This article was originally published on Kakuchopurei.
Hazbin Hotel, the latest R-rated animated musical from Amazon Prime, has wrapped up its debut Season, with a second season most likely happening given the internet and Reddit buzz for the show. It’s about a hotel in Hell that reforms sinners run by the princess of Hell, and it’s funny, touching, and over-the-top with its violence and adult content.
Being a musical, it also has a huge list of amazing songs and earwigs that’s worthy alongside the likes of Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” and Hamilton’s “My Shot”. Simply put, all the songs here are very catchy and heartfelt.
But which one is the best? Which ones are the cream of the crop in the battle for Hell’s redemption? This list is really hard to make, but we do have to whittle it down to our 10 favourite tracks based on context, performance, visuals, and overall feel and mood. Behold, for here are the top 5 songs from Season 1’s Hazbin Hotel.
10. “Respectless” – Episode 3
We start at the bottom of the top 10 with this Spanish-influenced rap clashing with a classical number where a meeting with the Hell overlords gets turned upwards by a young upstart general. Essentially the “bitch song”.
The keywords here are “energy” and “sass” as said upstart Velvette (Lilli Cooper) takes down Carmilla Carmine (Daphne Rubin-Vega) with evidence from the last Hell extermination, and a whole lotta catchy words. Fatality!
9. “Stayed Gone” – Episode 2
Another side character song duet with a catchy beat, this one is basically Vox and Alastor s***-talking each other over why one is more obsolete in the bowels of Hell. The spite and passive-aggressiveness from the lyrics and vocals between both singers Christian Borle and Amir Talai just ooze with so much antagonism that it goes well with the jazz beat.
8. “Hells Greatest Dad” – Episode 5
Speaking of more duels, how about one from both Lucifer (Jeremy Jordan) and Alastor (Amir Talai) as they win Charlie’s respect and affection with a catchy jazz-electronica hybrid?
7 & 6. “More Than Anything” and “More Than Anything (Reprise)” – Episode 5 & 8
You know a show’s musical has you by the heartstrings when their obligatory love ballads really feel genuine and moving. While its lyrics are leaning towards the sappy, that’s most likely its intention. For real, some of us here did shed a tear halfway through both versions of “More Than Anything”. The first one being a Lucifer/Charlie father/daughter duet and the other between lovers Charlie and Vaggie after they’ve reconciled their differences and knowing that this may be their last night together.
5. “Happy Day In Hell” – Episode 1
The debut song of the first episode “Overture”, this is the tune that will make most casual viewers curious about this show and its esoteric art style. Erika Henningsen leads with aplomb with this Disney-style “heroine intro” song full of aspirations and hopes, with Stephanie Beatriz’s secondary parts acting as a contrast, being the pragmatic one in the relationship and all.
4. “You Didn’t Know?” – Episode 6
The capstone song where Charlie debates with the higher-ups of Heaven about her reformation plan, as well as a bunch of revelations. With bits of “Hell Is Forever” and “Whatever It Takes” mixed in as a reprise-of-sorts, this song is a climactic three-way battle between Charlie, Sera, and Adam that is just as epic as the “Finale”.
3. “Poison” – Episode 4
The song about sexual abuse and subjugating to your fate, this one fleshes out Angel Dust’s predicament in pretty graphic detail. The song itself has a salacious electronic beat that’s sleazy and pitiful, yet also fast-paced to fit the focus character’s fast-paced lifestyle. It’s hammered really hard with the imagery from the actual video, which is the epitome of toxic positivity. There is a very good reason why the official video below is just the lyrics: the actual scene is really hard to sit through.
2. “Hell Is Forever” – Episode 1
Episode 1 “Overture” ends on a rockin’ note, with a villain song that would fit right in with a top-tier 90s Disney Renaissance song (were it not for the swearing). “Hell Is Forever” plays during a key scene when head honcho angel Adam shuts down Charlie’s sinner reformation plan and decides to move the sinner extermination schedule up six months. Why? Because Adam hates Hell and its denizens, and is just an asshole. This song encapsulates all that energy and just makes us truly hate the angelic antagonist, doing its job as a catchy beat very well in a musical.
Fun fact: you can technically file this song under “Christian Rock”.
1. “Loser Baby” – Episode 4
The feel-good duet from episode 4 “Masquerade”, it’s the part when Husk helps Angel Dust out by singing about how they’re not quite alone when they have each other. With a catchy ragtime beat, it’s the perfect counterpoint to the depressing-yet-frenetic “Poison” which is also in the same episode. It also helps that Husk’s Keith David still maintains his singing chops since his days in Princess & The Frog.
