"Fame (2009)" Lyrics

"Fame (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What happens when a modern teen musical tries to honor a gritty 1980 classic? Fame (2009) answers with a pragmatic hybrid: actor-performed pop/R&B, a handful of American standards reshaped for classroom and karaoke settings, and a compact dramatic score by Mark Isham. Lakeshore Records’ album pulls 19 cuts into a clean, performance-forward listen anchored by Naturi Naughton (“Fame,” “Out Here on My Own”), Asher Book (“Try,” “Someone to Watch Over Me”), and ensemble finales (“Hold Your Dream”).

Off the screen, the releases sprawled: a core soundtrack, a follow-up (More Music from the Motion Picture), a remix EP for the title track, and a digital score EP. Billboard chart tallies show the album peaking high on the U.S. Soundtrack tally, while AllMusic and retailer metadata document a late-August/early-September 2009 street. The result isn’t a full cast album; it’s a curated collage of diegetic performances and scene-specific cues built for the film’s four-year high-school arc.

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Fame (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was issued by Lakeshore Records in late Aug/early Sept 2009 (19 tracks, ~51 minutes).

Who composed the score?

Mark Isham. A 4-track digital score EP followed in early 2010.

Is there a second volume?

Yes, Fame (More Music from the Motion Picture) arrived in November 2009 with extra performances, dialogue, and karaoke versions.

Which song plays during the cafeteria dance?

“This Is My Life” (Hopsin, Ak’Sent, Tynisha Keli, Donte “Burger” Winston) — staged as a spontaneous lunchroom blowout.

What’s the graduation song?

“Hold Your Dream” — a company piece led by Naturi Naughton, Asher Book, and Kay Panabaker.

Who sings “Out Here on My Own” in the remake?

Naturi Naughton (as Denise), performed at the piano as a character-turn moment.

What’s in the trailer?

Theatrical trailers cut across multiple performance cues; the widely used official trailer (MGM) previews the album’s pop focus.

Notes & Trivia

• The 19-track album mixes reimagined standards (“Someone to Watch Over Me,” “You Made Me Love You”) with new pop/R&B cuts written for the film.
• “Fame” and “Out Here on My Own” — iconic songs from 1980 — return with new vocals by Naturi Naughton.
• Santigold’s “You’ll Find a Way” (Switch & Sinden Remix) modernizes party energy the original film sourced from disco/funk.
• Retailer metadata lists ~51 minutes runtime; Billboard places the album inside the Top 50 of the Billboard 200 and Top 3 of Soundtracks.
• Raney Shockne contributes several in-world tracks and stings (“Welcome to P.A.,” “Street Hustlin’,” “You Made Me Love You” busker version).

Genres & Themes

Pop/R&B for aspiration: slick, radio-ready production frames talent-show moments as personal manifestos (“Fame,” “Try”).

Standards = training wheels vs. taste: Gershwin/Rodgers material marks technique, restraint, and teacher-approved polish.

Hip-hop and electro for self-definition: cafeteria and club cues push rhythm sections forward; students author their own spaces (“This Is My Life,” “Get on the Floor”).

Score glue: Mark Isham’s concise cues stitch semester jumps and tighten pivots around Denise, Marco, and Malik.

Tracks & Scenes

“Welcome to P.A.” — Raney Shockne
Where it plays: Opening title beats over early visuals of the school; non-diegetic sting into auditions.
Why it matters: Establishes a contemporary sound bed before the film’s first performances.

“Fame” — Naturi Naughton
Where it plays: Early montage/opening; later returns over closing credits; non-diegetic in the credits usage.
Why it matters: Franchise DNA, reframed as a 2009 pop single.

“Big Things” — Anjulie
Where it plays: Opening credits; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Announces the remake’s bright, commercial palette.

“Ordinary People” — Asher Book
Where it plays: Marco’s audition; diegetic solo performance.
Why it matters: Soft-focus sincerity that positions Marco as a balladeer.

“This Is My Life” — Hopsin, Ak’Sent, Tynisha Keli, Donte “Burger” Winston
Where it plays: Freshman-year cafeteria blowout; fully diegetic.
Why it matters: A showy “we live here” set-piece that sells the school’s pressure-cooker vibe.

“Out Here on My Own” — Naturi Naughton
Where it plays: Denise at the piano on stage; diegetic; her first open break from classical expectations.
Why it matters: Character hinge — she claims a voice, not just technique.

“You’ll Find a Way (Switch & Sinden Remix)” — Santigold
Where it plays: Party dance routine; diegetic playback.
Why it matters: Contemporary club energy that contrasts the school’s recital decorum.

