Cruel Intentions Season 1 Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play

Warning: spoilers for Prime Video’s Cruel Intentions TV show.

With new characters come new settings and songs, and aside from its premise, the Cruel Intentions TV show also borrowed some songs from the 1999 movie. Based on the movie of the same name by Roger Kumble and the 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Cruel Intentions takes the audience to a Washington D.C. college to meet its wealthy and ruthless students. At the front and center are step-siblings Caroline Merteuil (Sarah Catherine Hook), president of the Delta Phi sorority, and Lucien Belmont (Zac Burgess), treasurer of Alpha Gamma.

When an anti-Greek movement threatens to end all fraternities, Caroline sets her eyes on the Vice President’s daughter, Annie Grover (Savannah Lee Smith), and makes a bet with Lucien so he seduces Annie and sleeps with her so they can convince her to join Delta Phi. However, Lucien develops feelings for Annie, but Caroline won’t stop until she gets what she wants, no matter who she has to hurt in the process. Accompanying their story is a soundtrack with well-known artists and one song everyone will remember from the 1999 movie.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Episode 1 Songs

“Alpha”

“Rebel Girl” by Goodwerks & Jaguar Jonze – the very first song that plays in the Cruel Intentions TV show is “Rebel Girl”. The song plays in the opening sequence of the series, which quickly takes viewers around college and the fraternities and sororities before entering Delta Phi.

“Bad Idea Right?” by Olivia Rodrigo – One of Olivia Rodrigo’s most popular songs starts playing at the beginning of the first flashback in Cruel Intentions. The song accompanies Lucien as he arrives at Delta Phi and Alpha Gamma’s Spring Formal and continues playing as he has sex with Beatrice Worth in the bathroom. Lucien leaves the bathroom and takes another girl with him to the event, with Beatrice being denied entry.

“Bittersweet Symphony” by Jeff Cardoni – a soft, instrumental version of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” plays as Lucien enters the Spring Formal and meets with Blaise. CeCe arrives to talk to Lucien and Blaise and sees Caroline’s ex-boyfriend arriving at the Formal with his new date.

“Want Not A Need” by Kidd Ken (ft. Baby Tate) – as soon as Blaise closes the door and goes back into Alpha Gamma, “Want Not A Need” starts playing. Blaise meets Scott in the backyard, where everyone else is having a barbecue.

“Winning” by LG Malique – “Winning” starts playing as the scene with Lucien and Annie at the bar ends and transitions to Caroline arriving at Alpha Gamma to talk to Rourke. Caroline’s confrontation is part of a plan to incriminate her boyfriend for what happened to Scott Russell at the last Spring Formal.

“Wolf” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs – at the end of the episode, CeCe arrives at Caroline’s room with the latest copy of The Manchester Daily, with Beatrice Worth’s anti-Greek article on the front cover. “Wolf” starts playing when Caroline reads the headline and continues while Beatrice shows her article to Annie and Lucien knocks on her door.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Episode 2 Songs

“Beta”

“Stella Maris Diceris (Cantio)” by Petra Noskaiova – the second episode of Cruel Intentions opens with this song as the Delta Phi sisters, in their black robes, attend a ceremony at the sorority house in which they vote on which candidates will get an invitation for their President’s Night event.

“Selfish Soul” by Sudan Archives – during the slideshow of candidates, when CeCe presents Celerie Chase, “Selfish Soul” begins playing as Cruel Intentions shows through brief flashbacks that most (if not all) candidates have already slept with Lucien. The song keeps playing through the whole montage of candidates and their steamy encounters with Lucien.

“All American Bitch” by Olivia Rodrigo – Olivia Rodrigo’s second appearance on Cruel Intentions happens when Annie gets an invitation from Delta Phi and continues playing through a montage that shows the preparations for Delta Phi’s President’s Night. It keeps playing as Caroline arrives to take a photo with the rest of her Delta Phi sisters.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Episode 3 Songs

“Gamma”

“Sports!” by Dream Wife – episode 3 of Cruel Intentions immediately begins with “Sports!” playing through a montage showing a cleaning team picking up all the trash from President’s Night and the protests by the anti-Greek movement.

“Smoke” by Caroline Polacheck – this song starts playing when Lucien and Annie arrive at the pool, though it’s only soft background music. The song plays louder once then get in the water and continues until the alarm at the pool goes off and Lucien and Annie have to run before they’re caught.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Episode 4 Songs

“Delta”

“My Kiss Era” by Bar Italia – the fourth episode of Cruel Intentions opens with this song as it sees Lucien putting his clothes on and leaving Annie’s bedroom while she sleeps, as they fall asleep watching The X-Files in her room. It keeps playing while Lucien has sex with another student and records the encounter.

“We In This” by O-M – this song plays in the background while Scott talks to Blaise about 101 Dalmatians (yes, really) and Blandsman and another brother make fun of Scott because he’s gay. Scott defends himself and tells Blaise he’s not gay, even though everyone knows he is – he’s just not ready to admit it publicly. Scott then punches Blandsman in the face.

