"Easy A" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Easy A (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

How do you score a teen comedy built on lies without sounding fake? Easy A answers with bright pop hooks, wry ’80s callbacks, and a few surgically placed indie heart-tugs. The soundtrack moves fast—scene-driven needle-drops carry Olive’s rumor-fueled persona from “invisible” to “infamous,” then step aside so quieter cues can tell the truth.

The official album arrived in September 2010 on Madison Gate Records and plays like a highlight reel: Sweet Thing, Lenka, Jessie J, Cary Brothers, plus a wink to John Hughes via “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” Beyond the album, on-screen placements (OneRepublic, Death Cab for Cutie, The Dollyrots, The Pussycat Dolls) deepen the joke-to-feelings swing. (Trusted sources referenced in this page: Wikipedia, IMDb, Apple Music, Discogs.)

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Easy A (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), released September 14, 2010 by Madison Gate Records. It’s a curated selection, not every cue.

Who composed the score?

Brad Segal composed the original score.

Who was the music supervisor?

Wende Crowley served as music supervisor (Spring Aspers credited as Executive in Charge of Music).

What song is the greeting-card earworm?

“Pocketful of Sunshine” — Natasha Bedingfield. It’s a running gag that becomes character shading.

What plays during Olive’s pep-rally performance?

“Knock on Wood.” Olive performs the song on mic; both Eddie Floyd’s and Amii Stewart’s versions are heard around that set-piece.

What’s the big endgame needle-drop outside Olive’s window?

“Don’t You (Forget About Me).” The film uses the Simple Minds classic in-story; the album includes a cover by AM as well.

Does the album include every song from the movie?

No. Several notable cues (e.g., OneRepublic’s “Good Life,” Death Cab for Cutie’s “Transatlanticism,” The Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha”) are film-only.

Notes & Trivia

• The album lands at 16 tracks (~24 minutes); it’s deliberately selective.
• The film quotes ’80s teen-movie grammar outright—then literalizes it with “Don’t You (Forget About Me).”
• Olive’s webcam monologues give the music room to punch in as commentary, then drop to reveal the real Olive.
• Score cues (“Confession,” “Parking Lot,” “Waka Chaka,” “Phone Call”) by Brad Segal stitch between pop placements.
• That greeting-card bit with “Pocketful of Sunshine”? The director returned to Natasha Bedingfield years later in another film—clearly a favorite motif.

Genres & Themes

Shiny aughts pop (Natasha Bedingfield, Kardinal Offishall) = the cheery mask Olive tries on; catchy, performative, a little too neat.

Indie & alt (Death Cab for Cutie, Angus & Julia Stone) = the private channel—quieter tracks surface when consequences hit and jokes stop protecting her.

Retro nods (Cary Brothers covering Thompson Twins; Simple Minds; Eddie Floyd/Amii Stewart) = explicit John Hughes dialogue with the past, used for irony and catharsis.

Tracks & Scenes

Key placements with concise scene notes. Timestamps approximate when indicated; “diegetic” means characters hear it in-scene.

“Pocketful of Sunshine” — Natasha Bedingfield
Where it plays: Olive’s singing greeting card; a weekend-long earworm gag (recurs). Diegetic turning meta.
Why it matters: A joke that becomes character study—Olive’s private pleasure contradicts her public front.

“Change of Seasons” — Sweet Thing
Where it plays: Opening titles and reprise near the end; non-diegetic bookends.
Why it matters: Bright, forward motion that frames Olive’s arc as a cycle.

“Cupid Shoot Me” — Remi Nicole
Where it plays: ~0:09 as the first rumor spreads through school.
Why it matters: Snappy, ironic commentary on how fast reputations flip.

“Don’t Cha” — The Pussycat Dolls feat. Busta Rhymes
Where it plays: Flashback to “seven minutes in heaven.”
Why it matters: Pop-sleaze memory that the film later undercuts.

“The Wolf” — Miniature Tigers
Where it plays: Olive walks the halls, newly noticed.
Why it matters: Indie shimmer for performative confidence.

“Symphonies” — Dan Black
Where it plays: After the principal chat, Olive runs into the woodchuck mascot.
Why it matters: Orchestral-pop scale for petty campus drama—perfectly inflated.

“Perfect Picture” — Carlos Bertonatti
Where it plays: Detention mopping with Brandon.
Why it matters: Breezy groove during a pivotal alliance.

“Go On” — Rooney
Where it plays: Olive and Rhiannon on the car hood.
Why it matters: Sun-bleached alt-pop for old-friend comfort.

“15 Minutes” — The Yeah You’s
Where it plays: Call from Brandon; fame-as-currency beat.
Why it matters: Telegraphed satire on clout economies.

“Move Shake Drop (Remix)” — DJ Laz
Where it plays: House party; Olive and Brandon fake sex (diegetic atmosphere).
Why it matters: Crowd energy camouflages a negotiated performance.

“Numba 1 (Tide Is High)” — Kardinal Offishall
Where it plays: Brandon exits the bedroom after the ruse.
Why it matters: Victory-strut music for a hollow win.

