Released on Sept. 19, the new soundtrack for the musical “The Devil Wears Prada,” based on the eponymous 2003 novel and 2006 film, offers listeners a few standout songs among an otherwise unoriginal score.
The musical’s star-studded architects set theatergoers’ expectations high: Elton John spearheaded the production’s music, with lyrics penned by Shaina Taub, writer and star of the Tony Award-winning musical “Suffs,” and Mark Sonnenblick, co-writer of multiple chart-topping hits from Netflix’s wildly popular “KPop Demon Hunters.”
But in reality, while the original West End cast recording of “The Devil Wears Prada” has a few gems, a majority of the soundtrack is just lazy lyricism and upbeat, yet overdone, musical theater melodies.
The show opens with “I Mean Business,” where protagonist Andy Sachs (Georgie Buckland), hoping to land a writing job in New York City, dejectedly recounts “taking the train” to her “15th interview.” The opening track serves as a simple yet effective “I Want” song — a classic musical theater plot device to establish the protagonist’s desires.
With “House of Miranda,” the soundtrack takes a more promising turn, introducing the fast-paced, brutal world of Runway magazine — a fictionalized version of Vogue. Miranda Priestly, soon to become Sachs’s boss, is a godlike figure who can “run the world with a magazine.”
In “Girl For The Job,” the ghostly ensemble vocals further emphasize Priestly’s villain-like, almost otherworldly character. And in “Dress Your Way Up,” listeners are treated to hints of Elton John’s signature upbeat piano melodies accompanied by a range of driving trumpets.
But certain lyrics distract from the score’s classic theatrical feel. Some just feel lazy, rhyming “the devil wears Prada” with “goodie-goodies get nada,” or even pairing “Miranda holds the sway” with “I am not afraid to slay.” “Dress Your Way Up,” an otherwise catchy and standout track, is weighed down by cringeworthy lines like “You need Gucci like you need air.”
The lyrics also contain off-putting and offensive jeers at eating disorders in the fashion industry, with a co-worker calling Andy “the girl … who eats carbs / And saturated fats.”
In “How to Survive at Runway,” peers advise Andy on how to succeed in her newfound position, telling her, “Eat, sleep and breathe the job / Except don’t sleep or eat.” “Girl For the Job” also pokes fun at Miranda’s “overdressed, underfed mob.”
While cringy and borderline offensive lines catch listeners’ attention, some songs do manage to overcome this weakness with occasional comedy and sincerity. In “The Devil Wears Prada,” Miranda muses, “If we didn’t have to kiss the assets of these men / God knows what we could actually achieve,” and in “In Or Out - Pt. 1,” an employee jokes that “’Til Miranda says you matter / You’re basically decor.”
Songs like “Seen” attempt to showcase the songwriting talents of the creative team. In “Seen,” Nigel — one of Andy’s coworkers — recalls finding comfort in fashion as a teenager: “Growing up gay in Kalamazoo was not a walk in the park.” The song offers an interesting contradiction to the show’s prior villainization of the fashion industry, with Nigel noting that “Runway gave me a glimpse of a world where someday I could be seen.”
In “Bon Voyage,” Emily — from whom Andy steals a spot at Paris Fashion Week — enjoys her well-deserved tantrum that movie fans have been waiting for. She tells Andy, “Bon Voyage, enjoy Paris … Face it, Andy, you sold your soul the day you put on that first pair of Jimmy Choos.”
While parts of the soundtrack contain questionable lyrics and unoriginal melodies, the album’s lighthearted, comedic nature acts as a somewhat redeeming factor. When accompanied by dramatic dance numbers, no-expenses-spared sets and additional context, it’s sure to make an enjoyable show — but the album is not the exciting listen fans hoped for.
