for the girls with a deep emotional connection to Jennifer’s body

September 22nd, 2024 | Written by Isabella Roberti

I have never been early for anything, ever (probably in my entire life), with the rather large exception of preparing for the Halloween season. I have three costumes planned, my jackets have been resurrected from my storage bins, and most importantly, my music rotation now consists solely of tracks that my brain has inextricably associated with my favourite horror films, layering clothes, and the smell of colourful dead leaves being crunched under my Doc Martens.

From horror movie soundtracks to the new wave origins of goth music, fall is my favourite season to soundtrack. Here are the highlights of my fall playlist:

“Hunting for Witches” - Bloc Party

This track from 2000s British indie icons Bloc Party takes poignant social commentary and articulates it through classic horror allegories. A glitchy intro followed by a thrilling drumline and an awesome guitar riff is sure to make your heart race, but the spooky sonic language parallels thematic content even scarier: comparing the blaming of the middle class for violent society, which only breeds greater violence, to a witch hunt. The song’s acute politics about mass terror, its thrilling instrumentals, and horror metaphors make it the perfect Halloween season song in every way, doing what scary media does so well – using thrills to critique the world around us. 

“Out of Body” - Gorillaz feat. Kilo Kish, Zebra Katz and Imani Vonsha

Spooky and dancey are not diametrically opposed. Quite the opposite. Especially when you put Kilo Kish’s ominously delicate vocals over Damon Albarn of Gorillaz’s outstanding production. The glitched-out intro invites you into what seems like a seance, before demanding you dance like your soul is leaving your body, with playfully descriptive lyrics. The song totally possesses you in the best way. If you set foot in a club at some point in October, consider yourself lucky if this banger comes on.  

In Every Dream Home a Heartache - Roxy Music

The scenario it paints is innocuous yet uncanny, constructing an image of emptiness in luxurious domestic life that is so barron it comes across as scary. It is the repeating synth and guitar chords, with intermittent improvisations on sax, that make it feel like you are being crept up on, building an anticipation akin to a jumpscare. In this case, instead of a clown jumping out at you, it’s Ferry uttering “I blew up your body…but you blew my mind”, before the sexiest, most otherworldly guitar solo raptures you. Hypnotic and spellbinding, this lesser-known Roxy song always soundtracks my fall.

Jennifer’s Body - Hole

The namesake for my favourite horror movie of all time, and maybe any film period, this song ironically isn’t the song from Hole’s masterpiece Live Through This that made it onto the actual Jennifer’s Body soundtrack. The film opted to use “Violet” in its final scene instead. This one, however, forever forges the association in my brain of awesome 90s girl grunge to Megan Fox eating an emo boy alive and is probably my favourite track from one of my all-time favourite albums. The horror movie association and Courtney Love’s famous hatred of the summer make this the perfect autumnal anthem.

Spellbound - Siouxsie and the Banshees

Siouxsie Sioux is the queen of all things goth and spooky. Any track from 1981’s Juju could have made it on here, especially the incredibly on-the-nose “Halloween”. But this song is one of the most synonymous with not only the band but early 1980s goth music in general. It is characteristically spellbinding, with the descending bass, tambourine, and echoing guitar melody, and Siouxsie’s commanding, witchy vocals creating the blueprint for goth music and making Siouxsie the deity of everything autumnal.