"The Substance" Soundtrack Lyrics

“The Substance — Original Motion Picture Score & Songs (2024)” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

What if a body-horror movie sounded like a pop hit swallowing itself? The Substance does exactly that — Raffertie’s score glitters, then grinds; source songs lure you in, then curdle against the images. The result is a sonic mirror of the film’s premise: a “better you” that’s slick, synthetic, and hungry.

On album, the cues are brisk, bass-forward electronic sketches; on screen, they act like a toxin that blooms in the bloodstream. Pop and canon collide — club heaters sit beside a sliver of Bernard Herrmann and a thunderclap of Richard Strauss — and the clash is deliberate. The movie plays the culture’s beauty myths back to us as dance-floor euphoria and then as a scream.

Style map in phases: neon club & EDM — aspiration and denial; synth-horror & industrial textures — mutation and control; sacred/romantic standards — nostalgia weaponized; classical reference points — mythic self-creation. The soundtrack’s trick is simple and sharp: it makes desire feel catchy, then shows you what the hook is barbed with.

How It Was Made

Composer: British producer Raffertie (Benjamin Stefanski) joined late in post, turning around an electronic score in a tight window before Cannes. He and writer-director Coralie Fargeat shaped a palette that splits Elisabeth’s older, “organic/nostalgic” identity from Sue’s glossier, synthetic impulse — then lets the two bleed into each other. Waxwork Records issued the score digitally in September 2024 with a fluorescent-green vinyl edition announced the same day.

Source music & supervision: Music supervisor Guillaume Baurez threaded needle-drops ranging from club bangers to art-pop drones to a knowingly meta nod to Herrmann’s Vertigo. The film’s mix leans hard into contrast: diegetic sheen against non-diegetic dread.

Tracks & Scenes

Key placements with scene context (diegetic = heard in-world). Times vary by cut; descriptions focus on story function rather than exact minute marks.

“Pump It Up (Extended Mix)” (Endor)

Where it plays:

Signature dance/aerobics-set sequence with Sue — lights, mirrors, sweat; cameras drink in the “new” body as the hook hammers. Diegetic club/fitness-floor source that spills into montage rhythm.

Why it matters:

A perfect pop mantra for the film’s thesis — more, tighter, younger. The crowd-pleaser turns into a pressure cooker.

“Fade Away” (Pyrit)

Where it plays:

Early bar scene awash in blue — Sue alone with her wants; the song’s vapor trails blur resolve. Diegetic bar source that the mix lets bloom.

Why it matters:

Dream-pop as denial: a premonition that identity will, well, fade.

“Lost Cool” (Holy Fuck feat. Lucia Tacchetti)

Where it plays:

Back at Sue’s apartment — make-out with the motorcycle guy; synths twitch while boundaries dissolve. Mostly diegetic, mixed hot against breathing and laughter.

Why it matters:

A neon pulse for the film’s most “alive” seduction — pleasure shading into performance.

“Ugly and Vengeful” (Anna von Hausswolff)

Where it plays:

Climactic passage near the end — voices and organ-like drones swell as bodies and egos rupture. Non-diegetic; bleeds into the confrontation’s operatic scale.

Why it matters:

Ritual doom as commentary: the movie finally says the quiet part loud.

“At Last (sweetened version)” (Etta James)

Where it plays:

A fantasy entrance late in the film — applause, adoration; reality has other plans. Presented like diegetic pageantry, but it’s really a dissociative veil.

Why it matters:

American romance weaponized: the most beloved “arrival” song becomes a delusion anthem.

“The Nightmare and Dawn” (from Vertigo, Bernard Herrmann)

Where it plays:

Mirror-and-earrings prep before the big show — a “princess” ritual performed by a monster trying to pass. Non-diegetic quotation of classic Hollywood obsession.

Why it matters:

A meta-needle-drop: the film waves a flag at the star system’s makeover myth.

