Media and Music: How Girls Sonically Captures the Lifecycle of Friendship in “Beach House”
HBO’s “Girls” brings a painfully accurate soundtrack in every episode through its six-season run. Still, the season three episode “Beach House” stands out among the crowd with its millennial melodies.
Written by Sydney Meier
Image courtesy of Jesse Peretz and Home Box Office (HBO)
Created by Lena Dunham in 2012, Girls depicts four unlikeable millennial women — Hannah (Lena Dunham), Marnie (Allison Williams), Jessa (Jemima Kirke), and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) — living in Brooklyn, trying to maintain toxic friendships with narcissists, and forcing themselves into adulthood. “Beach House” follows the women at a time when their friendships are falling apart; Marnie rents a beach house in Montach (not the Hamptons) to repair their friendship. However, plans and emotions go awry when Hannah invites her ex-friend/boyfriend Elijah (Andrew Rannells) and his friends to Marnie’s beach house.
Manish Raval was the show's music supervisor who cherry-picked the episodic soundtracks. “Beach House” stands out among its predecessors and successors because of the musical versatility and exacting placement of the songs in each of their scenes. Raval’s picks range from the indie-rock “I Don’t Owe You Anything” by The Smiths to the production-heavy hip-hop “Halle Berry (She’s Fine)” by Hurricane Chris feat. Superstarr. There is an overwhelming sense of unnecessary chaos within the episode created by the controlling character, Marnie, who feels the need to make the weekend perfect but is interrupted by the go-with-the-flow nature of her friends. This eclectic soundtrack aims to chaperone this topsy-turvy vibe by layering onto the existing muddle, never creating it.
"Feelgood By Numbers" by The Go! Team accomplishes exactly what the title entails: a feel-good atmosphere that gives the audience hope the women will rekindle their friendships. The melody accompanies the first pool scene of the episode in which the group simultaneously jumps into the inviting water. Besides the joyous count-in of “One / Two / Three / Four” at the beginning of the song, there are no lyrics. This is purposeful because the song is meant to bring home the fact that, at this moment, Marnie, Hannah, Shosh, and Jessa are having pure unadulterated fun. The instrumentals, which are reminiscent of the Charlie Brown soundtrack, are there not to take the spotlight away from the scene, but to be the cherry on top of the summer fun sundae.
The next song is the painfully unaware inquisition, "Why," by Mas YSA, which plays softly in the background as Marnie obliviously explains her breakup with her on-and-off boyfriend, Charlie, to Hannah’s recently reunited friend, Elijah. This interaction is supposed to feel out of place because Marnie — and really, each of the main characters — is often selfish, so Elijah's feelings are not considered as she rambles on. This keeps him from enjoying his time with his friends just because she feels the need to vent. The somber sonnet, “Why,” perfectly summarizes the circumstances of the conversation because the singer is recalling a conversation between himself and his partner: “She said ‘I, no I don't want you’ / And I said ‘Why?’” Marnie really only listens to herself talk, and the accompaniment of the depressing “Why” displays her narcissistic tendencies in full form; no part of this song considers the fun happening around her, but focuses on her post-relationship misery.
"I Don’t Owe You Anything" by The Smiths seems like a very peculiar, accidental pick for a party playlist, but its placement in the conversation between Hannah and Elijah’s boyfriend, Pal, is purposeful. Pal comes into the conversation with a passive-aggressive attitude and inadvertently insults Hannah by likening her to their other friend Sadie who, from Pal and Elijah’s mouths, is described as disgusting, unaware, and obese. Pal makes these assumptions without ever meeting Hannah before this moment which encapsules the Smith’s declaration of, “Too freely on your lips / Words prematurely sad.” However, Hannah has learned to be somewhat happy with her physical appearance, so she restrains herself from a reaction because, as the song’s title demands, “I don’t owe you anything, no.” It may seem as though the indie rock maestros are out of place, but the song displays the entitlement of Pal and the newly gained restraint of Hannah.
The other snide remarks from Pal towards Elijah cement Hannah's negative opinion of Pal. Later that night, she admits to Elijah that Pal is condescending and disrespectful.. Although the song has stopped, Hannah comforts him with the promise of a future friendship that resembles “I Don’t Owe You Anything” sentimental lyrics, “Life is never kind / Oh, but I know what will make you smile tonight.”
Image courtesy of Jesse Peretz and HBO
"Halle Berry (She’s Fine)" by Hurricane Chris featuring Superstarr is actually the most sensical musical choice in the entire episode. With 20-something millennials getting really drunk and partying at an upscale beach house in Montauk, the heavily produced rap track about a woman who is “prettier than Halle and thicker than Janet [Jackson]” makes so much more sense within the confines of the episode than The Smiths aforementioned melancholic melody. This upbeat party anthem plays while Hannah dances on the house deck as Marnie and Elijah watch from the house’s kitchen. Marnie tells Elijah that Hannah looks disgusting as she has fun with the other partiers. Marnie cannot see outside of herself, her esteem issues, and her recent heartbreak at this moment, so the upbeat “Halle Berry” addition is out of place to her — but not to the other partygoers. This scene’s music makes Hannah the center of attention as she pours an entire bottle of alcohol on herself and dances awkwardly and provocatively; all while clad in a tiny green bikini. The usage of the Hurricane Chris and Superstarr track is not a lyrical choice but an atmospheric one. Those on the outside of the house are having fun while Marnie, inside, is crumbing within her curated world of misery.
The next song is the most momentarily impactful — "You’re Breakin' My Heart" by Harry Nilsson. This bouncing, bitter ballad plays as Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, Shosh, and Gerald (a Broadway choreographer and friend of Elijah) perform a dance for the other housemates. The dance that accompanies the song entirely displays the role of each girl within the friendship group. Hannah is a little off on the choreography, but is as confident and happy as ever. After the dance ends, Marnie wants to keep practicing it to perfection and points out Hannah’s flaws. Jessa and Shosh are dancing in the background. Although each of the girls is selfish at times, Marnie and Hannah are incredibly so, making sense as to why they are in the front — even if they aren't the better dancers. This song and dance are the catalyst for Shosh to finally let her grievances out on Hannah, Marnie, and Jessa. She shouts that they treat her like a cab driver when they have group conversations, and rightfully insults each of the girls for how they have treated her over the years of their friendship. The evening ends as Elijah and his friends flee the room and everyone retreats to their own corners of the house to sleep, leaving this night behind in memories.
Although it might seem that their friendships are over, Shosh allowing herself this moment of attention oddly reaffirmed their friendships.The girls sit in a row on the curb of a bus stop. As they wait for the bus, they recall the dance from the night before and start the choreography in a sitting position. As the credits roll, the charming plucking guitar accompanied by the lovely harmonies of The Living Sisters in "How Are You Doing?" begins. Raval’s addition of perhaps the happiest, most carefree song played within the episode — and maybe the entire series — allows viewers to sit with a brief smile as the girls share a sweet moment after a night of uncertainty.