurnee Smollett
Where it plays: Canary’s live set at Roman’s club (diegetic).
Why it matters: A reclamation of a machismo anthem inside a predator’s lair; hints at Dinah’s power and moral tilt.

“Sway With Me” — Saweetie & GALXARA
Where it plays: Canary’s first gig as Sionis’s driver collides with Cassandra’s diamond snatch (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: A slick, swing-inflected jolt that foreshadows the Birds’ unlikely teamwork.

“Barracuda” — Heart
Where it plays: The funhouse battle as the Birds finally move as one (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Classic riff = instant momentum; an intergenerational handoff of rock ferocity.

“Love Rollercoaster” — Ohio Players
Where it plays: Harley and Cass on the run by car after the precinct set-piece (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Funky levity between firefights; signals Harley’s unexpected protectiveness.

Track–Moment Index (approximate)

Music–Story Links

Harley’s narration whipsaws between bravado and vulnerability; the needle-drops mimic that: glossy pop (“Boss Bitch”) for clown-princess peacocking, then serrated rap (“Danger”) when bodies fly. Canary’s live cover flips a patriarchal standard inside a predator’s club—character development hiding in plain(-song) sight. And that Ace Chemicals set-piece? “Joke’s on You” reframes the break-up as a jailbreak. Small note: critics repeatedly clocked the all-women tracklist as a thematic mirror of the Bird’s coalition (as stated in Entertainment Weekly’s overview and in Rolling Stone’s 2020 feature).

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

Music supervision came from Season Kent and Gabe Hilfer, who worked alongside director Cathy Yan and Atlantic Records to build the album’s “female, badass sensibility.” Daniel Pemberton’s score—recorded and produced under his own supervision—layers crunchy synths, breakbeats, and surfy guitar licks. The label campaign released weekly singles and a dedicated “soundtrack trailer” to seed the drops.

On the craft side, Pemberton talks about chasing “messy-but-musical” textures for Harley: analog synth bleeps, slamming toms, sudden motif pivots. It’s not neat—by design. (According to NME magazine, the album’s bite-sized bangers doubled as marketing weapons while still servicing character.)

Reception & Quotes

Press called it a battering-ram of needle-drops with purpose, not just playlist fodder. The album also charted well out of the gate and won later hardware. Fans latched onto “Boss Bitch,” “Diamonds,” and Canary’s club cover as instant identity cues.

“A female-driven banger-fest that turns action scenes into gleeful pop anarchy.” — trade review at release

“One incredible needle drop after another, bursting with the film’s freedom and chaos.” — early album review

“Charlotte Lawrence’s ‘Joke’s on You’ is the soundtrack’s emotional spine.” — critic round-up

Technical Info

• Title: Birds of Prey: The Album (companion to Birds of Prey, 2020)
• Year / Type: 2020 / Movie
• Composers (score): Daniel Pemberton
• Music Supervision: Season Kent; Gabe Hilfer
• Label(s): Atlantic Records (songs); WaterTower Music (score)
• Key placements (high-profile): “Danger” (police station raid); “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” (club performance); “Joke’s on You” (Ace Chemicals); “Barracuda” (funhouse finale); “Boss Bitch” (club antics)
• Release context: Album dropped day-and-date with the film (Feb 7, 2020); score on Feb 14, 2020
• Availability: Streaming/download widely available; physical editions pressed by Atlantic. The film contains additional songs beyond the album.
• Accolades: 2020 American Music Awards — Top Soundtrack

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Apple Music; WaterTower Music; IMDb full credits; ScreenRant; Entertainment Weekly; Billboard; Teen Vogue; Soundtrack Radar.

October, 23rd 2025