The Surprising Connection Between Netflix's 'Eurovision' & Ariana Grande

Generally speaking, comedies aren't really known for having great original music. But every once in a while, a musical comedy comes along that takes its songs seriously, managing to make them funny while at the same time still sounding like legitimate musical compositions. This Is Spinal Tap is one movie that did this very well. Walk Hard is another. Now, it looks like we can add another film to the list, as the Eurovision soundtrack is nothing short of amazing.

The Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams Netflix comedy is based on the long-running European singing contest of the same name, with the pair playing an Icelandic musical duo in search of stardom. For the soundtrack, the filmmakers wanted to mimic the actual competition's distinctive musical style without leaning too far into parody territory.

"I didn’t want 'Dick in a Box,' but we’re also not making A Star Is Born here," director David Dobkin told Vulture. "It’s okay if it’s funny, but it has to be really good music. It has to still be great and just kitschy enough to be Eurovision, because that’s part of what’s fun about Eurovision."

To achieve this pitch-perfect tone, the film's producers enlisted songwriter Savan Kotecha to write and produce a bulk of the film's original songs. Kotecha has co-written loads of massive pop hits, including The Weeknd's "I Can't Feel My Face" and Ariana Grande's "Love Me Harder," so he certainly knows how to craft a catchy tune. He wasn't super versed in Eurovision culture, however, which is why he assembled a own team of super songwriters, mostly Eurovision veterans of Scandinavian origin, to help him craft the film's many original tunes.

The movie's official soundtrack consists of 16 tracks, most of which are original to the film. Ferrell sings on a number of them, as does McAdams, though her vocals are augmented by the addition of Swedish singer and former Eurovision contestant Molly "My Marianne" Sandén, who doubles as McAdams singing voice in the film. A number of international singers also perform on the soundtrack, including pop star Demi Lovato, who performs one of the film's new songs in her role as an Icelandic contestant named Katiana. The soundtrack's non-original songs include a cover of Pharell's "Happy," a medley comprised of songs by Cher, Madonna, ABBA, and others, and "Fool Moon" by English pop group Anteros. The full track list can be found below.

1. "Double Trouble" (Tiësto's Euro 90s Tribute Remix) - Will Ferrell, My Marianne, Rachel McAdams, and Tiësto
2. "Lion Of Love" - Erik Mjönes
3. "Coolin' With Da Homies" - Savan Kotecha
4. "Volcano Man" - Will Ferrell, My Marianne, and Rachel McAdams
5. "Jaja Ding Dong" - Will Ferrell, My Marianne, and Rachel McAdams
6. "In the Mirror" - Demi Lovato
7. "Happy" Will Ferrell, My Marianne, and Rachel McAdams
8. Song-A-Long: "Believe", "Ray Of Light", "Waterloo", "Ne Partez pas Sans Moi", and "I Gotta Feeling" - Cast
9. "Running With The Wolves" - Courtney Jenae and Adam Grahn
10. "Fool Moon" - Anteros
11. "Hit My Itch" - Antonio Sol, David Loucks, Taylor Lindersmith, and Nicole Leonti
12. "Come And Play (Masquerade)" - Petra Nielsen
13. "Amar pelos Dois" - Salvador Sobral
14. "Husavik" - Will Ferrell, My Marianne, and Rachel McAdams
15. "Double Trouble" (Film Version) - Will Ferrell, My Marianne, and Rachel McAdams
16. "Eurovision Suite" - Alti Örvarsson

The Eurovision soundtrack is full of legit bangers, and it seems pretty obvious that some serious care was put into the crafting these songs. Will the Eurovision soundtrack go down as the best in comedy history? That remains to be seen, but by the looks of this track list, it's definitely in the conversation.