“Also sprach Zarathustra — Prelude (Sonnenaufgang)” (Richard Strauss)

Where it plays:

Late, as the film winks at myth-making — the most over-quoted “rebirth” fanfare hits with biting irony. Non-diegetic sting.

Why it matters:

Self-creation scored like a god-tier sunrise — except the new self is a nightmare.

Other notable drops

• “Original” (Ty Frankel) — transitional source cue underscoring the brand-new Sue persona.
• “She Got Ooh Yeah” (Lincoln Grounds) — glossy, commercial sheen for lifestyle-TV moments.
• “Sunshine at Midnight” (Jon Du) — soft-focus ambiance before things get sharp.

Notes & Trivia

• Raffertie’s 28-cue score album dropped digitally September 20, 2024; Waxwork’s fluorescent-green vinyl followed as a pre-order the same day.
• The film’s music department credits Guillaume Baurez as music supervisor; the score album release credits Waxwork Records.
• The production deliberately quotes Bernard Herrmann’s Vertigo to comment on star-making machinery; later it cheekily blasts Strauss to puncture self-myth.
• Endor’s “Pump It Up” saw a fresh surge after the film’s release thanks to the aerobics/dance-set scene.

Reception & Quotes

Critics singled out the “fast, bassy, nervy” score and the pointed needle-drops that turn wish-fulfillment into horror.

“Catchy, propulsive beats make the movie feel like it’s speeding down the 405.” RogerEbert.com

“Raffertie’s thunderous score adds an appropriately ominous touch.” The Hollywood Reporter

Availability: Digital score via Waxwork/Back Lot; vinyl (Activator/fluorescent green) announced the same day. The featured songs live across their respective labels; an official “various artists” album was not issued.

Interesting Facts

• Cannes deadline score: Raffertie built the sound in mere weeks before the festival bow.
• Two selves, two palettes: Elisabeth’s material leans warmer/nostalgic; Sue’s is brighter and synthetic — then the lines blur.
• Temp-track that stayed: Herrmann’s Vertigo cue survived the temp stage because the director wanted its meta charge.
• House hit, horror context: Endor’s 2019 club banger gets repurposed as a body-commodification anthem.

Technical Info

• Title: The Substance — Original Motion Picture Score & featured songs
• Year: 2024
• Type: Film score (Raffertie); selected source music (various artists)
• Composer: Raffertie (Benjamin Stefanski)
• Music supervision: Guillaume Baurez
• Label (score): Waxwork Records (digital & vinyl)
• Key featured songs: “Pump It Up (Extended Mix)” — Endor; “Fade Away” — Pyrit; “Lost Cool” — Holy Fuck ft. Lucia Tacchetti; “Ugly and Vengeful” — Anna von Hausswolff; “At Last (sweetened)” — Etta James; “Also sprach Zarathustra: Prelude” — Richard Strauss; Herrmann’s “The Nightmare and Dawn” from Vertigo
• Release context: Cannes 2024 premiere; theatrical/streaming rollout followed; score album streeted Sept 20, 2024
• Availability/notes: Score on streaming & vinyl; no official “various artists” compilation — tracks reside on artist catalogs/curated playlists

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Raffertie (Benjamin Stefanski) — an electronic-forward score completed on a tight Cannes deadline.

Is there a songs album?

No official “various artists” album; the film uses licensed tracks you can find via artist releases and curated playlists.

What’s the dance-track everyone talks about?

Endor’s “Pump It Up (Extended Mix)” — used in the film’s aerobic/dance-set sequence.

What’s the doom-drone track near the climax?

Anna von Hausswolff’s “Ugly and Vengeful.”

Did the movie really use Bernard Herrmann?

Yes — “The Nightmare and Dawn” from Vertigo underscores a late mirror-and-earrings prep scene.

Key Contributors

Sources: Waxwork Records release info; Apple/Spotify listings; IMDb/Metacritic credits; WhatSong title list; interviews & features with Raffertie; reviews citing the score; fan-ID threads confirming scene uses; official trailers and clips.

November, 29th 2025