The heartwarming characters and sensational soundtrack on Loot are two of the reasons the freshman comedy has already been renewed for a second season at Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph, who happens to be the daughter of legendary singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton, most recognized for her heavenly four-octave singing range in the song "Lovin' You."
Another singing legend, Mariah Carey, lends her five-octave range to "Fantasy," which can be heard throughout Loot whenever Maya's character, Molly, has an interesting idea or a happy thought. Carey's catacludes upbeat dance hits and sentimental ballads with her original lyrics that can relate to the characters on Loot.
Hailey - "Honey"
The fuse that ignited the whole plotline of Loot is Hailey, John's assistant, and mistress. She could have easily continued to keep their affair a secret, but instead, she bluntly delivered the truth to Molly on her birthday. Hailey's young, but not naive, and she clearly wanted her "Honey" John all to herself, and the media attention surrounding the new couple was a sweet bonus.
John and Hailey's relationship might seem like a cliche as old as time, but for Hailey, one hit of John's love and attention addicted her. She couldn't be elusive with John, because her feelings for him were blatant, just like the lyrics to Carey's song, which were allegedly written on a romantic getaway with Derek Jeter while she was still married to Tommy Mottola.
John - "Caution"
Like a lot of middle-aged men, John appreciated getting attention from a younger woman and told his assistant Hailey that it's, "never too late, you can come through," but warned her that they would need to, "proceed with caution." Although the pair kept things quiet for a while, in the pilot, it's obvious something on John's phone is causing him stress, and not long after, Hailey exposes their affair.
Mariah Carey's sultry song, "Caution" details an affair, with one partner asking, "Do you want more material possessions? Ain't nothing. ... If you want to be more to me, you must proceed with caution." This sleazy line sounds like something John would have said to Hailey to keep her quiet and happy, but now that the world knows about them, time will tell if their connection is purely superficial.
Jacinda - "It's Like That"
As the wife of a billionaire, Jacinda lives in a world full of ridiculous extravagances. She seems out of touch with the real world, but for her, money truly buys happiness. Jacinda refuses to stress about how her entitled actions affect other people or discuss anyone's real problems, like Molly's divorce. All Jacinda wants to do is "leave it all behind" because "everybody is livin' it up."
Even the launch of her foul-scented perfume is "a cause for celebration," because Jacinda is "just makin' the most of life." Taking a "wives trip" with Hailey in place of Molly doesn't remotely bother Jacinda, and if anyone disrupts her perfect life, she gets them removed from rooftop restaurants, or has their spa hip revoked, simply because, "It's Like That" for her.
Nicholas - "Obsessed"
When Molly's assistant Nicholas starts working at The Wells Foundation, he's confused as to why Howard is so "Obsessed" with him. Seemingly out of nowhere, Howard starts asking Nicholas for relationship and fashion advice, and Nicholas is not used to having his opinion valued when it pertains to something substantial, like Howard's anniversary with his girlfriend.
Nicholas develops a mutually ive friendship with Howard, but he still questions his own abilities to be a successful actor, with negative self-talk swirling in his head like, "You're delusional," and "Boy, you're losing your mind." One of Nicholas' many talents is delivering a snappy one-liner like Carey's lyric, "Seeing right through you like you're bathing in Windex."
Howard - "Heartbreaker"
Molly's cousin Howard seems like the last character that would "go and break your heart," but when he was on a break from his long-term girlfriend, Tanya, he went on a date with Tanya's cousin, Danielle, who happened to work at the restaurant where Howard and Tanya were celebrating their 8th anniversary. Howard takes Nicholas' advice to tell Tanya the truth, and she appreciates his honesty.
The music video for "Heartbreaker" features two women fighting over one man, which could have been an alternate ending to Howard's problem. Since Howard owns figurines of one of the best duos on Dragon Ball Z, he might enjoy the animated short film of Mariah Carey featured during Jay-Z's verse in the music video for "Heartbreaker."
Arthur - "Emotions"
Arthur's sweet and earnest nature makes him one of the best characters on Loot. He's instantly starstruck by Molly, and as they spend time together, they both realize they have more in common than they originally thought. From their cheesy jokes to their heartfelt talks, Molly has Arthur, "feeling emotions" deeper than he's ever felt before.
Through sharing stories, and a helicopter ride, Molly and Arthur get close to finding a special connection, which is quickly squashed by paparazzi photos and a reality check from Sofia that Molly has to be careful about her public image. Arthur's uncertainty about his feelings for Molly is mirrored by Carey's lyrics, "I don't know if it's real, but I like the way I feel inside."
Sofia - "Hero"
Sofia proudly runs The Wells Foundation and works hard to help Los Angeles citizens in need of housing, because she knows what it's like not to have a place to live. Like Sofia, Mariah Carey could barely afford to live and eat in New York City before she got her first record deal. After Sofia humbly shares her story with her co-workers, she becomes the true "Hero" of the series, (even if she doesn't want the title).
When she was 8 years old, Sofia knew she wanted to help people, and she had "the strength to carry on." Sofia cast her fears aside and knew that she would survive if she became her own Hero. As an advocate for unhoused and underprivileged people, Sofia negotiates contracts and housing solutions that will pay that same "Hero" mentality forward to the people helped by The Wells Foundation.
Rhonda - "Touch My Body"
As the free spirit of the office, Rhonda doesn't let her age hold her back from sharing details about her sex life, and she finds it hard to understand why it's inappropriate to offer her co-workers a massage. Rhonda believes people should get to know each other through the "Power of Touch," which is why she would enjoy Mariah Carey's song, "Touch My Body."
In true Mariah Carey fashion, the music video for "Touch My Body" offsets the seductive instructions Carey gives her lover with a hilarious cameo from Jack McBrayer (one of the funniest characters on Loot, who would appreciate Carey's blend of humor and sex positivity.
Ainsley - "Save The Day"
When Molly asks her employees how they got into charity work, Ainsley mentions that she spent summers volunteering in Uganda, but that she didn't want to do "Teach For America," and take the jobs away from Union teachers. Ainsley's consideration of others proves there are good people in the world, but the ones who do the work are more likely to make a difference.
In 2020, Mariah Carey released, "Save The Day," to show her for many important groups, including frontline workers, nurses, and doctors, as well as organizations like Black Lives Matter. The lyrics highlight the importance of everyone pitching in to help each other. Although Loot focuses mainly on Sofia's accomplishments, even entry-level employees like Ainsley want to change the world.
Molly - "Shake It Off"
After hearing about her husband's infidelity, Molly didn't hold back hurling insults at John in front of a huge crowd of people, before she haphazardly "jumped in (his) ride and took off." Molly had spent half her life with John, so this revelation about his affair with a much younger woman understandably came as a shock, but Molly knew she had to, "Shake It Off."
Healing from her divorce has been challenging, but Molly knows she needs to, "find somebody who appreciates all the love I give." Although Arthur seems like a great match for Molly, it's complicated because she's his boss. Hopefully, Molly will find a new love interest very soon, but until then she can just, "shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it off."
