WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Emilia Pérez.
Music plays a crucial, creative role in Netflix’s crime musical Emilia Pérez. As much of the story is told through various styles of musical genres performed by the cast of Emilia Pérez, original songs become an essential part and driving force of the overall narrative. Directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, The Sisters Brothers), the genre-bending film offers innovative musical numbers and choreography infused with a harrowing story about unfulfilled desires and regrets. Many of the original songs on the Emilia Pérez soundtrack were written and performed by French singer Camille.
Emilia Pérez is a loose adaptation of the 2018 novel Écoute by Boris Razon. The story follows Saldaña’s Rita Moro Castro, a defense lawyer in Mexico City looking to make a difference, who finds an unusual but lucrative opportunity from cartel boss Manitas Del Monte, as he aims to fulfill his lifelong dream of become a woman. Emilia Pérez The mostly favorable reviews made it an early contender for Best Picture and also generated Oscar buzz for Best Actress for Gascón and Best Supporting Actress for Saldaña. The official soundtrack is also a top contender for Best Original Score and Best Original Song..
All Emilia Pérez songs: order and meaning
“Subiendo (Part 1)” by Camille, Clément Ducol and Coro Mexicano: This ethereal, atmospheric song plays right at the beginning of Emilia Pérez and is featured throughout the film in several parts, often during transitional scenes in establishing landscape shots.
“El Alegato” by Zoe Saldaña: This is the first musical number featured in the film and occurs around the 5 minute mark. Zoe Saldaña’s Rita sings about the case she’s working on as a defense attorney, which requires her to prove the innocence of a man she believes is guilty of murdering her wife, Gabriel Mendoza. It demonstrates how Rita cares about a nobler judicial process and how so many acts of violence can go without consequences, in part because she is so good at her job.
“Everything and Nothing” by Zoe Saldaña: Rita sings this song while receiving a mysterious call from Manitas in a bathroom at around 11:30 am in Emila Pérez. She is accompanied by a group of female guardians. She considers whether she will follow the caller’s threatening instructions to meet, and also considers the dark trajectory of her life if she decides not to respond to this opportunity.
“El Encuentro” by Karla Sofía Gascón: Manitas hums this short song as he makes his offer to Rita all at once at around the 17-minute mark. He makes it clear that once Rita accepts his offer there will be no going back.
“La Vaginplasty” by Zoe Saldaña: Around the 20:30 minute mark, Rita sings this memorable song in Bangkok, Thailand, while asking about the various procedures Manitas needs to go through to transition into a woman. She learns about the different surgeries required and prices in order to report to Manitas.
“Lady” by Zoe Saldaña and Mark Ivanir: Around the 25-minute mark, Rita sings this duet with Mark Ivanir’s Dr. Wasserman as she convinces him to take over Manitas’ various operations to become Emilia Pérez. The doctor wants to ensure that Manitas is doing this for the right reasons, while Rita makes her case about the importance of changing the “soul” to change “society”.
“Deseo” by Camille and Karla Sofía Gascón: Manitas sings this song while expressing her desire to be “her” at around the 34-minute mark. It’s essentially Manitas’ swan song as he says goodbye to his old life and his family.
“Swing Supreme” by Robbie Williams: This 2013 song by English singer Robbie Williams plays for about 42 minutes as the film jumps four years into the future, when Rita meets Emilia again in London.
“Por Casualidad” by Camille, Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña: This song plays around the 45 minute mark as Emilia explains to Rita why she came to her again. She explains that they didn’t meet by chance, as she wants Rita to help reunite her with her children in Mexico.
“Bienvenida” by Selena Gomez: The first of two original songs by Selena Gomez in Emilia Pérez arrives around the 52-minute mark. Her character, Jessi, sings and dances in her new room at Emilia’s house after returning to Mexico with her children. Jessi expresses how unhappy she is living in Mexico with Manitas’ cousin Emilia and feels trapped by her spoils. She describes the various luxuries offered to her there as methods to keep her happy and calm.
“Mis Siete Hermanas y Yo” by Xiomara Ahumada Quito: This song appears around the 56-minute mark, when a woman passes out flyers for her missing son. This inspires Emilia to dedicate her life to finding missing people with Rita’s help.
“Papá” by Juan Pablo Monterrubio and Karla Sofía Gascón: This song plays approximately 1 hour later Emilia Pérez while Emilia’s son sings about how much he misses his father Manitas. He also notes how his aunt Emilia reminds him of his father, especially in her scent.
“Para” by Aitza Terán, Iván Ruiz de Velasco and Coro Mexicano: This song plays for around 1 hour and 7 minutes as dozens of people volunteer to help find missing people through Emilia’s foundation, La Lucecita. Some volunteers explain why they dedicate their time to finding the more than 10,000 people missing in the area, saying they want to allow others to mourn the dead and do good for society in the face of evil.
“Amor a Primera Vista” by Belinda, Lalo and Los Ángeles Azules: This song plays around the 1 hour and 10 minute mark when Gustavo, Jessi’s lover, is introduced. Jessi is shown driving her car and appears deeply in love with Gustavo as he smiles and drives.
“El Mal” by Camille, Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón: This song plays at around 1 hour and 17 minutes while Emilia gives a speech at a fundraiser for La Lucecita in front of a crowd of corrupt politicians, judges, and public figures. Rita’s lyrics and choreography expose the various crimes of these rich and powerful people and the hypocrisy of asking them for money for a good cause.
“El Amor” by Camille, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz: This song plays at around 1 hour and 27 minutes as Emilia describes what it’s like to love a life divided and full of secrets. Internally, she feels more like herself than ever, but to the world, she is only partially discovered by everyone except Rita.
“My Path” by Selena Gomez: This original song by Selena Gomez and written by Camille and Clément Ducol plays at around 1 hour and 33 minutes. The song is most likely to compete for the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2025, as it represents the main themes of love and identity for the film’s three main characters.
“El Trio” by Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldaña: This song appears around the 1 hour and 33 minute mark in Emilia Pérez. Rita Fields calls Jessi and Emilia as they make demands about money and children. Rita tries to diffuse the situation, but Jessi and Emilia are in fierce conflict.
“Perdóname” by Camille and Karla Sofía Gascón: Emilia sings this confessional ballad to Jessi during the film’s climax at around the 1 hour and 55 minute mark. During a shootout aimed at exchanging Emilia for millions of dollars, Emilia tells Jessi that she was her husband, Manitas, which completely turns Jessi’s world upside down.
“Las Dama que Pasan” by Adriana Paz and Mexican Choir: This song plays at the end of Emilia Pérez around 2 a.m., as swarms of people walk the streets to remember Emilia’s life and legacy after her death. Emilia is adored and remembered as a saintly figure.
Where to listen to Emilia Pérez’s soundtrack
The complete officer Emilia Pérez the soundtrack is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify. Each song is also available for free on YouTube. The complete soundtrack is 1 hour and 32 minutes long and contains all of the film’s original music, including the two new tracks by Selena Gomez. THE Emilia Pérez the soundtrack also features alternative versions of some songs that did not appear in the film and the entirety of its original score, also by Clément Ducol and Camille.