Singer Hayley Kiyoko recently dropped her music video for "For The Girls," which imagined an all-female season of The Bachelorette; it was inspired by her love of the reality TV series, as well as her romance with The Bachelor contestant, Becca Tilley. The song, and its music video, make a statement about the power and beauty of women, as well as the absence of space for queer women to tell their stories (via Cosmopolitan).
It's not the first time Kiyoko has used music to make a statement, with her earliest explorations of the revolutionary power of music coming from the Disney Channel musical Lemonade Mouth. Lemonade Mouth portrayed a group of five friends forming a band and using it to share their revolutionary messages about non-conformity and personal expression. Many of the songs still hold up eleven years later, building a soundtrack fans will never forget. While some fall a little flat, most capture teenage life well enough that they deserve to be listened to again and again.
Don't Ya Wish U Were Us?
Fans know that Lemonade Mouth's music works so well because they care about each other and their audience; this song shows how much Mudslide Crush does not. Not only does the band mock their competition, but they mock their audience, with lyrics talking about how sad the audience must be for not being as cool as they are.
There's nothing wrong with the music itself, but what audience is going to support a band that proudly states, "No one really likes you that much"? The song, like "Too Cool" from Camp Rock, shows the failings of the antagonists, so while it absolutely does what it's intended to, that doesn't rescue it from being a bad song.
Livin' On A High Wire
Technically, "Livin' On A High Wire" is a bonus track, but some versions of the movie include the song as part of an additional interview with the band members. It tells the story of the band through circus metaphors, explaining how a group of kids who loved music were able to chase their dreams and find success.
The song is well-polished and enjoyable, but it doesn't work as well as the other songs, since it doesn't really have a place in the movie. Every song served a specific purpose except this one, so while it's a good song on its own, it might have worked better in a sequel or independent album than it did as a part of the movie itself.
Here We Go
Lemonade Mouth rebelled against the structures at their school that only supported the rich and popular. They protested the removal of the lemonade machine that gave them their name, and push back against the conformity the school forced on them. "Here We Go" is their protest anthem, powerfully led by future pop star Hayley Kiyoko.
While the song is absolutely a bop and has the perfect energy for trying to topple the system, its lyrics are overly simple. The chorus is primarily repetition, along with a chant of sorts: "Be heard, Be strong, Be proud. Stand up, Come on, Be loud." It's a great background song and fits well at that point in the movie, but isn't as impactful as many other songs in the film.
And The Crowd Goes
"And The Crowd Goes" is a song that a band could only get away with after they've already made it big, with its relatively bland lyrics and necessary audience interaction. While the lyrics don't have the same heart as many of Lemonade Mouth's songs, the music is complex and interesting, which made Mudslide Crush so popular.
The lyrics tell the audience everything they need to know about the band if they're willing to listen. The song is about being better than everybody else, of being the ones who can do anything and get away with it. In short, the lyrics perfectly summarize lead singer Ray's misanthropic view of the world.
Breakthrough
Lemonade Mouth performs "Breakthrough" at Madison Square Garden, and while it's a triumphant song about powering through hard times, it's not quite as successful as many of the songs the band wrote early on. The group has perfected their band's balance, with all three girls and Wen receiving their own sections, but it doesn't have the earnestness of many other songs.
That's not to say that it's a bad song. The song captures the band's optimistic spirit while also channeling the energy and confidence they gained from their multiple successes. While maybe not the most realistic ending to a Disney Channel Original Movie, it's powerful and does its job. It's just that some of the more raw songs in the movie hooked fans more significantly.
Turn Up The Music
In a very Disney Channel trope-driven intro, the future members of Lemonade Mouth meet each other in detention and begin to play the instruments in the room, breaking out into an impromptu song: "Turn Up The Music." The song is the start of the group, and while it isn't the best song they perform, it is strong enough to keep audiences watching.
The song perfectly captures the joy of music coming together against all odds. The band doesn't have any significant pressures yet, so they're just having fun—and it shows. The song shows off every member of the band, with important roles for every instrument. The song is meant to capture five souls coming together to make something new, and it does exactly that.
Somebody
In high school, many teenagers feel alone and insignificant in comparison to their siblings and peers. "Somebody" draws on that sense of isolation, with lyrics that reach out to anyone else feeling the same way. It works with the idea that everyone is going to be important someday, and the only way to get there is to keep their eyes on the prize and keep moving.
This song fits well into the story, with Olivia's belief in their potential fueling the group's belief that they can win the Rising Star competition and make it big. Despite there being complications, Olivia really believes the group is destined to succeed, and her optimism shines through the song, capturing her bandmates and the audience.
Determinate
Olivia and Wen work together to write "Determinate," which means it got Olivia's sentimentality as well as Wen's style. The song begins with Olivia's fear of performing in public and the strength she gets from her friends, before going into the chorus, which focuses on not letting anything stop you from achieving your dreams.
Wen's rap interlude brings in some of the confidence that the band was missing, speeding up the music and adding lyrics about being the best that seems to directly challenge Mudslide Crush's "And The Crowd Goes." Mudslide Crush might have had the crowd in the beginning, but Lemonade Mouth steals their time and their fans at the Halloween Bash.
She's So Gone
What teenager didn't rock out to "She's So Gone" when they were younger? The song is an anthem for that good person who was tired of being taken advantage of (which resonated with many viewers). This song broke the conventions of its movie and Disney Channel musicals in general, making the soundtrack even better than the movie itself.
Even watching it as an adult, the song has the power to make its listeners feel like rebelling from the rules that weigh them down. This is the only song in the film without Olivia as the main singer, and while there's nothing wrong with Bridget Mendler's character, Mo (Naomi Scott) packs a real punch with her Kelly Clarkson-esque vocals and spirit.
More Than A Band
"More Than A Band" is the only song that isn't staged as a performance. Instead, it's presented as the only way the band members know how to communicate about problems they can't solve for each other. Olivia is heartbroken by her cat's death and the loss of her parents, and her bandmates are reminding her through music that she is not alone.
Each band member has their own problems, but this song shows them all coming together as "more than a band." Its lyrics capture the difficulty of easing another person's grief as well as the assurance that while they may not be able to fix everything, they're always there for support.