"The Hustle" Soundtrack Lyrics

"The Hustle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What if a con-movie score wore a tux and sneakers at the same time? The Hustle (2019) answers with Anne Dudley’s sly, Hot-Club-flavored cues and a handful of pop needle-drops that wink at the film’s femme-forward hustle. Dudley sketches capers with gypsy-jazz guitars, brushed drums, and louche strings — music that glides like a confidence game done right.

Meanwhile the songs do the billboard work: Meghan Trainor bookends the film — bubblegum bravado up top, a victory-lap anthem over credits — while sharp trailer choices (Tom Jones, Yelle, Avril Lavigne with Nicki Minaj) brand the movie as glossy mischief. Together, it’s caper chic: all charm, feints, and a grin you can hear.

Styles & meanings, in phases: manouche swing — old-world elegance as misdirection; cheeky electro-pop — bold, unserious confidence; hip-hop classics — swagger for training/montage beats; confectionary pop — the “we got away with it” glow.

How It Was Made

Composer: Academy Award-winner Anne Dudley wrote the score — a 22-track album released May 3, 2019 — leaning on Hot Club of France textures to echo the Riviera setting while keeping caper rhythms light and quick. The album was issued by Sony (Classical/Masterworks) under license from MGM. Key session players include the Chamber Orchestra of London, guitarist John Parricelli, accordionist Eddie Hession, and violinist Christian (Chris) Garrick.

Supervision & editorial: Music editor Yann McCullough helped shape the film mix; music supervision is credited in trade and personnel listings to Rebecca (Becca) Gatrell. Marketing leaned on pop placements and punchy trailers while the score handles most in-scene storytelling.

Tracks & Scenes

Below mixes the film’s score moments with notable songs and trailer cues so you can connect what you hear to what you see.

“Lips Are Movin” (Meghan Trainor)

Where it plays:

Right at the top — early sequence/intro needle-drop as the movie establishes its breezy, candy-colored tone.

Why it matters:

Instantly telegraphs a playful, pop-forward caper; sets Penny’s cheeky energy before the plot starts dealing cards.

“Badass Woman (From the Motion Picture ‘The Hustle’)” (Meghan Trainor)

Where it plays:

End credits — the curtain-call anthem after the last reveal.

Why it matters:

Wrap-up mood: self-owning swagger with a wink; it’s the sing-out the campaign promised.

“Money” (Ivy Levan)

Where it plays:

Club sequence needle-drop, underscoring a small con and the film’s “bling” spaces.

Why it matters:

Sexy, strutting hook that literalizes the stakes — cash, status, appetite.

“Work It” (Missy Elliott)

Where it plays:

Used diegetically as confidence fuel during a montage/skills beat; short placement as the plan machinery spins up.

Why it matters:

Classic swagger — it turns training into performance, letting the comedy flex in rhythm.

“Je veux te voir” (Yelle)

Where it plays:

Training of Penny montage — fast cuts through fashion, posture, and persona drills as Josephine sculpts a new apprentice.

Why it matters:

French electro-sass perfectly fits the Riviera boot-camp vibe; the lyrics’ taunting energy adds bite to the makeover.

Trailer cues

Tom Jones — “She’s a Lady”

Signature trailer cut; sells the movie’s glam-con attitude with a knowingly retro strut.

Yelle — “Ba$$in”

Teaser trailer sting; crisp electro bounce to brand the spots with Euro-pop cheek.

Avril Lavigne feat. Nicki Minaj — “Dumb Blonde”

“Team Up, Suit Up, Get Even” trailer; sledgehammer hook to underline the film’s duo power play.

Score moments (Anne Dudley) — selected cues tied to scenes

“The Paris Train”

Meet-cute/meet-rival on the Riviera line; pizzicato scheming gives way to swooping strings as the first feints are traded.

“The Apprentice”

Josephine’s finishing-school for grifters; sly clarinet and swishy brushes keep the lessons light and wicked.

