Netflix’s The Prom: 5 songs from the movie-musical you need to listen to ASAP

The Prom has made its way to Netflix! If you’re still on the fence, here are five songs that will definitely convince you to check out this movie-musical.

The Prom went from being a Broadway darling to a Netflix original movie in the blink of an eye. While Broadway musicals may not always get a lot of attention from non-theatre fans — unless we’re talking about Hamilton — people were buzzing for The Prom (directed by Ryan Murphy) to hit Netflix as soon as they heard about the stellar ensemble cast: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Kerry Washington, Andrew Rannells, plus some exciting newcomers. That’s enough to make anyone excited, musical lover or not!

This movie-musical, at its core, is about a teenager who just wanted to bring her girlfriend to the prom. When she gets pushback from the PTA, she ends up becoming a trailblazer. If you’re still on the fence about checking it out — or if you’re not much of a musical person yourself — let me convince you!

Here are five songs from Netflix’s The Prom that you need to listen to. Not only will they give you a good sense of what to expect from the movie, but they may just put a smile on your face, too.

1. “Just Breathe”

“Just Breathe” is the perfect song to really introduce us to the musical’s protagonist, Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman). The lesbian teenager from Indiana realizes that coming out of the closet may have been a mistake after facing constant bullying from her classmates (which we even hear in the track, when two football players call her a lesbo and tell her to “exchange her” girlfriend for a guy). Not to mention, her wanting to take a girl to prom became front-page news around the nation when the PTA blocked that from happening.

She has to remind herself to breathe and that things will get better when she gets out of high school, and especially out of Indiana. (“Note to self: don’t be gay in Indiana.”)

2. “Tonight Belongs to You”

If any song is going to convince you to watch The Prom, it’s “Tonight Belongs to You.” This upbeat diddy is Wicked meets Book of Mormon meets Hairspray. It sounds so classic Broadway as Barry (played by James Corden) sings about giving Emma a makeover to remind everyone that this is her night. “Go big or you’ve blown it, it’s time that you own it!” is advice that we should all follow in our life. The song gets bigger and bigger, with choruses of voices and a big dance number as we see other students getting ready for the big night.

We also get to see Alyssa (Ariana DeBose), Emma’s girlfriend, talking to her mom about what’s going to happen at the dance. Of course, little did we know, the night wasn’t going to turn out exactly as planned. But you’ll have to watch the movie to find out why!

3. “Love Thy Neighbor”

You might recognize Andrew Rannell’s voice from another Netflix original production, Big Mouth, where he voices Matthew. You might also know him from Girls or The New Normal — but if you’re a Broadway fan, there’s one place you definitely know him from: The Book of Mormon. He originated the role of Elder Price in the Tony-winning musical about, well, Mormons. And if you have ever heard any of that show’s songs, “Love Thy Neighbor” will be a welcomed treat. It really sounds like it could be a cut song from Mormon, with Andrew’s character, Trent, preaching to the snooty teen’s from Emma’s high school about how hypocritical they are.

They think being gay is wrong according to the Bible, yet they have divorced parents, tattoos, and masturbate — those are all big no-no’s according to the scripture! But of course, Trent tries to open up their minds with a jazzy musical number with his touring Godspell castmates. And it actually seems to leave a mark on the narrow-minded teens!

4. “It’s Time to Dance”

A true Broadway musical would be nothing without a big closing number. Spoiler alert! Emma finally gets the big gay prom she deserves, and she gets to spend it with her girlfriend and all the new friends she made. Plus, LGBTQ+ students from around the state all flock to the new inclusive prom so they can live their truth, too. It’s a touching moment where teens of all races and gender identities are mingling, dancing, and getting to have fun like normal teenagers for once.

But it’s not just the teens who get a happy ending. We get to see Alyssa’s mom finally softening up to her gay daughter, Barry is reunited with his mom, too, Angie (Nicole Kidman) finally gets the call for her big Broadway break, and Dee Dee (Meryl Streep) lands her man, Principal Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key). Best of all, not only do Emma and Alyssa finally get to dance, they get a show-stopping kiss, too! How could you not love Broadway?!

5. “Wear Your Crown”

“Tonight Belongs to You” and “It’s Time to Dance” may be the showstoppers, but “Wear Your Crown” (which was written for the film) is a fun, radio-friendly bop that shares the same inclusive message about embracing your truth and believing in yourself. But most importantly, it also features Meryl Streep rapping. Yes, Meryl Thee Streep rapping is something you definitely never knew you needed!

If you’ve already watched Netflix’s The Prom, what’s your favorite song on the soundtrack? Let us know in the comments!