“Bad Reputation” — The Dollyrots
Where it plays: ~0:38 montage; Olive redesigns the wardrobe and sews the scarlet “A.”
Why it matters: Riot-pop crystallizes the self-rebranding.

“Sexy Silk” — Jessie J
Where it plays: ~0:40 hallway entrance in lingerie + “A” (diegetic speakers in school).
Why it matters: The persona debuts with a grin.

“Bad Before Good” — Day One
Where it plays: ~0:46 rumor mill escalates (“she’s charging”).
Why it matters: Ironic title = plot in miniature.

“When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade” — The Boy Least Likely To
Where it plays: Montage of transactional “dates.”
Why it matters: Twee sugar over sour choices.

“If You Were Here” — Cary Brothers
Where it plays: ~0:48 Olive’s webcam musing about ’80s endings; later in the car with Todd (~1:16).
Why it matters: Direct line to Sixteen Candles; the movie owns its homage.

“Trouble Is a Friend” — Lenka
Where it plays: Guidance counselor waiting room.
Why it matters: Light melody, heavy subtext.

“We Go Together” — I Heart Homework
Where it plays: Olive and Marianne’s brief “besties” phase.
Why it matters: Cheerful veneer over a tactical truce.

“Good Life” — OneRepublic
Where it plays: ~1:02 ostracism/bookstore/confessional beat.
Why it matters: Optimism used as counterpoint—stings more.

“Big Jet Plane” — Angus & Julia Stone
Where it plays: Todd drives Olive home.
Why it matters: Quiet chemistry, first honest air.

“Satellite” — Kram
Where it plays: ~1:18 Olive canvasses for an ally to reset the narrative.
Why it matters: Motion without progress—until it matters.

“Transatlanticism” — Death Cab for Cutie
Where it plays: ~1:22 advice scene on the car hood with Olive’s mom.
Why it matters: An intimate track for an intimate truth-bomb.

“Knock on Wood” — Eddie Floyd / Amii Stewart / (performance by Olive)
Where it plays: Pep rally performance + surrounding cues.
Why it matters: Soul/disco lineage turns into Olive’s public reset.

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” — Simple Minds / AM (cover)
Where it plays: ~1:26 Todd blasts the original outside Olive’s window; the album includes AM’s cover; end-scene/credits also use the motif.
Why it matters: The Hughes salute becomes story engine, not just nostalgia.

Music–Story Links

Olive’s arc is scored like a mask rehearsal: bright, performative pop signals the role she’s selling; indie ballads arrive when she drops the act. The movie doesn’t just reference ’80s teen cinema—it borrows its emotional grammar, then flips the punchline. That’s why the final window gesture lands: a classic song, repurposed to confirm Olive’s own rewrite.

How It Was Made

Score: Brad Segal’s cues bridge jump-cut comedy and character beats (“Confession,” “Parking Lot,” “Waka Chaka,” “Phone Call”).

Supervision: Music supervisor Wende Crowley balances campus-pop sheen with indie ballast; Spring Aspers is credited as Executive in Charge of Music.

Album: The soundtrack (Madison Gate Records) packages 16 selections for replay value; several on-screen favorites sit outside the album by design.

Reception & Quotes

“Smart, witty showcase for its irresistibly charming star.” Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus

“A witty look at hypocrisy and reputation in a California high school.” The Guardian

The soundtrack’s pop/indie mix is often cited as a reason the movie still plays breezy and current on rewatch. (Reference points: Rotten Tomatoes, The Guardian.)

Additional Info

• Album basics: 16 tracks, released September 14, 2010; label: Madison Gate Records.
• Film-only highlights: “Good Life,” “Transatlanticism,” “Don’t Cha” do not appear on the official album.
• Two “Don’t You” uses: AM’s cover is on the album; Simple Minds’ original is used diegetically outside Olive’s window.
• Card gag lineage: The “Pocketful of Sunshine” runner became a minor pop-culture touchstone; director Will Gluck later doubled down on a Bedingfield track in a different film.
• Runtime context: The movie runs ~92 minutes; quick scene changes make needle-drops feel like punchlines.

Technical Info

• Title: Easy A — Soundtrack overview
• Year: 2010 (film); 2010-09-14 (album)
• Type: Feature film (comedy)
• Composer: Brad Segal
• Music Supervision: Wende Crowley (Exec. in Charge of Music: Spring Aspers)
• Label/Album: Easy A (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — Madison Gate Records; curated selection
• Selected placements: “Pocketful of Sunshine” (Natasha Bedingfield); “Bad Reputation” (The Dollyrots); “If You Were Here” (Cary Brothers); “Good Life” (OneRepublic); “Transatlanticism” (Death Cab for Cutie); “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (Simple Minds/AM)
• Availability: Album on major digital services; film availability varies by region/platform.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Wikipedia; IMDb; Apple Music; Discogs; Rotten Tomatoes; The Guardian; MoviesOST.

November, 09th 2025