"Pretty Little Liars" Soundtrack Lyrics

“Pretty Little Liars (Television Soundtrack / Music from the Original TV Series)” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

How do you score a show about secrets — whisper or scream? Pretty Little Liars chooses both: a lullaby that threatens and a jukebox that confesses. The now-iconic opener, “Secret” by The Pierces, sets the tone — sweet melody, poisonous wink — while the series layers in alt-pop, coffeehouse heartache, and needle-sharp electropop.

The premise is a teen mystery that grows into a small-town myth: four friends stalked by an unseen “A.” The music acts like another text message — sometimes a clue, sometimes misdirection. When Aria meets Ezra, the song smolders; when Alison’s body is found, the soundtrack freezes the frame with a haunted hush. And between those extremes, score cues flicker like streetlights.

Across seven seasons, the sound evolves from jangly indie and radio-friendly pop toward darker textures and glossy, trailer-ready drama. Phase map: indie pop — first-love nerve; adult-contemporary ballads — fragile aftermath; electro/alt — threat escalation; dramatic promos — legend-building. According to Wikipedia, composer Michael Suby underpins the whole run with a consistent score language, while the theme “Secret” was suggested by cast member Ashley Benson — a deft case of in-world taste shaping the show’s identity.

How It Was Made

Score & supervision: According to Rolling Stone, music supervisor Chris Mollere leaned into up-and-coming artists for placement moments that felt like discoveries, while composer Michael Suby kept motifs tight — piano figures, pulsing synths, and tremolo strings that could slip under dialogue without deflating tension.

The theme that whispers: The opening “Secret” (The Pierces) is a 2007 track refitted as the series signature; the mix was tailored to the eerie close-ups of the girls and that not-quite-centered shush. Freeform’s official intro video doubles as a tone bible: sweetness with teeth.

Compilation release: WaterTower Music issued Pretty Little Liars: Television Soundtrack (a Season-1-leaning compilation) with fan-favorite cuts like “Beauty Queen,” “I Won’t,” and “More of You.” As listed by Apple Music, it arrived February 15, 2011.

Tracks & Scenes

“Secret” — The Pierces
Where it plays: every opening title. A waltz-like whisper over the girls’ funeral-parlor tableau; the “shhh” lands on a held breath (diegetic-adjacent title theme).
Why it matters: nursery-rhyme menace; it brands the show’s paradox — confessional and conspiratorial at once.

“Beauty Queen” — Ben’s Brother
Where it plays: Pilot — Aria ducks into the bar before school starts; she meets Ezra without knowing he’ll be her teacher. The track hums through banter and a coy cut to the jukebox (source music shifting to non-diegetic feel).
Why it matters: frames the “B-26” meet-cute with adult polish — a love story already too complicated.

“Happiness” — The Fray
Where it plays: Pilot — the jukebox selection (“B-26”) in that same bar sequence, threading into the couple’s chemistry (diegetic, then bed-music bleed).
Why it matters: gives Ezria a recognizable motif; the chorus becomes a private code between scenes.

“More of You” — MoZella
Where it plays: Pilot — Aria and Ezra’s bathroom make-out; the edit stays close on breath and hands while the vocal lifts (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: soft edges for a hard boundary; desire framed as a secret both tender and dangerous.

“I Won’t” — Colbie Caillat
Where it plays: Pilot — Aria’s family unpacking; she stares in the mirror, calibrating the “new” her after a year away (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: bright pop melancholy — a reset button before everything tilts.

“Don’t Trust Me” — 3OH!3
Where it plays: Pilot — early party/barn-scene energy in the girls’ pre-mystery flashback (source).
Why it matters: brash, unserious — a snapshot of the “before” world.

“It Girl” — Twirl
Where it plays: Pilot — Hanna and Mona’s shoplifting glide through the mall; camera turns the security cameras on them (source turned montage bed).
Why it matters: teen-royalty bravado with a wink.

“Flaunt” — Girls Love Shoes
Where it plays: Pilot — Emily shows new neighbor Maya around; low-stakes flirtation hides under small-talk (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: introduces Emily’s arc with warmth instead of thunder.

“Suggestions” — Orelia Has Orchestra
Where it plays: Pilot — mournful motif when Alison’s body is discovered; later reprises at pivotal losses in the series (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: the show’s grief cue — a musical thread tying beginnings, deaths, and revelations.

“Jar of Hearts” — Christina Perri
Where it plays: S2E1 “It’s Alive” — after the summer cliffhanger, parents order distance; the song swells as friendships are forced apart (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: breakup language for a friendship — melodrama used knowingly.

