A Guide to the Red, White & Royal Blue Soundtrack
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Music plays an important role in Red, White & Royal Blue—both the novel by Casey McQuiston, and the Prime Video adaptation directed by Matthew López. In some instances, McQuiston wrote musical moments into the story—including the dance Prince Henry and Alex share at the Victoria & Albert Museum. A few of these moments were changed for film, and additional songs were. And though "London Boy" by Taylor Swift would've been a perfect addition to the movie (it features on Alex and Henry's official playlist, obviously), it was not on the Red, White & Royal Blue soundtrack.
In chronological order, here's a guide to the 23 songs that plays in Red, White & Royal Blue. (If you want to listen to these songs on Spotify, Prime Video made a playlist just for you.)
“String Quartet No. 10 in E Flat Major, D. 87: IV. Allegro” by Franz Schubert
When Alex gets drunk at the royal wedding and starts to talk to Prince Henry, this Schubert quartet is playing in the background.
"Who doesn't love a little Mozart?" Alex asks Henry.
"Actually, it's Schubert," Henry replies.
It's specifically Schubert's String Quartet No. 10, performed by the Melos Quartet.
"String Quartet No. 10" plays around minute 4 of the film.
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"Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett
Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" plays over the opening titles, as Henry and Alex's cake incident makes international headlines.
"Bad Reputation" plays during the opening titles, around minute 6.
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"Duda Dance" by ĠENN
As Alex travels to London to mend US-UK relationship, this ĠENN song plays over a montage of London spots. Very Daphne arriving in London in What a Girl Wants.
"Duda Dance" can be heard around minute 11.
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"Up the Hill Backwards" by David Bowie
As Prince Henry arrives to meet Alex at Kensington Palace, this David Bowie song plays briefly. Unlike in the book, where Henry arrives on a horse, he drives up in a Jaguar convertible. David Bowie also has deeper meaning for Henry: the performer is the namesake of his dog, David.
"Up the Hill Backwards" can be heard, briefly, at timestamp 11:47.
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"Beautyful Beauti" by Brainstory
An instrumental version of "Beautyful Beauti" plays as Prince Henry and Alex start texting for the first time.
"Beautyful Beauti" plays around minute 22 in the film.
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"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Billy May
As D.C. is getting ready for the holidays, an instrumental version of Billy May's version of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," a Christmas classic, plays.
An instrumental "Rudolph" can be heard at minute 26 in the film.
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"That Thing You Do [LHOTSE] Remix" by Ellem
As Alex's New Year's Eve party kicks off, Alex and Nora walk in to this LHOTSE remix of British singer-songwriter Ellem.
"That Thing You Do" can be heard around 27:35 in the movie.
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"Échalo Pa’ Ca" by Sofía Reyes, Darell & Lalo Ebratt
As Henry and Alex chat during the party, this pop song by Mexican singer Sofía Reyes plays.
Échalo Pa' Ca, and the next two songs, are all around minute 29.
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"Que Calor (feat. J Balvin & El Alfa)" by Major Lazer
The DJ then switches to "Que Calor" as Alex goes to the dance floor, and Henry looks awkward as he stays on the couch.
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"Tití Me Pregunto" by Bad Bunny
Then the music switches again, to Bad Bunny's hit "Tití Me Pregunto" as Alex is still dancing.
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"Get Low" by Lil Jon, The East Side Boyz, Dizzee Rascal & Ying Yang Twins
"Get Low" was written into Casey McQuiston's novel, and filmmaker Matthew López kept it for the movie. Here's how the scene goes down in the book:
The song crossfades into another buh-duh dum-dum-dum, dum-duh-dum duh-duh-dum—
“Shut up,” Alex yells, cutting off whatever else Henry was saying, “shut your dumb face, this is my shit!” He throws his hands up in the air as Henry stares at him blankly, and around them, people start cheering too, hundreds of shoulders shimmying to the shouty, Lil Jon–flavored nostalgia of “Get Low.”
“Did you seriously never go to an awkward middle school dance and watch a bunch of teenagers dry hump to this song?” Henry is holding on to his champagne for dear life. “You absolutely must know I did not.”
The two then have a moment during "Get Low." Yes, "Get Low."
The "Get Low" scene begins around minute 29.
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"Magic" by David from Barbeton
As the New Year's Eve party counts down to midnight, a remix of POLO & PAN's "Magic" plays as Henry and Alex share a moment. The only lyrics of the song are "Never believe it's not so / It's magic, you know."