“Woah!” by Deante Hitchcock – the final song in this episode plays when Lucien arrives at Alpha Gamma and finds Annie there, but he learns that she’s Scott’s guest. Meanwhile, Blaise and Blandsman come to an agreement, with Blaise erasing Blandsman’s compromising photos and Blandsman promising not to talk about Scott’s sexual preferences.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Episode 5 Songs

“Epsilon”

“Runs In The Family” by Amanda Palmer –Cruel Intentions episode 5 opens with a flashforward to three weeks later, as Caroline gets ready and so does her mother, as she’s coming to visit Delta Phi.

“Watch Me” by Nathalie McLachlan Barnhill & Penguin Asylum – while Scott works out in his room at Alpha Gamma, “Watch Me” plays in the background. Blaise arrives to ask Scott to sign some stuff, which is later revealed to be Blaise embezzling fraternity funds.

“Iko Iko (My Bestie)” by Justin Wellington (ft. Small Jam) – Alpha Gamma is hosting a party and Scott’s father, Congressman Russell, is visiting his son, so he joins the Hawaiian-themed party. As Blaise tries to get the Congressman’s attention, Lucien arrives and gets his attention, and knowing Blaise wants to get a job with the Congressman, Lucien messes with him and is offered a job right in front of Blaise.

“Make Me Over” by The Escorts – this song starts playing when Scott leaves while having sex with Annie and the episode then transitions to Delta Phi, as Professor Chadwick drops CeCe there after spending the evening at the hospital. The song keeps playing in the background as Chadwick and CeCe say goodbye in the car.

“Every You Every Me” by Lisa Mitchell – when Annie arrives at Delta Phi to talk to Caroline as she’s heartbroken after Scott left mid-sex, she comes across Lucien outside the sorority. Lucien walks Annie home, as long as they don’t talk, as Annie doesn’t want to share what happened. Meanwhile, Caroline is in bed, watching Lucien’s sex tapes as he shares his videos with her.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Episode 6 Songs

“Zeta”

“Schoolgirl” by Annie Taylor – when Caroline arrives at her parents’ house, “Schoolgirl” starts playing when she slips money to the housemaid so she won’t tell her parents she was there. Caroline then goes to the garage and takes Lucien’s beloved vintage car, which she plans to give him as a consolation prize.

“Brand New B**ch” by COBRAH – this song begins playing when Blaise and Beatrice arrive at Lucien’s 21st birthday party. The theme is “Paradise Lost”, and it’s all about excess in everything. The song keeps playing while Beatrice follows Blaise around and Caroline comes across them. The song still plays while Blaise sees Scott making out with a girl at the party.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Episode 7 Songs

“Eta”

“C’est La Vie” by B*Witched – this song plays during the montage of the Delta Phi scavenger hunt, of which Annie is part. The candidates must complete a series of tasks across campus and report to CeCe as soon as possible.

“Pretty” by Puma Blue – “Pretty” is the song that plays when Annie arrives at her room and finds Lucien there, with her entire room decorated with Christmas lights and more. Lucien also gives her a dress, but what Annie wants is to have sex with him. Lucien stops because he has “a thing” with cameras, but Annie eventually agrees to let him record their sexual encounter.

“Manmade Horrors” by Dorian Electra – this song accompanies Lucien as he arrives at a hotel suite where he finds Caroline having sex with Professor Chadwick. The song abruptly ends when Lucien speaks and Chadwick notices his presence.

“Roads” by Portishead – “Roads” starts playing when Chadwick arrives at the event where he is going to meet CeCe and she gets nervous, and continues playing while Blaise talks to Blandsman to try to save himself from Alpha Gamma’s financial scandal. The song also accompanies the release of Lucien’s sex tapes, which get to everyone’s phones, and continues until the end of the episode.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Episode 8 Songs

“Theta”

“Break It To Me Gently” by Brenda Lee –Cruel Intentions’ final episode immediately begins with this song as it shows Lucien’s many sex partners and the rest of the students watching his sex tapes on their phones. The song ends after Annie puts her phone away and curls up in bed.

Cruel Intentions Season 1 Ending Explained: Caroline & Blaise’s Real Plans

The Cruel Intentions TV show has a very different ending from the 1999 movie, with Caroline and Blaise’s plans being at the front and center.

“Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve – it’s only fitting that the Cruel Intentions TV show ends with the same song that the 1999 movie ends with. It starts playing when Annie tells Beatrice she thinks Caroline is the one who filed the sexual misconduct complaint against Chadwick. Caroline then gets a notification of a new video uploaded to her shared file with Lucien, while the latter drives away from his parents’ house and ignores Caroline and Annie’s calls.

Two ambitious step-siblings at a prestigious Washington, D.C. college will stop at nothing to keep their social standing. After a hazing scandal threatens their control, they resort to extreme tactics, including seducing the vice president’s daughter, to safeguard their reputation and influence.

Cast

Sarah Catherine Hook , Zac Burgess , Sara Silva , Khobe Clarke , John Harlan Kim , Brooke Lena Johnson , Sean Patrick Thomas , Savannah Lee Smith

Release Date

November 21, 2024

Network

Prime Video