Entertainment
BET’s latest dramedy Boomerang has already captured the hearts of fans. The show’s cast and storyline are brand-new, but there are also frequent homages to its source material. This balance between old-school and modern has a major influence on the Boomerang TV show soundtrack, which is a perfect mix of instantly recognizable 90’s classics and today’s underrated hits.
The Boomerang movie soundtrack is itself a classic with contributions by 90’s hit-makers including Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, Babyface, A Tribe Called Quest, and Johnny Gill, among others. So, the series had to come out the gate swinging with a compilation of tunes worthy of fire emojis, “that’s my SONG!” tweets, and Shazam inquiries to find the origins of an unfamiliar tune. Executive producer Lena Waithe was intentional about every aspect of Boomerang, so there’s no surprise that the song selection plays perfectly into these character’s lives, thoughts, and personalities. Each hit blends seamlessly into the background to enhance interactions or stir up certain emotional responses for viewers.
So, here are some of the 90’s tunes and current tracks that Boomerang has blessed us with so far:
The Theme Song: “My Way” – Queen Key
As expected, the theme of the pilot episode was a bold new song featuring a woman hip-hop artist. The lyrics perfectly sum up Simone’s confident and laser-focused attitude about her career path, life, love, and pretty much everything else. It’s truly her way or the highway as she carves her own lane from under her parents looming shadows.
“Girls Need Love” – Summer Walker
Simone’s hookup with Camden is accompanied by this low-key R&B joint about, well, a woman who just needs good sex from a guy. She’s not into the ideals of getting married nor having kids and simply wants to live her best life and build her brand without any romantic strings attached to a man.
Obviously, she’s a lot like the younger version of her father Marcus, who was known for being a successful businessman and connoisseur of women. Will she change her mind? Only time will tell but at least she’s honest with this man, right?
Bryson’s Entire "Game Night" Playlist
Like most millennials, Bryson loves music from his 90’s childhood. Episode 2 focused heavily on his epic playlist that’s filled with hits like D’Angelo’s “Lady,” “So Into You” by SWV, “Just Friends” by Musiq Soulchild, and “Baby” by Brandy.
But, there are a couple of songs which play directly into his obvious pining for Simone, including Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love” and 112’s “Only You.” It’s enough to make you watch the episode again so you can create a new Spotify list based on his choices.
“Around”— Durand Bernarr
The game night also revealed that David and Crystal were once married and trying to navigate the new version of their relationship in the same friend group. Talk about awkward. Durand Bernarr’s “Around” was a fitting song to accompany their encounter because, as the lyrics say, it’s hard to miss someone when they are always present.
It's only been a year since the actual divorce and it’s obvious that there is still a lot of love between these two despite their differences. And, perhaps they are both finding it difficult to gain clarity about themselves (and each other) in this friendship dynamic.
“I Wish” — Skee Lo
“I Wish” is the ultimate anthem for any self-deprecating guy who aspires to be someone else and this is so true for Bryson. He wants to be Marcus Graham in his career and Simone’s lover outside of work, but he seems to lack the confidence to speak up and fully believe in himself in those situations. And, he wants to gain the respect, attention, and acceptance of his high-powered mom.
Right now, there’s a slim chance at making Simone his girlfriend, but he does have the power to take an upper hand in his career. Thankfully, he is in therapy working through his issues instead of taking his frustrations out on others.
“Water” – Kojey Radical
In Episode 3, Bryson was fighting to get his colleagues to see the importance of the “woke” revolutionary movie they watched to launch into the film marketing business. It lines up well with “Water,” a song about questioning the status quo and speaking up about issues in the Black community like the Flint Water Crisis.
Bryson found himself getting schooled by the film’s directors about why they created the art and how to define success. And, Simone got the same lesson from Tia over the song for Bryson’s campaign when she told her to make her message more palatable. Bryson stood in his power (finally) and went against Simone's wishes.
"Think About It" - Hunnah
Last week's episode took Simone, Crystal, and Tia on an adventure to get a girlfriend out of jail, which inadvertently led to a dope house party. But, before the action jumped off, Simone was listening to this song while looking at Crystal and David's wedding photo on Facebook. Some of the lyrics could totally apply to the unraveling of their union as they begin to go down different paths and outgrow each other.
Crystal later admitted to a guy at the party that she never knew what she wanted for her life so she just ended up being somebody's wife. But, now she is coming into her own as a woman and carving a different path, even though a part of her still thinks about those days with David.
"I Wanna Be Down" - Brandy
Simone and Crystal's sisterhood bond was put on full display during a heart-to-heart conversation in the car. The pair chatted about Crystal's wedding day and Simone admitted that she knew the marriage was a mistake. She felt guilty about staying quiet, but Crystal assured her that she did the right thing by simply being present.
Crystal says she has no regrets and said they will always be good. Simone turned up "I Wanna Be Down" and the besties shared a sweet moment of solidarity and love over a fave song.
Hopefully, as the season progresses, there will be even more new songs to add to your playlist soon.
