In 2019, a video popped up on my recommended YouTube feed by an animator known as VivziePop. It was a short animation titled “Hazbin Hotel: Pilot”, and as soon as the video began, I was hooked. The video portrayed all sorts of wacky characters in a fictional version of Hell where Lucifer's daughter had opened a hotel to rehabilitate sinners. 

The show was picked up by Prime Video in 2020 and made into a full adult animation series with 8 episodes and a cast of broadway all stars. The new series also came with a new soundtrack including emotional ballads, upbeat ensemble moments, and jazzy dance numbers. From the incredible singing voices of the broadway icons starring in the show such as Erika Henningsen, Jeremy Jordan and Alex Brightman, to the gorgeous animation that accompanies these tracks, the music in this show exceeds a lot of what I’ve heard in the Musical TV industry in recent years.

All the songs have jazzy undertones within them to match the setting and characters of the show. Songs like “Stayed Gone”, “Hell’s Greatest Dad”, and “Loser Baby” especially drive into the jazz genre. The show itself really dives into the downtown city aesthetic where the jazz music scene is most prominent in most cities. This constant undertoning and featuring of jazz techniques and instruments makes the soundtrack catchy and enticing. They’re easy to dance to and have fun with and no song sounds like the other—unless it's a reprise—but they all still fit together as a cohesive soundtrack. These songs are something that a person could have on in the background while doing menial chores like making dinner or folding towels. They’re just the kind of songs you can't get sick of and can’t get enough of, while also sounding like they should be performed on a broadway stage.

The song “Loser Baby” is probably the most jazzy of the entire soundtrack; I would even argue it’s the best song in the soundtrack. In the song Husk, voiced by Keith David, gives a comforting message to AngleDust, voiced by Blake Roman, about how no matter how lonely, depressed, or hopeless he feels there’s always going to be someone by his side to help him through it. The song starts with a piano backtrack before changing to an upbeat chorus featuring trumpets, saxophones, snare drums, bass and more instruments infamous with the jazz genre. The bridge features hand percussion, a type of musical feature made popular by jazz bands in downtown Detroit in the 30’s. The vocal harmonies made between Keith, a lower bass, and Blake, a higher tenor, adds a contrast that I can never get enough of. Keith singing the lower notes while Blake is up higher creates the perfect combination of vocal dissonance that is required for jazz vocalist seeing as that vocal dissonance is what makes the genre unique from a vocal standpoint.

The show also has some of the most powerful and emotional ballads I’ve heard.The song “More than Anything” is a perfect example. The song is very soft and slow but keeps the emotion of the scene. The song tells us how Lucifer, voiced by Jeremy Jordan, and his daughter Charlie, voiced by Erika Henningsen, would still do anything to help each other even though they’ve had far distanced relationships for nearly their whole lives. The soft acoustic base that persists throughout the whole song creates a somber and comforting sound that the characters directly reflect. From a vocal standpoint the song is incredible. Erika Henningsen and Jeremy Jordan are both Broadway hall of farmers—so it really comes as no surprise. However, the way their voices blend together is a type of sound nobody would expect. While Jeremy stays within the staff and sings the acoustic melody in a higher octave, Erika sings an above staff harmony, a harmony that is incredibly difficult to perform and incredibly difficult to write. This harmony adds to the power and emotional message of the song in a way that I’ve never heard done with this kind of harmony before. 

The soundtrack also explores several different kinds of genres that creates a lot of contrast throughout the entire show. The genres featured in the soundtrack itself include: Musical Theatre, Jazz, Latin Pop, Ballad, Classic Rock, Indie, and Electronic.  But every song is connected through jazz music. Whether it be the instruments, harmonies, time signatures, or whatever it may be, jazz music is always incorporated in some way.This multi-genre approach to the soundtrack makes it entertaining to listen to. It makes each song different and unique and keeps people listening and interested as to what it has to offer next. The soundtrack is so diverse in style that no matter how many times I listen to it, I never get bored of it and I always find myself coming back to listen to it again and again.

In short, the soundtrack, from start to finish, is a wonderful ride that will come back countless times to listen to it over and over again. From the beautiful voices of Broadway all-stars to the carefully crafted harmonies that pay homage to timeless music genres like Jazz and Classic Rock, this soundtrack was created with the audience in mind. Every lyric, melody, harmony, tempo, and rhythm has intention and meaning. The composer and writers didn’t let a single thing slip past them. Switching from genre to genre while keeping the soundtrack coherent and same keeps the listener engaged in the music and wanting to come back for more. I am more than pleased with the music from Hazbin Hotel and cannot wait to see what VivziePop and her music team have for us when season two airs in just a few months.