"Paper Towns" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"Paper Towns (Music from the Motion Picture)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What if a teen road movie decided the destination didn’t matter — only the soundtrack did? Paper Towns rides that paradox, curating indie-pop glimmer and late-night synths to track Q’s search for the idea of Margo as much as the girl herself. The album is a mood board in motion: fizzy at parties, weightless on the highway, bittersweet at sunrise.

The compilation leans into 2010s alt-pop — Santigold, Twin Shadow, Haim, Grouplove — while the original score by Ryan Lott (Son Lux) threads nervous strings and glassy keys between needle-drops. Songs land with intent: a Kindness cover to frame first-love mythology, a Saint Motel bop for phone-call chaos, a Galantis floor-filler that pauses the plot just long enough for two kids to actually talk.

As a listen, it arcs like the film: myth → chase → recalibration. Synth-pop and electro set the neon; jangly guitars do the wistful work; Lott’s cues keep the compass steady. By the credits, the album has done a quiet sleight of hand — it turns a coming-of-age mystery into a mixtape about permission to grow up.

Genres & phases: indie-dance (momentum, peer pressure), electro-pop (projection, fantasy), guitar-pop (reality checks, friendship), and minimalist score (interior monologue). Translation: glossy hooks mean confidence; warm guitars mean honesty; Lott’s motifs signal the moment Q stops chasing a person and starts chasing a life.

How It Was Made

The songs album — Paper Towns (Music from the Motion Picture) — arrived July 10, 2015 on Atlantic Records, produced for the soundtrack side by Kevin Weaver with music supervision by Season Kent. Kent and director Jake Schreier built playlists during production so scenes could be cut to pre-vetted tracks, then cleared or swapped as the edit evolved.

Ryan Lott composed the original score (released separately) and also contributed the “Paper Towns Mix” of Son Lux’s “Lost It to Trying,” interweaving score textures into the compilation. Strings and propulsive percussion were tracked for efficiency — short cues that tuck between songs without fighting them.

Editorially, the film uses songs as chapter markers. The party sequence stacks multiple placements to sketch teen micro-dramas; the overnight pranks use beat-driven tracks to keep Q inside Margo’s headspace; the long-haul drive spreads out a trio of road songs so each friend gets a moment of clarity.

Tracks & Scenes

“Swingin Party” — Kindness
Where it plays: Opening narration. Q recalls first seeing Margo, idealizing her as “a miracle.” The track’s soft tremolo and echo wrap the memory in gauze, tilting the suburban street toward myth.
Why it matters: Establishes the film’s thesis: Q isn’t chasing a person; he’s chasing a story he once set to music.

“Lost It to Trying (Paper Towns Mix)” — Son Lux
Where it plays: Night drive to the SunTrust building during the prank spree. The engine hum and city sodium lights line up with the track’s stuttering pulses; Q is out of his comfort zone and loving it.
Why it matters: Fuses score and song, bridging Q’s interior jitters to Margo’s kinetic confidence.

“My Type” — Saint Motel
Where it plays: Radar phones Q from a raucous house party, begging for a pick-up. The horns swagger underneath cutaways of red cups, bad decisions, and a friendship rescue mission forming in Q’s head.
Why it matters: It’s the nudge that pulls Q into the party — and into the web of clues.

“Radio” — Santigold
Where it plays: Q threads through Jase’s house party, scanning rooms, clocking secrets. The beat is bouncy but a little cutting, mirroring how the social shine feels abrasive when you’re there on a mission.
Why it matters: Turns background vibe into character POV; the party is loud, but Q’s purpose is louder.

“Search Party” — Sam Bruno
Where it plays: Q rifles through Jase’s room for anything Margo; he stumbles on shredded maps — the breadcrumb that reframes everything. The chorus lifts right as a clue emerges.
Why it matters: The mixtape pun becomes literal — he’s on an actual search party now.

“Runaway (U & I) — Svidden & Jarly Remix” — Galantis
Where it plays: Q finds Lacey crying in a bathroom and slides into an impromptu summit in the tub. The euphoric drop keeps floating from the next room while the conversation grows surprisingly honest.
Why it matters: Counterpoint: a festival anthem against a small, human talk that makes both kids braver.