"Magic" plays around minute 31 in the film.
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"All I Really Want Is You" by The Marías
As Henry goes to Alex's room in the White House, this song by the Marías plays softly in the background.
You can hear "All I Really Want Is You" around minute 41.
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"3 Boys" by Omar Apollo
When Henry and Alex talk after about their respective sexualities after their hookup, this Omar Apollo song plays in the background.
"3 Boys" plays around minute 42.
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"Shining Armor" by Mamalarky
When Zahra discovers Alex and Henry's relationship, she threatens Henry that he better leave the hotel without anyone seeing him. An instrumental version of this Mamalarky song plays—but the lyrics are pretty apt for their relationship ("Shining armor, take it off") if you listen to the full song.
"Shining Armor" plays around 1 hour, 6 minutes into the movie.
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"Alejandra" by Luis Pérez Meza
Alex, Henry, Percy, and Nora arrive at the Claremont-Diaz lake house in Texas, this old Mexican tune plays, by banda and rachera musician Luis Pérez Meza. "Dad, what is this music?" Alex asks him. "It's so not the vibe."
"Alejandra" can be heard around 1 hour, 11 minutes in the film.
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"Canciones De Amor a Ti" by Rigoberta Bandini
Alex quickly changes "Alejandro" to "Canciones De Amor a Ti," by Spanish group Rigoberta Bandini. The song plays over a montage of the friends hanging out in Texas.
"Canciones De Amor a Ti" also can be heard around 1 hour, 11 minutes into the movie.
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"Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen
Another song in the book that made the leap from page to screen is Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," which Prince Henry sings during karaoke. (In the movie, karaoke night is combined with the Texas trip.)
As McQuiston writes in the novel, "...thirty minutes and two more rounds later, Henry is in front of a screaming crowd, absolutely butchering 'Don’t Stop Me Now' by Queen while Nora sings backup and Bea throws glittery gold roses at his feet. His kimono is dangling off one shoulder so the embroidery across the back reads PRINCE BUTT. Alex does not know where the roses came from, and he can’t imagine asking would get him anywhere. He also wouldn’t be able to hear the answer because he’s been screaming at the top of his lungs for two minutes straight."
Prince Henry sings "Don't Stop Me Now" at the 1 hour, 12 minute mark.
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"If I Loved You" by Vagabon
In this cover of "If I Loved You" from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel, recorded specifically for the Red, White & Royal Blue film, it plays when Henry leaves Alex in Texas. Director Matthew López says, "I knew her voice and her sound, married to that classical music theater, was going to be the right match."
"If I Loved You" plays starting at 1 hour, 17 minutes.
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"Can't Help Falling in Love" by Perfume Genius
This is one of the biggest changes from book to movie: In the novel, Alex and Henry slow dance to "Your Song" by Elton John. In the film, this romantic moment takes place against the soundtrack of Perfume Genius's cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley.
The "Can't Help Falling in Love" scene begins at around 1 hour, 27 minutes.
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"Momentary" by Edvard Kravchuk
As Alex speaks from the White House about his relationship with Henry, this song by Edvard Kravchuk plays in the background.
"Momentary" plays around 1 hour, 34 minutes.
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"Fruit (Red, White & Royal Blue Version)" by Oliver Sim
Playing over the end credits is a new version of Oliver Sim's "Fruit."
"It was [Sim's] idea to take the song ‘Fruit’ from his most recent album and completely re-orchestrate it," López explains. "He said, 'I made the acoustic version; now I want to make the cinematic version.' He took something very delicate and blew it up to these epic proportions. It sounds so swoon-y and hopeful. That was a big win, for me, to get him to do that — I have my own bespoke version of an Oliver Sim song."
"Fruit" plays over the end credits, beginning at 1 hour, 51 minutes.
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"Color My Life" by Chicano Batman
The rest of the credits roll to Chicano Batman's "Color My Life."
"Color My Life" starts at 1 hour, 54 minutes.
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"That's What I Want" by Lil Nas X
Bonus: While not in the movie, this Lil Nas X is the audio for the trailer (watch above). "Need a boy who can cuddle with me all night / Keep me warm, love me long, be my sunlight / Tell me lies, we can argue, we can fight / Yeah, we did it before, but we'll do it tonight..."
"That's What I Want" plays in the official Red, White & Royal Blue trailer.
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