Rating:
Genre:
Soundtrack
Release Date: 05/27/2008
Big-budget films call for big-budget soundtracks, so the silver screen 2008 debut of
Sex and the City gets a much splashier treatment than the 2004 soundtrack to the television series. That 2004 set struck a balance between New York cabaret and club, with just a hint of feminist pop in
Aimee Mann and
Imani Coppola. The 2008
Sex and the City is decidedly splashier, cutting out
Bette Midler and replacing her with a heaping dose of hipsters of all kinds, ranging from wannabe indie rockers
Morningwood to the inescapable bling soul-pop of
Fergie, whose grotesque
"Labels or Love" perverts both the
S&TC themes, musical and meaning. Some might say that the film itself perverts the show but whether it does or not, it's not an issue with the soundtrack, which is kind of its own entity, as much as a movie tie-in can be. It would be a mixed bag regardless of whether or not the movie was any good, as it mixes a new cut from the movie's co-star
Jennifer Hudson (
"All Dressed in Love," her first big tune since
Dreamgirls) and a track from neo-folkies
the Weepies with
India.Arie singing
Don Henley, a dorky
Nina Simone remix, and two
Bee Gees covers --
the Bird and the Bee tackle
"How Deep Is Your Love" and
Al Green duets with
Joss Stone on
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." Some cuts feel as if they serve the film (why else have
"Auld Lang Syne" on the record? Or
Run-D.M.C.'s
"Walk This Way" in this context?), much feels as if it's here only because there's a girl singer (only
"Walk This Way" is all testosterone), and it's hard to imagine listening to it from beginning to end, but cherry-picking the best moments makes for a pleasurable experience that may wind up making it an appropriate soundtrack to the movie itself.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide