"How to Have Sex" Soundtrack Lyrics

"How To Have Sex (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

How do you soundtrack a rite-of-passage that swings from euphoria to aftermath? This film answers with two engines: a rush of club anthems for the nights out, and a concise, pulse-aware score that listens when the lights come up. Producer-composer James Jacob (aka Jakwob) keeps the score lean and tactile—short cues, felt bass, small motifs that sit between big licensed tracks.

The commercial album is a score release under Jakwob’s name (11 tracks, ~20 min), while most chart cuts live outside the OST. A studio “official playlist” gathered the party bangers (Disclosure, Romy & Fred again.., Major Lazer) to mirror the film’s Malia, Crete setting; the film’s own credits list Catherine Grieves as music supervisor with Jenn Egan on coordination.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score, and what name is the album under?

James Jacob, professionally known as Jakwob; the OST is released under Jakwob.

When did the score album come out and what’s on it?

Late January 2024; 11 short score cues (~20 minutes) tailored to sit between club tracks.

Is there a separate “songs” compilation?

No official multi-artist CD; the production circulated an “official soundtrack” playlist for the needle-drops.

Who handled music supervision?

Catherine Grieves (music supervisor) with Jenn Egan (music coordinator).

What kind of licensed music does the film lean on?

Contemporary club and pop: Romy & Fred again.., Disclosure, LF System, etc., used for party geography and character POV.

Where can I hear the score?

Major digital platforms under the title How To Have Sex (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Jakwob.

Notes & Trivia

• The film credits the composer simply as Music: James Jacob; the OST artist credit uses his alias Jakwob.
• A studio “official playlist” spotlights Disclosure, Romy, and Major Lazer to frame the holiday-resort sound.
• Composer Jacob publicly highlighted club references (e.g., Romy & Fred again.. “Strong”; Bicep “Glue”) when discussing the film’s sound world.
• Score album release arrived weeks after the film’s U.S. rollout, reflecting a staggered distribution.

Genres & Themes

EDM/house & festival pop → maps bodies in motion: corridors → bars → open-air clubs; hooks compress travel time and signal group mood.

Trance-pop catharsis → euphoria shading into fragility; lyrics about strength and escape play against Tara’s interior state.

Minimal, bass-forward score → tactile motifs that don’t editorialize; close-miked pulses leave space for silence and consequence.

Tracks & Scenes

Guide: diegetic = heard by the characters. Exact minute:second varies by cut; placements here reflect credited usage, official playlists, and composer commentary.

“Strong” — Romy & Fred again..
Where it plays: A peak party sequence as Tara’s night crests; non-diegetic in-club use that feels diegetic by proximity.
Scene: Strobes, camera on faces, the chorus swallowing chatter; Tara reads freedom in the crowd and vanishes into it for a beat.
Why it matters: Cathartic lyrics double as armor; the track’s tidal build mirrors the film’s euphoria → impact arc.

“You & Me” — Disclosure feat. Eliza Doolittle (remix usage)
Where it plays: High-tempo resort montage; non-diegetic.
Scene: Arrival energy—room keys, wristbands, first drinks; jump cuts ride the drop.
Why it matters: Polished UK dance sound links the characters’ home scene to the Greek club strip.

“Afraid to Feel” — LF System
Where it plays: Poolside party and bar walk-throughs; non-diegetic with ambient bleed.
Scene: Sunlit bravado contrasts with Tara’s interior hesitation.
Why it matters: The lyric undercuts the swagger, quietly forecasting the film’s pivot.

“Who You Are” — Gaullin
Where it plays: Late-night sequence as Tara isolates; non-diegetic, moody.
Scene: The crowd thins; she stares past lights that won’t resolve.
Why it matters: Club sonics turned introspective—escape music that can’t quite lift her.

“Glue” — Bicep
Where it plays: Transitional night driving/rooftop cutaways; non-diegetic.
Scene: Slow-motion crowd as synths smear; time dilates between jokes.
Why it matters: Memory as rhythm—the track paints aftermath as a float.

Original score cues — Jakwob
Where they play: Between club drops and morning-after silences (“Best holiday ever”, “Are you on your ones?”, “End credits”).
Scene: Compact motifs under private recalibrations—balcony dawns, bathroom sinks, airport lines.
Why it matters: The score doesn’t explain; it witnesses, letting audience and character sit with the same air.

Music–Story Links

• Euphoria as camouflage: Trance-pop choruses let characters perform invincibility until the cut to quiet reveals cost.
• Geography by groove: 4/4 drive covers distance—hotel → strip → beach—so plot beats can land abruptly.
• Silence as cue: When the licensed tracks drop out, the score’s minimalism marks boundary crossings and aftermath.

How It Was Made

Composer: James Jacob (Jakwob) built a brief, bass-aware score—his feature scoring debut—with cues designed to live beside club masters without tonal whiplash. Music supervision: Catherine Grieves, with coordination by Jenn Egan, cleared and stitched contemporary dance and pop to match the Malia party ecosystem. The score album rolled out on digital platforms in late January 2024; Boom Ting handled release logistics.

Reception & Quotes

The film premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard and won the section’s top prize; critics frequently singled out its pitch between exhilaration and consent-focused aftermath. A few capsule lines:

“Skittish, spirited and very funny, and at the same time troubling and bruisingly sad.” — festival critics’ roundups

“Jakwob’s neat, textural cues keep space for the hard conversations.” — soundtrack watchers

“The party feels real because the music does.” — reviewer consensus

Additional Info

• Score album: 11 tracks (~20:32), digital only at launch.
• Playlist strategy: The studio circulated an “official soundtrack” playlist to represent licensed cuts.
• Trailer music: Trailers lean on in-film club tracks; no bespoke trailer suite was publicly issued.
• Region/cut notes: Minor edit differences can nudge placements; track roster remains consistent.

Technical Info

• Title: How To Have Sex (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year / Type: 2024 / Score (film features extensive licensed songs)
• Composer: James Jacob (Jakwob)
• Music Supervision: Catherine Grieves; Music Coordinator: Jenn Egan
• Label / Release: Boom Ting Recordings — late Jan 2024 (digital)
• Selected licensed cuts featured in-film: Romy & Fred again.. “Strong”; Disclosure “You & Me”; LF System “Afraid to Feel”; Gaullin “Who You Are”; Bicep “Glue”
• Film: Written & directed by Molly Manning Walker; distributor MUBI; runtime ~91 min

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Wikipedia (film basics & music credit); Apple Music & Spotify (score album details); Film Music Reporter (release note & label); IMDb full credits (music supervision); Studio playlist; HERO Magazine (composer playlist/context).

November, 10th 2025