"Kate" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Kate (Original Netflix Film Soundtrack & Songs)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What happens when a 24-hour revenge clock meets a crate of jet-fuel J-rock? Kate (2021) runs on that collision. The film’s engine is a dual setup: Nathan Barr’s propulsive original score and a curated blast of contemporary Japanese rock/alt-pop that stamps Tokyo on every frame. The needle-drops aren’t wallpaper; they shove scenes forward and color character beats with club energy and street grit.

The official score album (digital) covers Barr’s tense, percussive cues; on screen they trade off with licensed songs—Band-Maid, OOIOO, Reol, Chanmina—so a night club hit can snap into a knife fight, then dissolve into mournful strings. According to Vague Visages’ cue-by-cue guide, that interplay follows a precise sequence with time marks the edit leans on for rhythm.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Nathan Barr composed the original score for Kate.

Who handled music supervision?

Liza Richardson is credited as music supervisor.

What label issued the score album?

Netflix’s Maisie Music released the digital score album.

Do the featured bands appear on screen?

Yes—Band-Maid appear as themselves performing “Choose Me” in a club.

Runtime for timestamp context?

106 minutes (Netflix cut).

Is the trailer song in the film?

The trailer features an official remix of “Savage” by Bahari; it’s trailer-only, not a plot cue.

Notes & Trivia

• Two Band-Maid songs are used: “Blooming” (car/escape) and “Choose Me” (performed live in-scene).
• Model-guitarist Miyavi (as Jojima) fights Kate; his scene is scored with Aural Vampire’s “Shonanzoku – Cannibal Coast.”
• The end credits cue is Reol’s “Kinjitou.”
• Several deep-cut Japanese tracks appear briefly (e.g., Electronicole, OOIOO, vintage enka/TV cues) to texture locations.
• The trailer’s big drop isn’t in-film: a bitmastr remix of Bahari’s “Savage.”

Genres & Themes

Modern J-rock/J-alt → Adrenaline and street-level texture: distorted guitars and tight drums (Band-Maid) make chases feel like live-wire club sets rather than generic action.

Experimental/avant → Dissociation: OOIOO’s percussive chant turns stakeouts into fever dreams, matching the protagonist’s worsening symptoms.

Electro-pop/rap → Youth voice & bravado: Chanmina’s swagger frames Ani’s mouthy confidence and the film’s neon-youth POV.

Score (percussion + low strings) → Mortality clock: Barr’s cues tick with sub-bass pulses and brittle ostinatos—every cue a reminder of the poison’s countdown.

Tracks & Scenes

Timestamps approximate within the 106-minute cut; placements cross-checked with published guides. “Diegetic” = heard by characters on screen.

“I’m a Pop” — Chanmina
Where it plays: ~00:05:00 over the neon title card and early Tokyo beats; later reprises around ~00:35:00 as Ani mouths off. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Announces the film’s youth-first sonic identity; Ani’s bravado gets a musical twin.

“Una Canción en la Noche” — Joe Loco (Gonzalo Curiel)
Where it plays: ~00:08:00 in a Tokyo bar as Kate meets Stephen. Source music (diegetic).
Why it matters: Soft, vintage romance undercuts the setup to betrayal.

“Blooming” — BAND-MAID
Where it plays: ~00:13:00 as Kate peels out after a blown hit; rock riff collides with dashboard chaos. Non-diegetic, briefly mixed like source inside the car.
Why it matters: First hard pivot to J-rock kinetics; a sonic brand-stamp for Tokyo metal bars and highway danger.

“O O I A H” — OOIOO
Where it plays: ~00:23:00 around a supermarket/gear-up stretch; sound design bleeds with the chant. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Hypnotic, ritual energy under a methodical prep beat—music as trance before violence.

“Choose Me” — BAND-MAID
Where it plays: ~00:29:00, live on stage at the Black Lizard club; the band performs in-scene as Kate spots Ani. Diegetic performance; continues under a defibrillator fight gag.
Why it matters: Diegetic performance heightens immediacy; crowd sound grounds the action in a real space.

