"Hotel Transylvania" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Hotel Transylvania (Music & Songs)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

How do you sell a monster rom-com to kids and parents at once? By pairing Mark Mothersbaugh’s fizzy, elastic score with in-universe party songs and a few radio-friendly drops. The score keeps slapstick buoyant and sneaks in gothic sparkle; the songs do character work—especially the birthday numbers and the end-credits singalong that caps the “zing” romance.

The film blends original cast performances (“Daddy’s Girl,” “Where Did the Time Go, Girl?,” “Sweet 118”) with catalog cues (LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It”) and a credits one-two that starts with Becky G & will.i.am (“Problem – The Monster Remix”) before handing off to the ensemble’s “The Zing.” Fact bases: IMDb Soundtracks, the film’s Wikipedia soundtrack section, and the 2018 Sony Classical score release on Apple Music confirm the core music credits and track identities.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Mark Mothersbaugh.

Is there an official album?

Yes: the score compilation Hotel Transylvania (Original Motion Picture Scores) was issued in 2018 by Sony Classical.

What are the original songs performed by the cast?

“Daddy’s Girl,” “Where Did the Time Go, Girl?” and “Sweet 118,” plus the ensemble end-credits number “The Zing.”

What kicks off the end credits?

Becky G & will.i.am’s “Problem (The Monster Remix),” followed by “The Zing.”

Is LMFAO really in the movie?

The film uses “Sexy and I Know It” during a party/celebration beat; it’s a placement outside the cast-performed numbers.

Who is credited with music supervision?

Industry credits list Liza Richardson as Music Supervisor.

Notes & Trivia

• “The Zing” is an in-franchise love-song concept; the lyric references the instant bond (“zing”) in monster lore.
• Several songs are diegetic—the characters perform or hear them in the scene—so the music often is the joke.
• The 2018 score album gathers Mothersbaugh cues from across the series, giving the first film’s motifs a proper standalone listen.
• Birthday music is deliberately “corny” before Jonathan flips the room with “Sweet 118.” It’s a plot device, not just wallpaper.

Genres & Themes

Cartoon-gothic score → family warmth over fright: bright woodwinds, bouncy strings, and organ flickers keep Dracula cuddly, not scary.

Cast-performed pop/novelty → character comedy: the Drac Pack’s loungey croon vs. Jonathan’s pop singalong maps to old-world tradition vs. new-school spontaneity.

Contemporary party pop → “monsters can groove”: LMFAO and remix flavors turn the hotel from spooky castle to all-ages dance floor.

Tracks & Scenes

“Daddy’s Girl” — Adam Sandler
Where it plays: Early in the film as Dracula sings to baby Mavis; diegetic lullaby inside a flashback/home scene.
Why it matters: Establishes the father–daughter core with a gentle, comic lullaby before the chaos begins.

“Where Did the Time Go, Girl?” — Drac Pack ensemble (Frank, Murray, Wayne, Griffin)
Where it plays: Mavis’s 118th birthday party performance; diegetic on-stage number.
Why it matters: Old-guard monsters serenade Mavis with a kitschy throwback, setting up Jonathan to rescue the vibe next.

“Sweet 118” — Andy Samberg (as Jonathan)
Where it plays: Immediately after the Drac Pack’s song at the birthday bash; diegetic guitar-pop singalong to Mavis.
Why it matters: A sincere pop pivot that bonds Mavis and Jonathan and wins the monster crowd.

“Sexy and I Know It” — LMFAO
Where it plays: Party/celebration montage as monsters cut loose; non-diegetic/source blend during festivities.
Why it matters: Contemporary dance-pop reframes the castle as a party resort—tone over lore.

“Hush, Little Baby” — Adam Sandler
Where it plays: Short reprise as a comic comfort cue; diegetic.
Why it matters: Recalls the protective-dad theme in miniature.

“The Zing” — Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, CeeLo Green, Kevin James, Selena Gomez
Where it plays: Late-film/credits celebration with cast vocals; partly diegetic (performed) then over the end cards.
Why it matters: A franchise-defining love anthem that literalizes the “zing” idea and closes the story on a communal high.

“Problem (The Monster Remix)” — Becky G feat. will.i.am
Where it plays: First song into the end credits.
Why it matters: A pop-rap jolt that bridges the final hug to the credits dance vibe.

“Where Did the Time Go, Girl? (Party Version)” — credited to Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, Dennis White
Where it plays: Heard around birthday festivities as a source variation.
Why it matters: A tongue-in-cheek callback that heightens the birthday theme.

Trusted source mentions: IMDb Soundtracks catalogs the songs used; Wikipedia’s soundtrack section summarizes titles and performers; the Apple Music “Original Motion Picture Scores” release confirms composer and label.

Music–Story Links

Birthday songs externalize Dracula’s anxiety: the formal serenade is what he thinks Mavis needs. Jonathan’s “Sweet 118” counters with spontaneity, nudging her toward independence. The credits pairing—modern pop remix into “The Zing”—mirrors the plot’s bridge from human–monster divide to a shared family.

How It Was Made

Score: Mark Mothersbaugh’s orchestral-cartoon writing emphasizes rhythmic bounce, with organ and celesta for castle sparkle and punchy low-brass for slapstick stomps.

Supervision: Liza Richardson is credited as Music Supervisor; the brief leans on diegetic songs that advance gags and relationships rather than a wall of needle-drops.

Release footprint: A dedicated song compilation wasn’t issued in 2012, but Sony Classical later bundled the score cues (2018) so the series’ musical DNA is accessible outside the film.

Reception & Quotes

Coverage at release noted that the family-friendly pop and the cast’s own performances complement Genndy Tartakovsky’s high-energy staging. The upbeat album/score notes available now help map that intent.

“Mothersbaugh’s music keeps the gags on their toes.” trade capsule

“Some of the songs are written by Adam Sandler… he even plays with dubstep textures.” Wired

Additional Info

• Composer: Mark Mothersbaugh (confirmed across official listings).
• 2018 score album: Sony Classical; 39 tracks drawn from the series, including the first film’s cues.
• Cast-sung cues (“Daddy’s Girl,” “Where Did the Time Go, Girl?,” “Sweet 118”) are film-only placements, not part of the 2018 score compilation.
• “The Zing” features principal cast on vocals; credits list Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, CeeLo Green, Kevin James.
• “Problem (The Monster Remix)” begins the credit roll before “The Zing.”

Technical Info

• Title: Hotel Transylvania (Music & Songs)
• Year: 2012 (theatrical release Sept 28, 2012)
• Type: Original score + song placements (mix of cast-performed and licensed tracks)
• Composer: Mark Mothersbaugh
• Music Supervision: Liza Richardson (credited)
• Selected notable placements: “Daddy’s Girl”; “Where Did the Time Go, Girl?”; “Sweet 118”; “Sexy and I Know It” (LMFAO); “Problem (The Monster Remix)” (Becky G feat. will.i.am); “The Zing” (cast)
• Label/album status: Hotel Transylvania (Original Motion Picture Scores), Sony Classical (2018)
• Studios/Release: Sony Pictures Animation / Columbia Pictures; distributor Sony Pictures Releasing
• Runtime: 91 minutes

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: IMDb Soundtracks; Wikipedia (film page & soundtrack section); Apple Music (score album); SoundtrackCollector.

November, 10th 2025