Olivia Wilde made her directorial debut on a $6 million budget, and getting the rights to chart-topping party jams was a mission impossible. That didn’t hurt her prospects one bit, since the limited budget allowed her to dig deep and discover amazing tracks by alternative artists, including Kelsey Lu, Lizzo and Lykke Li.

Booksmart is filled with girl power anthems that perfectly suit its general spirit, but its standout song comes from an unexpected place. This teen comedy features a karaoke scene, which is a major turning point for one of the lead characters, and it wouldn’t work without Alanis Morissette classic “You Oughta Know”.

Wilde originally filmed the scene using the karaoke version of the song, but something just wasn’t working. She feared it would be expensive to get the rights, and that’s when she decided to pen a heartfelt letter, asking Morissette for permission to use her song.

“I just said how much she had meant to me in my youth and when I was in high school – ‘Jagged Little Pill’ in particular. Her strength as a woman and an artist and her singularity had really inspired me,” said Wilde for Huffington Post.

Check out some more amazing tracks that made it to the Booksmart soundtrack!

The post “Booksmart” Gave Us the Most Epic Indie Soundtrack of the Year appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Kelsey Lu grew up surrounded by art and music thanks to her parents, and her classical cello training prepared her for greater things to come. After collaborating with several major artists, including Solange and Florence + the Machine, she decided to embark on a solo adventure.

“When I was younger I didn’t have an idea of where I saw myself. I’ve been strategically floating, so wherever my music needed me to be felt right to me at the time. A lot of people around me have said ‘You’re going to be a star, kid!’” said Kelsey Lu in an interview with The Sunday Morning Herald.

The only thing she could do is say “Thank you” to people who believed in her, and it turned out they were right.

Lu’s debut album Blood gave us several impressive singles, but she’s still figuring it all out and constantly getting out of her comfort zone. “What drives me is finding the differences. It’s easy for us to get trapped into one state of being or being comfortable in one place, and while that’s all fine, I think that it’s important for us to explore things that we’re not either totally comfortable with, or that we never even knew we’re comfortable with,” said Kelsey Lu while chatting with Billboard.

The post Rising Star Kelsey Lu Will Enchant You with Her Ethereal Sound appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Olivia Wilde made her directorial debut on a $6 million budget, and getting the rights to chart-topping party jams was a mission impossible. That didn’t hurt her prospects one bit, since the limited budget allowed her to dig deep and discover amazing tracks by alternative artists, including Kelsey Lu, Lizzo and Lykke Li.

Booksmart is filled with girl power anthems that perfectly suit its general spirit, but its standout song comes from an unexpected place. This teen comedy features a karaoke scene, which is a major turning point for one of the lead characters, and it wouldn’t work without Alanis Morissette classic “You Oughta Know”.

Wilde originally filmed the scene using the karaoke version of the song, but something just wasn’t working. She feared it would be expensive to get the rights, and that’s when she decided to pen a heartfelt letter, asking Morissette for permission to use her song.

“I just said how much she had meant to me in my youth and when I was in high school – ‘Jagged Little Pill’ in particular. Her strength as a woman and an artist and her singularity had really inspired me,” said Wilde for Huffington Post.

Check out some more amazing tracks that made it to the Booksmart soundtrack!

The post “Booksmart” Gave Us the Most Epic Indie Soundtrack of the Year appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Kelsey Lu grew up surrounded by art and music thanks to her parents, and her classical cello training prepared her for greater things to come. After collaborating with several major artists, including Solange and Florence + the Machine, she decided to embark on a solo adventure.

“When I was younger I didn’t have an idea of where I saw myself. I’ve been strategically floating, so wherever my music needed me to be felt right to me at the time. A lot of people around me have said ‘You’re going to be a star, kid!’” said Kelsey Lu in an interview with The Sunday Morning Herald.

The only thing she could do is say “Thank you” to people who believed in her, and it turned out they were right.

Lu’s debut album Blood gave us several impressive singles, but she’s still figuring it all out and constantly getting out of her comfort zone. “What drives me is finding the differences. It’s easy for us to get trapped into one state of being or being comfortable in one place, and while that’s all fine, I think that it’s important for us to explore things that we’re not either totally comfortable with, or that we never even knew we’re comfortable with,” said Kelsey Lu while chatting with Billboard.

The post Rising Star Kelsey Lu Will Enchant You with Her Ethereal Sound appeared first on Hot Pop Today.