“Shonanzoku – Cannibal Coast” — Aural Vampire
Where it plays: ~00:52:00 during the Kate vs. Jojima throw-down; Ani fumbles with a gun. Non-diegetic, punches in/out for stunt beats.
Why it matters: Electro-goth throb suits Miyavi’s razor-edged presence; fight choreography rides the track’s contours.

“Girls It Ain’t Easy” — MoNa aka Sad Girl
Where it plays: ~01:22:00 as Kate, wounded, closes in on Varrick with Ani; elevator/approach montage. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: A cool, laconic strut that reframes pursuit as grim resolve.

“Kinjitou” — Reol
Where it plays: ~01:35:00 into end credits; the final exchange between Kate and Ani lands, then the hook hits. Non-diegetic/end credits.
Why it matters: Lyrical flare-out over a fatal quiet—stylish curtain drop that keeps the film’s Japanese pop texture front and center.

Other featured cues heard briefly: “Vanilla Kyūjin Theme Song” (Sawada Masataka), “Muden Na Girl” (Electronicole), “#Yappamotto” (Sakuraku Ohara), “BGM of Message from Space: Galactic Wars” (Shunsuke Kikuchi).
Trailer music (not in film): “Savage (bitmastr Remix)” — Bahari.

Music–Story Links

• Mortality vs. momentum: Barr’s ticking motifs track the poison’s progress; rock drops arrive when Kate forces her body past failure—music as denial of death.
• Trust calculus: The diegetic “Choose Me” isn’t just a title—under that performance, Kate recognizes Ani and the plot inverts from target to ward.
• Identity & place: J-artists dominate source culture (clubs, streets, shops). The soundtrack rejects generic “global action” cues and insists on Tokyo specificity.

How It Was Made

Nathan Barr’s score underlines the 24-hour structure with pulse-driven motifs and low-register tension writing. Music supervision by Liza Richardson steers a Japan-forward needle-drop palette: Band-Maid (also cameo), OOIOO, Reol, Aural Vampire, Chanmina. Per Film Music Reporter, Barr boarded early in post to shape the movie’s relentless clock; his cue set was then intercut with licensed tracks to keep the city’s sound present.

Reception & Quotes

Reviews were mixed on story but singled out the sonic world and Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s performance; Wikipedia’s summary reflects that split. Fan/press soundtrack guides praised the specificity of Japanese artists in a U.S. production.

“Packed with Japanese pop culture references, including music from female artists of all genres.” /Film (trailer write-up)

“The soundtrack… sharply contrasts with the film’s dark themes.” ScreenRant (soundtrack guide)

“Band-Maid’s in-film performance is a highlight.” Vague Visages

Availability: The Nathan Barr score is available digitally; the song selections stream individually via the artists’ releases and playlists. Band-Maid’s “Choose Me” and “Blooming” are available on the band’s official channels.

Additional Info

• Band-Maid’s cameo is canonical; they appear on stage as themselves.
• End-credits single (“Kinjitou,” Reol) provides the closest thing to a tie-off song.
• Chanmina’s cut doubles as a character motif for Ani when it reprises.
• Some deep cuts are ultra-brief, functioning as location texture rather than full sequences.
• Trailer song licensing (Bahari “Savage” remix) is separate from in-film uses.

Technical Info

• Title: Kate (Original Netflix Film Soundtrack & Songs)
• Year: 2021
• Type: Original score (Nathan Barr) + licensed songs (various artists)
• Composer: Nathan Barr
• Music Supervision: Liza Richardson
• Label (score album): Maisie Music (digital)
• Runtime (film): 106 minutes
• Notable placements: “Blooming,” “Choose Me” (Band-Maid); “I’m a Pop” (Chanmina); “Kinjitou” (Reol); “Shonanzoku – Cannibal Coast” (Aural Vampire); “O O I A H” (OOIOO)
• Trailer Video ID: MysGjRS9jFU

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Vague Visages (song placements & times); ScreenRant (song overview); IMDb (music dept. & soundtrack credits); Wikipedia (film facts & Band-Maid cameo); Film Music Reporter (composer assignment); Netflix trailer (YouTube).

November, 12th 2025