Like everything else about Netflix’s Wednesday, the show’s musical selections are shrouded in mystery — until they become pop culture sensations.
Take Lady Gaga’s contribution to the show, the previously unreleased track “The Dead Dance,” which fueled a spectacular choreographed dance number by Enid (Emma Myers) and Agnes (Evie Templeton). It was recorded in near-total secrecy, say music supervisors Jen Malone and Nicole Weisberg.
“We had a 24-hour-only streaming link,” Malone says. “No downloads, heavily watermarked. Even the choreographer only heard it once and rehearsed from a drum stem. We couldn’t let it leak.”
The caution paid off. Once the scene was shot, “It was immediate,” Malone adds. “Everyone just knew — it was perfect.”
Adding to the intrigue, Gaga guest starred in Season 2, Part 2 as Rosaline Rotwood, a psychic former teacher at Nevermore Academy.
Jen Malone and Nicole Weisberg on Nailing the Perfect Songs for Wednesday
Another of the season’s standout moments was a haunting duet cover of “Bad Moon Rising” by Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Morticia and Billie Piper’s Isadora Capri. The song had been on Malone’s radar for years.
“It always felt like Wednesday,” Malone says. “But turning it into a duet and having Catherine perform it, made it something special.”
Malone was in the room for the recording session in Ireland.
“It was surreal,” she says. “Catherine is incredibly collaborative, totally open to notes. Then you hear the final mix and realize how perfectly it fits the show.”
That instinct — recognizing the right song for the script — is central to Malone and Weisberg’s approach.
But Wednesday isn’t just about needle drops, viral TikTok triumphs and retooling ’80s and ’90s rock.
The show’s magical musical identity comes from mixing orchestral elements with pop, and finding ways to make familiar songs feel unsettlingly new.
“Everything has a purpose,” Weisberg explains. “By the time we’re done, the music is part of the story.”
A piano-led version of “Zombie” and an eerie stripped-down take on “Don’t Fear The Reaper” are among other highlights.
“The cello is such a big voice in the show,” Weisberg says. “It lets us take something recognizable and make it feel like it belongs in this world.”
The series is also known for moments that are deliciously unexpected: In one episode, a body-swap dance storyline opens the door for a blast of K-Pop, with Blackpink providing a jarring visual and audio counterpoint to Wednesday’s usual ironic stance.
“It’s about perspective,” Malone says. “What would be the most unexpected thing to see Wednesday dancing to? That’s where those choices come from.”
Clearing songs can be as complex as finding them. For the finale, the team pursued a cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” a Eurythmics track closely guarded by Annie Lennox.
To secure approval, Wednesday executive producer Tim Burton, who frequently directs episodes of the show, wrote directly to her.
“Sometimes that’s what it takes,” Malone said. “Artists want to know their work is being used with care.”
As the show’s popularity has grown, artists have been more willing to say yes. Even Bruce Springsteen signed off on using “Dancing in the Dark,” after initially approving only a lyrical reference.
“By Season 2, people know what the show is,” Malone says. “They want to be part of it.”
Malone and Weisberg have had a running playlist since Season 1 of “goth deep cuts, orchestral ideas, iconic tracks — and we’re constantly adding to it,” Weisberg says.
“Then the scripts come in, and that’s when it all clicks into place,” she adds.
They pitch hundreds of songs per season, with only a fraction making the cut.
Burton’s vision, Malone says, provides a consistent creative anchor.
“He knows exactly what he wants,” she says. “That makes our job a lot easier.”
“When we finally see it finished, it’s like, ‘Oh, wow — we did that,’” she adds.
As for what’s next, the duo isn’t saying much. But if Season 2 proves anything, it’s that Wednesday’s biggest musical moments are the ones audiences don’t see coming — until they’re everywhere.
Wednesday is now streaming on Netflix. You can read more of our Emmy contender interviews here.
Main image: Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, left, and Lady Gaga as Rosaline Rotwood on the set of Wednesday. Photo by Sophy Holland/Netflix © 2025