From Madonna to Lady Gaga: “The Devil Wears Prada 2”

The task that Disney has shouldered is onerous: to follow up on The devil wears Pradaa cult for fashion lovers – and for millennials in general. A film that has become iconic for its cast (one name above all, Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly) and in fact the box office results speak for themselves: after the first national screening last night, the long-awaited sequel becomes the best debut of 2026 and ranks 11th among the best debuts ever in Italy. Anyone with a trained ear knows that among the ingredients of this success there is also the soundtrackwhich will land on digital platforms around the world tomorrow May 1st.

Twenty years later

The first chapter of 2006 – taken from the 2003 novel of the same name by Lauren Weisberger – had crystallized theindustrial chic aesthetic of the 2000s. Twenty years later, the sequel finds itself having to add sound to a world (that of fashion, but not only) radically changed. One of the central themes, in fact, is precisely the decline of the printed paper and old school journalism in favor of the algorithmic domination of social media. It is no coincidence that there is also one of the songs included in the film End of an era Of Dua Lipawho is in good company of global superstars: Miley Cyrus (Walk of Fame), SZA (Saturn), RAYE (Worth It), Laufey (Mr. Eclectic), Olivia Dean (Nice to Each Other).

In this context, the soundtrack is entrusted again to Theodore Shapiro. One of the advantages of the original film is undoubtedly the rhythm that punctuates the scenes and keeps the viewer’s attention high; Shapiro had succeeded in the arduous task of adapting the sound language to that pressing pace. Of course, when you have hits from the likes of artists in support Madonna, U2, Jamiroquai, Alanis Morissette and Mobyit’s even easier.

The selection of non-original songs plays a fundamental role in the identity of brands (due to the quantity and quality of the marketing that revolves around this film, we can also define it as such). If in the first chapter the opening with Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall defined Andy’s (Anne Hathaway) naive optimism, the sequel opts for a more cynical, colder and surgical narrative.

Lady Gaga on the catwalk

There is no shortage of timeless icons (like Madonna), but they return in versions remixed by contemporary producers; an ideal bridge between Miranda’s legacy and the new market. An often underestimated, but crucial aspect in this chapter is integration Between score And sound design: in the “Runway” offices of 2026 we no longer hear fingers tapping on PC keyboards or the buzz of landlines. The “soundscape” is dominated by the sounds of smartphones and tablets and, unlike the first film, Miranda’s presence is less subject to climaxes that increase the tension around the character; a choice in line with the story of crisis of his authority.

While the first Devil was inextricably linked to Vogue by Madonna, the second has as its fulcrum RUNWAYan unprecedented collaboration between Lady Gaga and the rapper Doechii. The song was produced by Andrew Watts (who has already worked on Gaga’s hit songs such as Mayhem And Die with a Smile), Bruno MarsCirkut and D’Mile, who also wrote it together with the two artists and Jayda Love. Industrial pop aims to reflect the aggressiveness of the fashion world, as demonstrated by the impeccable video clip that accompanies the single. Gaga’s vocal performance moves in theatrical registers, and her cameo makes the song a true extension of the narrative.

But we could also consider Lady Gaga in general, and not just this song, as the musical hub of the film: in addition to RUNWAY gives away two more unreleased songs, Shape of a Woman And Glamorous Life; she is the guest of honour, the star at the center of the fashion show at the Accademia di Brera, and it is to the notes of her song that the plot twist ending of the sequel. A centrality that “Mother Monster” has earned and deserved over the years, both obviously for its immense contribution to world pop, and for a filmography that is starting to become substantial (we remember, among others, the roles in American Horror Story, A Star is Born, House of Gucci And Joker: Folie à Deux).