“Taxi Cab” — Vampire Weekend
Where it plays: Crossing Jefferson Park en route to Chuck’s place during the prank night. The piano chimes feel after-hours, a city map traced by headlights and inside jokes.
Why it matters: Makes the neighborhood feel like a private playground.

“Great Summer” — Vance Joy
Where it plays: The first stretch of the road trip. Asphalt rhythms, dashboard drumming, friendships realigning mile by mile.
Why it matters: A tone-setter for movement — sweet but forward, like a page turning itself.

“No Drama Queen” — Grouplove
Where it plays: Another leg of the drive; the car gets looser, jokes louder, the mission less solemn. Windows down, volume up, the crew begins to belong to itself rather than to Margo.
Why it matters: Locates the story’s real romance — the friend group.

“Be Mine” — Alice Boman
Where it plays: After the highway cow incident, the teens pull off to breathe. Lacey asks Ben to prom; Radar and Angela find their own quiet corner. The song hushes the chaos into a tender checkpoint.
Why it matters: The road trip becomes a coming-of-age layover.

“Burning” — The War on Drugs
Where it plays: Day two on the road; the patched-up car hits the New York state line. Guitar lines feel like the sun finally arriving on the dash.
Why it matters: Milestone energy — the map is yielding to momentum.

“Falling” — Haim
Where it plays: The prom coda. Limbs loosen, expectations loosen, too. Q’s narrative about Margo… falls away.
Why it matters: A dance as thesis revision.

“Used to Haunt” — The Mountain Goats
Where it plays: End credits glide. It’s reflective rather than triumphant — a diary entry after a long night.
Why it matters: Signs the letter with a shrug and a smile: it’s okay to let myths go.

“Look Outside” — Nat & Alex Wolff
Where it plays: Also over the closing. A modest, acoustic curtain call that grounds Q’s perspective shift.
Why it matters: Cast-to-album link; the story literally sings itself out.

Trailer/non-album cues worth noting: Twin Shadow’s “To the Top” anchors the trailers and pops up during credits; Mikky Ekko’s “Smile” is featured in campaign materials even if you don’t clock it in the final feature cut.

Notes & Trivia

• The songs album hit July 10, 2015; the separate original score album followed later that month.
• Ryan Lott’s score and Son Lux track mingle — the “Paper Towns Mix” reworks textures from the cues.
• Some artists heard in the movie didn’t make the album; playlist features mention Bob Dylan and Bon Iver among extras.
• Vance Joy’s “Great Summer” dropped with a video stuffed with film clips a week before release.
• The soundtrack topped the UK Official Soundtrack Albums chart and reached the US Soundtrack top 10.

Music–Story Links

When Q and Margo prowl the suburb at night, “Lost It to Trying” primes risk — its hiccuping rhythm is how nerves sound when they’re excited. At Jase’s party, “Radio” and “Search Party” turn a maze of rooms into a scavenger hunt; every beat syncs to an object Q didn’t expect to find.

On the road, “Great Summer” flips the quest inward; the song isn’t about Margo, it’s about four friends realizing they like who they are with each other. By prom, “Falling” seals the thesis: the fantasy falls away, but the feeling of being alive doesn’t.

Reception & Quotes

Critics generally called the movie mixed but the soundtrack sticky — a Fault in Our Stars-style playlist with its own sun-bleached mood. Several outlets singled out Santigold’s “Radio,” Sam Bruno’s “Search Party,” and the Son Lux cut as the set’s pulse.

“Yearning, disillusionment, humor, and catharsis are in the air… a viable alt-music soundtrack for its time.” — AllMusic

“Season Kent sent mixtapes during filming so scenes could be cut to music… it shows.” — as reported in trade interviews

“Twin Shadow’s ‘To the Top’ and Vance Joy’s ‘Great Summer’ do heavy emotional lifting around the credits and promo.” — music press roundups

Interesting Facts

• Atlantic’s Kevin Weaver and music supervisor Season Kent also steered the hit Fault in Our Stars album — a conscious throughline here.
• “Search Party” was positioned as the album’s breakout single during release week marketing.
• The score album lists Hollywood Records as label of record for the digital release.
• “Taxi Cab” and “Runaway (U & I)” function as diegetic-adjacent party ambience — mixed to feel just next door to the action.
• The official compilation runs ~61 minutes across 16 tracks; streaming credits include detailed A&R and packaging notes.
• IndieWire cataloged several film-only cues not present on the retail album.

