Babygirl (soundtrack)

Did You Know?

• The song "Leash" was released as an independent single on December 5.
• The singles "Mommy's Dollhouse" and "Wolves" were released a month prior to the score album.
• De Veer previously sampled Kidman's voice from her argument with Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

Background and development

Cristobal Tapia de Veer was confirmed as the composer for Babygirl on February 14, 2024. The score’s two central themes, "Mommy's Dollhouse" and "Wolves," are built around strings, piano, and operatic vocals. For "Mommy's Dollhouse," de Veer worked with his partner Kim Neundoff, who played a waltz-like melody with her right hand while de Veer played a military march with his left. Though a standard waltz uses triple time, his version uses quadruple time, giving Romy’s professional life a militaristic feel.

"Wolves" features distorted vocals, animalistic breathing, and wolf growls to reflect Romy’s werewolf-like personal transformation. While working on this track, de Veer heard Nicole Kidman make a "woo" sound after nearly tripping on set during dailies. He found the moment spontaneous and recorded it for the song. This marked the second time he sampled Kidman’s voice, the first being from her argument with Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

The film’s final scene, where Romy’s husband Jacob helps realize her fantasies, blends both themes in soundscape and harmony.

Music supervisor Meghan Currier helped director Halina Reijn choose the diegetic music. George Michael’s "Father Figure" (1987) was included in the first draft of the script, and Reijn played it constantly while writing. It became the guiding sound for Romy and Samuel’s relationship, and Currier secured it without considering alternatives. She described the song as having a "grounded, soft quality" that supports the characters’ dynamics in the hotel room, making the scene feel "more cocooned and safe."

Sky Ferreira wrote and co-produced the song "Leash" for the film, her first independent release after leaving Capitol Records in 2023. Reijn wanted Ferreira because her style matched the film’s themes. After watching the movie, Ferreira connected with the story and agreed to compose the track.

Reception

Critics praised Cristobal Tapia de Veer's score for the film. Hannah Strong of Little White Lies found it "breathy, intense," while Marshall Shaffer of Slant Magazine deemed it "electrifying." Chris Bumbray of JoBlo.com called it a "propulsive score," and David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter described it as "a fabulously eclectic, mood-shaping score." Radhika Seth of Vogue highlighted its "expertly tension-building" quality, and Sara Michelle Fetters of The Seattle Times noted that, paired with de Veer's "chillingly sultry themes," the effect is "sensuously intoxicating." The score was shortlisted for Best Original Score at the 97th Academy Awards.