Supergirl opens with a literal needle drop: Krypto the Superdog bumps into a record player and accidentally fires up “This Summer” by Sleigh Bells as a morning reveille for a hungover Kara Zor-El. The song provides a window into Kara’s chaotic lifestyle as Krypto prances to the tune through the mess of her spaceship and pees on a newspaper bearing Superman’s face. But the introduction also foreshadows the musical moment that has come to define Supergirl’s shaky opening days in theaters: the already notorious needle drop in the film’s climactic action sequence.
As young Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) stands in a crowded field of enemy Brigands, time slows down and a cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle”—performed by Kelty Greye and KidMotel—begins to play. Ruthye watches in awe as Supergirl (Milly Alcock) picks off the pirates one by one, all on her own, while the song’s somber acoustic guitar is joined by strings and then drums.
The needle drop has been roasted by the internet. My colleague Joanna Robinson dubbed it the “worst needle drop in cinema history,” and she’s hardly the only one (even at The Ringer) who feels that way. The folk rendition is a bizarre table setter for the film’s most pivotal fight scene, and the tonal shift it creates is distracting enough to pull viewers out of the crucial moment. It’s also another prime Hollywood example of a track whose on-the-nose lyrics wink at the audience.
Yet what’s stuck with me over the few days since I saw Supergirl is not the baffling song choice itself but what director Craig Gillespie said about the painstaking process of picking it, which he specified was “probably the biggest discussion.” In an interview with Rolling Stone, Gillespie explained that “there were probably about 45 songs that went against that scene” before DC Studios cohead James Gunn made the final selection. (You either die a needle-drop hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.)
Forty-five songs. Evidently, 44 candidates were worse fits than that cover of “The Middle.” I desperately needed to find out what those alternatives were, so I obsessively scoured the web to investigate. When I came up empty, I flew out to Southern California, sneaked onto the Warner Bros. studio lot, and went dumpster diving for anything that could clue me into the thinking behind that fateful decision. And in a stroke of miraculous sleuthing, I finally found it. I’m thrilled to share the very real, totally legit list of 44 needle drops that didn’t make the final cut of Supergirl, along with some insightful production notes that explain the logic behind each rejected song suggestion. Let’s dive in.
“Die With a Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga
Supergirl is like a duet between Ruthye and Kara. Their worlds have both ended—yet they’ve still found each other, and they’re smiling through the pain and death in their lives. Google AI also says that this was the most popular song of 2025, so it’s a win-win.
“Supergirl!” by Krystal Harris
A song ready-made for our new Supergirl. Maybe Sabrina Carpenter could cover it?
“American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Superman fights for “truth, justice, and the American way.” His cousin does, too. Let’s get patriotic.
“Space Pirates” by Alice Cooper
These lyrics are perfect for the wicked Brigands:
Out of the blue came a kill-crazy crew
Whose motto was stomp on the weak
With bones in their hair
They was hungry as bears
And their leader was king of the freaks
They was ... Space Pirates
The lowest scum of the yellow sun
It always helps to remind the audience who our hero is fighting.
“Creme” by Jack Harlow
We could use an anthem for Krem of the Yellow Hills that would give him some personality. The “crème de la crème” that Jack Harlow speaks of may serve that purpose. Audiences love a little wordplay.
“Waterfalls” by TLC
Ruthye has been chasing revenge from planet to planet, but Kara is helping her see that Krem’s death wouldn’t heal her. She should’ve stayed home and stuck with the rivers and lakes she was used to.
“It’s the End of the World” by R.E.M.
Ruthye’s family is gone, which extinguishes the life she always knew. Krypton’s destruction was the actual end of Kara’s world. In this sequence, Ruthye is watching explosions and so much death around her as Kara destroys their enemies—and she feels fine.
“I’ll Be Missing You” by Diddy and Faith Evans
Ruthye misses her family, while Kara misses her parents and her entire planet. Yet they’re still moving forward, one step at a time. But, yes, we’ll probably need to find a replacement for Diddy.
“I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher
We could make Kara and Ruthye the next iconic duo. Kara fighting off every Brigand and saving Ruthye from danger is like one giant “I got you, babe.”
“Superman (It’s Not Easy)” by Five for Fighting
I mean, how perfect are these lyrics?
I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
And it's not easy to be me
I wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
'Bout a home I'll never see
They don’t even say “Superman” in the song, so we can just swap in “girl” wherever they say “man,” and we’ll be set.
“Mr. Lonely” by Bobby Vinton
Such a heartbreaking song that could capture Ruthye and Kara’s shared loneliness. The slow swell of the piano may be able to drive that point home. Let’s check whether Akon can do a remix.
“Loneliest Girl” by Kacey Musgraves
Happy, yet with a sadness underneath the surface. Kara parties through the pain. She’s our loneliest girl.
“Loneliest Girl in the World” by Noah Floersch
Sometimes you need to just hold the audience’s hand.
“Hallelujah” cover by Jeff Buckley
If Watchmen can make “Hallelujah” sexy, we can make it badass.
“Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles
Sun is crucial to Supergirl—especially the yellow kind. Audiences might get confused by the green sun being bad for Kara and the yellow sun being good, so backing up the final fight with this hopeful classic could clear up any mix-up.
