Spotify's Supergirl playlist brings the bangers, and an exclusive clip

If you’ve ever watched a James Gunn film, you know the soundtracks never miss from The Guardians of the Galaxy mixtapes to the hair-metal dance numbers that open every episode of Peacemaker. Last year, the director helped curate Superman character playlists in partnership with Spotify, and now he and the Supergirl cast are doing it again for Kara ahead of the film’s June 26 release. There are three playlists this time, and each one gives a clear vibe of who each character is.

Supergirl runs on pop-punk and riot-grrrl energy: From No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi,” the actress Milly Alcock says Kara uses songs to process what she’s going through, so the list is sequenced to follow her emotional arc through the film. The bratty-and-bruised mix sounds about right for someone who survived their planet’s demise.

Ruthye’s, introduced by Eve Ridley, goes full gothic: Hozier, Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek,” Soap&Skin’s take on Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil.” For a character built around a revenge quest, that’s certainly a revenge soundtrack, and it sets a far darker tone than what Supergirl is rocking to.

Lobo, the space bounty hunter, probably has my favorite playlist – no surprise there since Gunn built it himself. It’s banger after banger from IDLES, Ghost, and Alice Cooper. He could have phoned in some generic biker metal and instead led with Fugazi’s “Waiting Room,” which is quite the pull. There’s a nice bit of comics trivia buried in there, too: Danzig’s longtime cover artist, Simon Bisley, is the same guy who drew Lobo, so “Mother” is a deep cut. As a hard rock guy, this is the one I’m listening to most.

Aside from the music, the official playlist also serves as a scavenger hunt. Spotify has hidden everyone’s favorite dog, Krypto, across the app, tucked in around the official tracks and theme songs for Superman and Supergirl, with each appearance carrying a letter or two in a thought bubble. Track down each one, piece the letters into a code, drop it into Spotify search, and you unlock an exclusive first-look clip from the film before it hits theaters.

Gunn keeps using music as a way into his characters, and these three playlists, in particular, might just make me more curious about the movie than any of the trailers have. If the film scores its needle drops half as well, June 26 is going to be a good time.