Ten years after the first movie in The Hunger Games franchise came out, the Panem world is rising from the ashes through the prequel Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The prequel is set over 50 years before the original series, as a young Coriolanus Snow attempts to rise to power by molding the Games into the sensational event fans saw in the original series.
A critical component of this is showing off the power of relationships. While Katniss and the other rebels highlight interpersonal relationships, Snow tries to build a clear connection between the tributes and the Capitol. As seen through series like Utopia Falls, music can be a powerful way to mobilize these relationships, both for and against totalitarian systems. Looking back at The Hunger Games, songs by Taylor Swift can capture the power of each of those relationships, showing off hopes, regrets, and paths forward.
Cato And Clove: "Out Of The Woods"
Few of the tributes in the 74th Annual Hunger Games were humanized because audiences needed to know exactly who they were rooting for. However, later books prompted fans to look back on even the most brutal Career tributes and see them as the victims they were. One of the best examples of this is Cato and Clove, the District 2 Tributes.
Though they were shown as relatively callous, they seemed to care for each other. In the film, Clove called for Cato as she was about to die, and in the book, he came running to protect her, begging her not to go. When the game makers announced that two from a district could survive, they tried to stay alive together, and fans could easily imagine them wishing to be "out of the woods." Like in the song, they seem fated to fall apart, but perhaps dreamed of a world where they "fall back together."
Effie And Haymitch: "peace"
In the books, Effie and Haymitch don't have much of a relationship beyond their shared affection for Katniss and Peeta. They both annoy one another, Effie with her uptight Capitol behaviors, and Haymitch with his drunkenness. However, in the films, there is an insinuation that they were in a relationship while in District 13.
Going by that interpretation, Haymitch and Effie began a relationship while the world was on fire, finding comfort in each other when nobody else would understand the strings they pulled to get Katniss where she needed to be. While neither seems likely to get married any time soon, it's easy to see between them "the silence that only comes when two people understand each other." That probably wouldn't be enough, but this song suggests the importance of a relationship, even if it doesn't last forever.
Katniss, Peeta, And Haymitch: "Nothing New"
After years of getting close to teenagers only for them to die, it's no wonder that Haymitch found it difficult to connect with Katniss and Peeta. He knows that he's old, and that his words and actions can only do so much. But Katniss and Peeta forced him to step up, pushing him to fight for them and for a better future.
The dynamic between the three is perhaps best explained through "Nothing New." Haymitch is deeply depressed, using alcohol to numb him from the pain of his life. He knows that he is not the story's hero. But when he looks at Katniss (and Peeta), he sees someone who can change the world: "She'll know the way, and then she'll say she got the map from me." But while he's proud to be part of it, he will always regret his inability to be the hero Panem needed.
Katniss And Gale: "Run" / "I Know Places"
Katniss and Gale were a case of friends to lovers that just couldn't make it work in the dystopian world they were trying to survive in. Katniss imagined their relationship to be like "Run," where they ran away for freedom and peace, and where the ideal future would be that they would have "No one to be, no one to tell."
Unfortunately, Gale imagined their relationship more like "I Know Places." The idea of running away is the same, but while "Run" is about getting to a place of safety, "I Know Places" seems to enjoy the thrill of the chase. While Katniss might agree "They are the hunters, we are the foxes," she wants to "Go where no one else is," while Gale doesn't seem to mind if "they take their shots."
Katniss And Rue: "Safe & Sound"
It may be cheating to include a song Taylor Swift performed for The Hunger Games soundtrack, but there isn't a better choice. Though Katniss was motivated by Prim to enter the Hunger Games, her relationship with Rue drove her to become a revolutionary figure.
The minimalist chorus of "Safe and Sound" feels like the quiet words a person whispers to a child with nightmares just as much as the words they'd say to someone taking their last breath, both of which show Katniss's relationship with Rue. She felt a responsibility to protect Rue, which included keeping her calm as she died and honoring her memory.
Finnick And Annie: "cardigan"
While Katniss's romantic relationships are tangled and thorny, Finnick and Annie's love is pure and sweet. Both were abused by the Capitol in horrific ways, but Katniss notes that they seem better just by being together, holding hands on even the darkest days.
As seen in "cardigan," Annie and Finnick know each other, even when they aren't sure about anything else. Annie was known to the world as the one who has a mental health condition, but Finnick always pulled her close and reminded her that she was his favorite. Their love story might have ended in tragedy, "Peter losing Wendy," but fans can hope that someday they will find each other again.
Cinna And Katniss: "Change"
Cinna was always there to help push Katniss forward, preparing the kindling that would make her the Girl on Fire. However, he also seemed to care for Katniss in a way few others did. While the other rebel leaders were trying to make her a symbol, Cinna honored her as a person.
"Change" is a song about breaking oppressive systems, and while it pushes the audience to fight back, it also gives them permission to walk away if they need to. In another world, Cinna might easily have left Katniss a letter with nothing but the lyrics of this song.
Katniss And Prim: "Never Grow Up"
At the heart of The Hunger Games is Katniss's love for Prim. While Katniss was forced to be the adult when she was too young, she does everything to help Primrose keep her childhood, including keeping Prim from entering her name multiple times in the Reaping.
Given this, no song better fits the sisters' dynamic than "Never Grow Up." The song's tender tone shows off the soft side Katniss usually keeps hidden, while the words themselves reference the desperation the singer has to keep the child safe. Katniss would willingly kill or die for Prim to have the childhood she never got, and that protective instinct makes Katniss the revolutionary she was always meant to be.
Katniss And Peeta: "Daylight"
Katniss and Peeta had a lot of ups and downs, especially when fake love turned into real affection. But the reason that Katniss was always going to choose Peeta over Gale is that he brings her the peace she never knew she could have.
He showed her the possibility of a brighter future and helped bring her there. Before him, she saw love as black and white (family or not) or as burning red (fighting for each other), but Peeta shows her true love, which is "golden like daylight."
Katniss And The Capitol: "mirrorball"
In order to survive the Hunger Games, and then get people to join the Rebellion, Katniss had to learn how to act. She had to learn on the job, figuring out how to endear herself one moment and then show devouring rage and world-ending grief the next.
Because of this, the best song to explain her relationship with the Capitol is "mirrorball," a song about constant re-invention. Katniss pulled off a whirlwind romance to survive the Games, but that adaptability also helps her show off the Capitol's worst angles. As the song says, "I'll show you every version of yourself tonight."