“The Sign” by Ace of Base
Kara is becoming the sign in Ruthye’s changing life, and Ruthye is becoming the sign in hers, too. It also sounds like the singer is saying, “I saw the sun,” which works even better for us!
“Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake
Forget the Timbaland synths; let’s slow this jam down and focus on those Gregorian chants. The lyrics sort of work here—“You were my sun, you were my earth”—and Kara and Ruthye have cried a river of tears. ’NSync did wonders for Deadpool & Wolverine, so maybe JT can do the same for us.
“Save Me” by Queen
The way this song starts off slow and gradually builds fits our slo-mo action. And we see Ruthye get saved, from her perspective—she might as well be shouting to Kara, “Save me!”
“Lay All Your Love on Me” by ABBA
Everybody loves ABBA, and the DCU will be the home of ’80s hits, one needle drop at a time. Ruthye is teaching Kara how to love and feel again.
“Just a Girl” by No Doubt
We need the audience to really feel the girl power of this scene. It’s spunky, upbeat, and fun, just like our Kara. This may be our winner! Actually, scratch that. We just heard that Marvel beat us to the punch.
“Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone, “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede and Bjorn Skifs, “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra
Marvel doesn’t have everything, though. Not anymore. Because we have James Gunn. We could take a victory lap and pair this scene with a medley of some of the greatest hits of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies to really stick it to the MCU.
“Who Let the Dogs Out?” by Baha Men
This could be the right time to remind the audience why Supergirl is doing all of this: Krypto. And New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown gave this song a jolt of new energy this summer when his team won the NBA championship—let’s capitalize on it.
“Dogs Out” or “X Gon’ Give It to Ya” by DMX
Better yet, let’s really let the dogs out. Nobody barks like DMX. Let’s look into replacing his voice with Krypto’s barks, too, but tastefully.
“Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift, featuring Kendrick Lamar
For all the Swifties and Kendrick Lamar fans, who loved this collaboration in 2014. Bonus points for the lyrical synergy of Ruthye and Kara having bad blood with Krem and the Brigands.
“Superfly” by Curtis Mayfield
Our Supergirl is about to fly around to save the day, and she’ll look damned cool while doing it. But what if we strip out the funk, insert an orchestra or a children’s choir, and really make this epic?
“Everybody Loves Somebody” by Dean Martin
Another classic. Let’s look for a way to make it a little edgier for the modern audience. Kara and Ruthye have only just met, but there’s a love and a bond there that will last forever.
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper
Kara just wants to have fun, and what’s more fun than beating some Brigands to a bloody pulp to this pop anthem?
“Savin’ Me” by Nickelback
Our data shows that people have done a complete 180 on Nickelback and the band is cool again?
“My Hero” by Foo Fighters or “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias
There are so many “hero” songs to choose from. Maybe we could cut a few different versions of this scene and distribute them to different demographics across the world. People loved that in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
“Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem and Rihanna
This song strikes the balance of somber and powerful that we’re looking for. If you ignore all the bits about the messy relationship, some of these lyrics really work from Ruthye’s tortured perspective: “Just gonna stand there and watch me burn? / Well, that's all right because I like the way it hurts / Just gonna stand there and hear me cry?”
And there’s even a reference to Superman and Lois Lane! Let’s check to see whether we can change the names to “Supergirl” and “Jimmy Olsen.” If there’s anyone who can find a new rhyme in there, it’s Eminem.
“Save Me” by Remy Zero
Nostalgia is having a moment right now. Smallville fans will love this.
“Fly Away” by Lenny Kravitz
Ruthye wants to fly away from her worries, just like Kara. She’ll witness Supergirl’s flight in all its glory.
“Higher” by Creed
Ruthye has dreamed of escaping her current nightmare. She’s dreamed of going higher, to a place above her pain—and Kara can take her.
“Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers
We might want to hold on to this song for a tender Kara-Krypto moment, but this scene is just our two girls against the world.
“You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive
The camera spins around Ruthye as she watches Kara fight the Brigands. The music could be a clever nod to that dynamic.
“Happy Birthday” by Stevie Wonder
This all started with Kara’s 23rd birthday, and as she tells Ruthye at the end of the movie, she never got the chance to finish her celebration. Perfect time for a callback.
“In Da Club” by 50 Cent
We could slow this one down and give the audience a cheekier birthday tune. Go Kara, it’s your birthday.
“Only Girl (In the World)” by Rihanna
Kara is the last daughter of Krypton. And even if Ruthye isn’t the only girl left on Maypole, Supergirl makes her feel that important.
“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” by the Kinks
Wow, there are a lot of songs about Superman, aren’t there? We can just replace the lyrics with “Supergirl” and reclaim this one for Kara.
“Superman” by Lazlo Bane
Better yet, we can use this one as is, because Kara’s no Superman—she’s Supergirl. Plus, Scrubs is back.
“Creep” by Radiohead
The outsider anthem for our favorite outsider Kryptonian. Kara hasn’t found a home since she left Argo City, and she feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere. We could even repurpose that acoustic version from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 that was used to capture Rocket’s tragic past. James won’t mind. Let’s have him look at all these options and pick the perfect song that everyone will love!
