Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar has already found praise and acclaim for its pure comedic escapism, but half the fun is its sunny, vacation-ready soundtrack. Mostly composed of an assortment of beachside bops sung by everyone from Barbra Streisand to T-Pain to Jimmy Buffett, there's also a welcome smattering of original songs. While not a full-out musical, the grab-bag sensibility of its varied needle-drops adds a buoyant charm to the giddy anarchy of this comedy.
Written by Jamie Dornan) to carry it out.
As Barb and Star find their shine and save the day, their adventures are underscored by a soundtrack that will have listeners donning Hawaiian shirts and sipping pina coladas instantly. Here's a breakdown of every song in the movie.
"Guilty"
"Guilt," a smooth duet between Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb, won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance. Here, it kicks off Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar on a high note, with archvillain Sharon Gordon Fisherman's Oddjob-esque henchman Yoyo (played by Reyn Doi) lip-synching along while delivering newspapers.
Man! I Feel Like a Woman
Shania Twain's iconic rocker is the song of choice for Barb and Star's introduction. The lovable Midwestern best friends swap gossip at the furniture store that employs them, marvelling that while they're at work raccoons are sleeping, and extolling the "je ne sais quois" sex appeal of Mr. Peanut. It doesn't hurt that they also bop along to the song with an understated charm that would put s stairway dance to shame.
Florida
Bertie Higgins' ode to the Sunshine State doesn't get much air-time in Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar, but it is the first thing the audience hears as the setting changes to Vista Del Mar. This salute to sand, sea, and sun is perfectly synchronized with beachy establishment shots that would make any cooped-up quarantiner salivate.
Palm Vista Hotel
Barb and Star's arrival in Vista Del Mar wouldn't be complete without this "Be Our Guest"-style welcome song to the titular hotel. Michael Hithcock's giddy hotel manager leads a chorus of bellhops and staff in espousing the virtues of a "middle-aged Nirvana" where "every drink is served with ice" and they "change the sheets every day... well, almost every day." Jamie Dornan's conflicted toadie Edgar has a brief interlude pining for his lover-slash-boss to commit with him as an "official couple," before revealing his ultimate plan to "kill everyone in this town."
"Tomorrow"
After that rapturous welcome, Barb and Star are denied access to the Palm Vista Hotel, but decide to sneak back in for a dip in the pool. Their covert entrance to this hallowed area is accompanied by this jamming Grace Jones take on the Annie anthem.
"I Love Boobies"
Richard Cheese is a sardonic lounge singer created by comedian Mark Jonathan Davis. In Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar, he provides soft background entertainment at the bar in the form of this ode to all things "boobies." A reprise a few scenes later is appropriately titled "Boobies on Vacation."
Cheeseburger in Paradise
It would almost be blasphemy to not include this Jimmy Buffett staple in a Florida beach getaway film, and Barb and Star doesn't do sacrilege. This 1978 hit makes its appearance when Barb and Star get wickedly high on a night out with Edgar, eventually devolving into a slowed-down, tripped-out remix that perfectly parallels the middle-aged heroines' psychedelic experience.
My Heart Will Go On
As Jimmy Buffett fades away, that iconic panflute kicks in, leading into a club remix of Celine Dion's Oscar-winning Titanic love ballad. Barb, Star, and Edgar dance and grind, eventually leading into one of the most unlikely but fantastic threesomes in movie history.
Edgar's Prayer
Christian Grey sings! One of the unequivocal highlights of the entire film is this show-stopping solo number in which Jamie Dornan sings, dances, runs, pirouettes, splits, and climbs a palm tree like a cat. As impressive as it is deliriously goofy, this prayer to the "seagull in the sand" climaxes with the imioned vocals of Amy Keys, who arrives just in time to a shirtless Dornan for the final chorus.
Key Largo
The film's second Bertie Higgins offering has more sunshine and good vibes. It plays as Barb and Star have their own separate secret dates with Edgar.