“Can’t Hide from Love” — Naturi Naughton & Collins Pennie
Where it plays: Their track played at the party; semi-diegetic (in-story demo).
Why it matters: Seeds their later club performance chemistry.

“Try” — Asher Book
Where it plays: Marco sings to Jenny at his father’s restaurant; diegetic.
Why it matters: A public/private confession that deepens their subplot.

“You Took Advantage of Me” — Megan Mullally
Where it plays: Teacher karaoke night; diegetic performance.
Why it matters: Shows faculty as artists, not just gatekeepers.

“Someone to Watch Over Me” — Asher Book (and class fragments)
Where it plays: In-class singing rounds; diegetic.
Why it matters: Standard rep as a tool for breath, line, and restraint.

“Black & Gold” — Sam Sparro
Where it plays: Senior-year opener with four dancers in black; non-diegetic/needle-drop performance vibe.
Why it matters: A sleek reset into the final year.

“You Made Me Love You” — Raney Shockne feat. Oren Waters
Where it plays: Subway busker moment; diegetic source.
Why it matters: New York texture and a wink to show-biz standards.

“I Put a Spell on You” — Raney Shockne feat. Eddie Wakes
Where it plays: Club background; diegetic.
Why it matters: Blues color under a crucial night out.

“Back to Back” — Collins Pennie feat. Ashleigh Haney
Where it plays: Second club background cut; diegetic.
Why it matters: Keeps momentum in the build to the showcase.

“Get on the Floor” — Naturi Naughton & Collins Pennie
Where it plays: Denise & Malik’s club performance; diegetic on-stage.
Why it matters: The moment Denise publicly defies the classical-only plan.

“What a Mighty God We Serve” — Pasadena City College Gospel Choir
Where it plays: Opening of junior year; diegetic choral performance.
Why it matters: Affirms the film’s “community as engine” idea.

“Hold Your Dream” — Kay Panabaker, Asher Book & Naturi Naughton
Where it plays: Graduation showcase; diegetic finale.
Why it matters: A franchise-style curtain call with a new anthem.

Music–Story Links

Denise (discipline → self-authorship): classical practice rooms shape her; “Out Here on My Own” and the club duet flip her trajectory from “approved” to “true.”

Marco & Jenny (private vow → public risk): the quiet “Try” in a family restaurant becomes their thesis about showing up — not just dreaming.

Teachers as artists: karaoke night humanizes faculty; standards aren’t nostalgia, they’re craft drills with soul.

How It Was Made

Kevin Tancharoen directs; Mark Isham supplies a compact dramatic score (later issued as a short digital EP). Lakeshore Records curated the 19-track album with a performer-led approach: lead actors carry standards and originals, while songwriter-producer Raney Shockne contributes several in-world cues and productions. The studio leaned into multiple SKUs (core album, More Music, remix EP) to capture songs not on the main disc.

Reception & Quotes

Critical notices were mixed to negative, but the music connected with the target audience; the album reached the Top 3 on U.S. Soundtrack Albums per Billboard, and the single/clip strategy kept cuts visible across DSPs and video platforms. Rotten Tomatoes aggregates reflect the split.

“A sad reflection of the new Hollywood… sanitized and dumbed down.” Roger Ebert

“This remake doesn’t light up the sky like a flame.” The Guardian

Additional Info

• More Music from the Motion Picture followed on Nov 9, 2009 with extra performances and karaoke edits.
• A remix EP (Fame: The Radio Mixes) pushed Naturi Naughton’s title track to radio/DJ formats.
• The digital score EP arrived Feb 2010 with four Mark Isham cues.
• Some classical cues in the film (Chopin, Bach, Beethoven) were not included on the commercial albums.
• Retail listings show 19 tracks, 51:00–51:02 runtime; credits cite Lakeshore Records.

Technical Info

• Title: Fame (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year/Type: 2009 — film soundtrack (songs; select diegetic performances)
• Composer (score): Mark Isham (separate score EP, 2010)
• Label: Lakeshore Records
• Key placements on album: “This Is My Life,” “Out Here on My Own,” “Try,” “You Took Advantage of Me,” “Black & Gold,” “Get on the Floor,” “Hold Your Dream”
• Release notes: late Aug–Sept 2009 (region/retailer variance); follow-up More Music on Nov 9, 2009
• U.S. Charts: Billboard 200 peak ~43; Soundtrack Albums peak ~2
• Availability: Wide DSP streaming/download; original CD (Lakeshore) in circulation

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Billboard; AllMusic; Rotten Tomatoes; Lakeshore Records.

November, 09th 2025