“The Devil Within” — Digital Daggers
Where it plays: S4E1 end montage — the new season’s first “A” button: mannequins, doll parts, a fresh threat being built (non-diegetic over closing scene).
Why it matters: self-portrait of the villain as a pop song; lyrics mirror the surveillance-and-puppetry theme.

Promo note — “Secrets” (OneRepublic)
Where it plays: 2010 network promos for the series pre-premiere (trailer use, not in-episode).
Why it matters: glossy, widescreen hook used to sell the mystery to a mainstream audience.

Notes & Trivia

• “Secret” was proposed by star Ashley Benson and became the show’s calling card.
• Music supervision emphasized discovery — many artists saw streaming bumps after placements.
• The Season-1-centric compilation album arrived in early 2011 via WaterTower Music.
• “Suggestions” recurs at three major emotional beats, making it the series’ unofficial elegy.
• Digital Daggers’ “The Devil Within” helped reset the show’s menace in the Season-4 premiere.

Music–Story Links

When Aria steps into the Hollis bar, “Beauty Queen” and “Happiness” act like wardrobe changes — teen to adult in two verses. When Alison is found, “Suggestions” drops the temperature; the mystery becomes a eulogy. Emily’s soft-focus scenes are shaded with singer-songwriter intimacy; Hanna’s schemes get bouncy, high-gloss pop. And when A reasserts control, the palette shifts to ominous female-voiced alt — a sonic calling card for surveillance and power.

Reception & Quotes

Fans treated the soundtrack like a living playlist: Shazams spiked after big reveals; YouTube comments turned into communal liner notes. The show’s use of pop ballads and moody indie remains a template for teen-mystery TV.

“A teen noir that knows the value of a well-timed needle-drop.” Critic roundups

“Suby’s score keeps the secrets breathing between songs.” Album retrospectives

“The opener is a sing-along threat — unforgettable.” Fan forums

According to Teen Vogue, licensing mega-artists (like Beyoncé) was out of budget — which steered the show toward smartly curated, rising acts.

Interesting Facts

• The theme’s “off-center shush” became a meme; Lucy Hale later joked about the finger placement.
• OneRepublic’s “Secrets” was used in early marketing, not the episodes themselves.
• ZZ Ward cut PLL-themed videos tied to later-season promotions — cross-pollination before TikTok era norms.
• WaterTower Music’s compilation functions like a Pilot-plus mixtape — many in-show songs never made the album.
• Some cues repeat as sonic Easter eggs — Ezria’s bar motif echoes in the finale, a full-circle nod for fans.

Technical Info

• Title: Pretty Little Liars (Television Soundtrack / Music from the Original TV Series)
• Years: 2010–2017 (series); compilation album released 2011
• Type: TV soundtrack — various artists + original score
• Composer: Michael Suby (series score)
• Music supervision: Chris Mollere (series music supervisor)
• Key placements (sample): “Secret” — The Pierces; “Beauty Queen” — Ben’s Brother; “I Won’t” — Colbie Caillat; “More of You” — MoZella; “Happiness” — The Fray; “Don’t Trust Me” — 3OH!3; “It Girl” — Twirl; “Flaunt” — Girls Love Shoes; “Suggestions” — Orelia Has Orchestra; “Jar of Hearts” — Christina Perri; “The Devil Within” — Digital Daggers; promos: “Secrets” — OneRepublic.
• Album label: WaterTower Music (compilation, digital/CD)
• Network: ABC Family/Freeform (U.S.)
• Availability: Compilation streaming and digital storefronts; episodic song lists via fan/industry databases.

Questions & Answers

Who wrote the score that runs between the pop songs?

Composer Michael Suby — his motifs anchor suspense and link recurring clues.

What’s the opening theme, and who picked it?

“Secret” by The Pierces; Ashley Benson suggested it and it became the show’s signature.

Is there an official album?

Yes — WaterTower Music released a Season-1-focused compilation (Music from the Original TV Series) in 2011.

Which non-album song best defines the show’s mood?

“Suggestions” by Orelia Has Orchestra — it scores discovery, mourning, and consequences.

Why so many rising artists instead of megastars?

Budget and taste — licensing limits pushed smart curation; discovery became the brand.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Wikipedia (series & music notes), Apple Music (compilation details), WhatSong/Tunefind indexes (episode song lists), Freeform/YouTube intro, Rolling Stone (Mollere profile), PLL Wiki (music guides), Teen Vogue (licensing/budget).

November, 19th 2025