Technical Info

• Title: Paper Towns (Music from the Motion Picture)
• Year: 2015
• Type: Compilation soundtrack + separate original score
• Composer (score): Ryan Lott (Son Lux)
• Music Supervisor: Season Kent
• Label(s): Atlantic Records (songs album); Hollywood Records (score digital)
• Standout placements: “Swingin Party,” “Lost It to Trying (Paper Towns Mix),” “Radio,” “Search Party,” “Great Summer,” “Falling,” “Used to Haunt”
• Release context: Songs album July 10, 2015; wide theatrical July 24, 2015; score late July/August 2015
• Chart/availability: UK Soundtrack Albums #1; US Soundtrack Top 10; widely available on streaming/CD/digital.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the original score?

Ryan Lott (Son Lux) wrote the score; he also supplied the “Paper Towns Mix” of “Lost It to Trying.”

What song plays during the first leg of the road trip?

Vance Joy’s “Great Summer,” a breezy tempo marker as the miles tick by.

Which tracks define the party sequence?

“My Type,” “Radio,” “Search Party,” and the Galantis remix of “Runaway (U & I)” — a fast rotation that mirrors the chaos.

Are there songs in the film that aren’t on the official album?

Yes — press lists mention artists like Bob Dylan and Bon Iver among movie-only cues.

What’s the vibe of the end credits?

A reflective pair: The Mountain Goats’ “Used to Haunt,” then Nat & Alex Wolff’s “Look Outside.”

Canonical Entities & Relations

Subject	Verb	Object
Jake Schreier	directed	Paper Towns (2015 film)
Ryan Lott (Son Lux)	composed score for	Paper Towns
Season Kent	supervised music for	Paper Towns
Kevin Weaver	produced soundtrack album for	Paper Towns (Atlantic Records)
Atlantic Records	released	Paper Towns (Music from the Motion Picture)
Hollywood Records	released	Paper Towns (Original Motion Picture Score)
Santigold	performed	“Radio” (soundtrack)
Sam Bruno	performed	“Search Party” (soundtrack)
Vance Joy	performed	“Great Summer” (soundtrack)
Nat & Alex Wolff	performed	“Look Outside” (end credits)

Sources: AllMusic; Wikipedia; Bustle; IndieWire/The Playlist; Pitchfork; Teen Vogue; Apple Music; Spotify; Discogs.

Cara Delevingne, which is very looking alike Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, is considered to be a young talent in Hollywood. Romantic, inspirational, bizarre, funny and even detective love-story of unusual person to potentially unusual another person, from the creators of the hit film named “If I Stay”. Nice soundtrack that accompanies us is for very youth, and only for those who are opened in own soul. If you are bored and got tired of monotonous life, if you want to look at this whole routine from a completely different angle, if you do want to understand why the film is called "paper town" after all – then you simply have to see this motion picture. Including 16 official tracks and 9 additional, a selection is made very peculiar. Here you will meet rock, pop, reggae and even some "acid" – that’s such a mixture reigns in the soul of most teenagers who grow up. A mixture of hip–hop and R'n'b, presented in the song Radio by Santigold , gives an irresistible mood to move your booty, while Runaway , conversely, calls to set free from the shackles of the daily routine. Search Party is the main, titular theme of the film reveals itself as a good beat–ballad with echoes of reggae, under which you can both relax and do morning run and cook something extraordinary in the kitchen. It is suitable for a dozen other things – so it is versatile. According to the mood and style of the song, echoes goes from every second song in this collection, but especially notable in Used To Haunt . To be honest, a long time already we haven’t hear such high-quality and versatile collection, which is different in styles, but "dances" around a single rod. It creates a good mood and beautifully, perfectly underlines the movie's storyline. If you suddenly want to create a collection of the music that you want to take with you on a desert island with an endless supply of batteries, then this collection is definitely worth to be included in your TOP-10.

November, 18th 2025

More info: IMDb, Wikipedia

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