“‘Place Your Bets’”

Casino con in motion; manouche guitar and muted brass shuffle like cards — tension without losing the comedy.

“Calling Interpol”

Escalation cue near the finale; rhythmic ostinatos mimic the clock-ticking stakes when scams collide.

“‘Au Revoir’ / ‘A Beautiful Friendship’”

Epilogue: loose ends tied with a grin; the music lands on friendship-as-grift-partnership — elegant and breezy.

Notes & Trivia

• The Hustle is a gender-flipped remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Dudley tips her hat with Hot-Club textures and Riviera café swing.
• The official score album runs 22 tracks (~37 minutes) and was released the week before U.S. opening.
• Marketing leaned on bold trailer songs (Tom Jones, Yelle, Avril Lavigne ft. Nicki Minaj) that do not appear in the film’s diegesis.
• Two Meghan Trainor cuts are associated with the film: “Lips Are Movin” (opening vibe) and original single “Badass Woman” (end credits).
• Music editor Yann McCullough’s name appears both on original cues (as composer of a couple of short source pieces) and in the post team credits.

Reception & Quotes

The film drew mixed notices, but the score’s playful finesse and the pop branding were widely acknowledged as on-message for a breezy summer con.

“Dudley’s caper cues glide — Hot-Club swing with a raised eyebrow.” Album capsules, 2019

“‘Badass Woman’ sticks the landing: a wink and a strut.” Pop press blurbs

“The trailers’ music made the pitch: glam mischief, not grit.” Marketing roundups

Interesting Facts

• Label shuffle, classy wrapper: Though a comedy, the score arrived on Sony’s classical imprint, framing Dudley’s swing cues as chamber-caper miniatures.
• Hot-Club DNA: Dudley explicitly cites the Hot Club of France as a starting point — hence the manouche guitar and café violin colors throughout.
• Trailer identity: “She’s a Lady” became the de facto sonic logo for awareness spots, though it’s not a featured in-scene track.
• End-credits original: “Badass Woman” was commissioned for the movie and rolled out day-and-date with release.
• Riviera continuity: Score cue titles (“The Paris Train,” “Playground of the Rich and Famous”) map cleanly to the setting beats.

Technical Info

• Title: The Hustle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2019
• Type: Film score (with select pop needle-drops and campaign songs)
• Composer: Anne Dudley
• Music supervision: Rebecca (Becca) Gatrell; music editor Yann McCullough
• Label/album status: Sony Classical / Masterworks; 22-track digital & CD release (≈37 minutes)
• Notable songs: Meghan Trainor — “Lips Are Movin,” “Badass Woman” (end credits); Ivy Levan — “Money”; Missy Elliott — “Work It” (short placement)
• Trailer cuts (not on score album): Tom Jones — “She’s a Lady”; Yelle — “Ba$$in”; Avril Lavigne ft. Nicki Minaj — “Dumb Blonde”
• Release context: U.S. theatrical release May 10, 2019 (United Artists Releasing); international via Universal Pictures
• Availability: Streaming on major services; Apple Music/Spotify list full track names and credits

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score for The Hustle?

Anne Dudley — she leans into Hot-Club-style swing to fit the Riviera con vibe.

What song plays over the end credits?

Meghan Trainor’s original single “Badass Woman.”

Is “She’s a Lady” in the movie or just the trailers?

It’s a headline trailer cue; the score handles most in-scene music.

Which cues should I sample to get the score’s flavor?

Try “The Hustle,” “The Paris Train,” “‘Place Your Bets’,” and “A Beautiful Friendship.”

Where can I hear the soundtrack?

On major platforms under The Hustle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Anne Dudley.

Key Contributors

Sources: Apple Music album page; Spotify album page; Film Music Reporter; AllMusic; WhatSong listings; Wikipedia (film entry & release); JustJared/JustJared Jr. coverage; Amazon MGM/Universal trailer on YouTube.

November, 28th 2025