Since its premiere, Netflix’s series “Wednesday” has become a huge hit, earning the title of the streaming giant’s third most popular English-language series. The show’s lead star, Jenna Ortega, has gained recognition for her incredible dance skills, which she showcased in a self-choreographed sequence set to the Cramps’ 1981 single “Goo Goo Muck.” The scene quickly went viral on social media platforms like TikTok, helping to boost the song’s popularity and leading to a massive 9,500% increase in its Spotify streams.
Series music supervisors Jen Malone and Nicole Weisberg of Black & White Music have been credited with giving “Goo Goo Muck” new life. In an interview with Variety, they spoke about their work on the series, and how they chose the Cramps’ song for the dance sequence.
“Each showrunner and project is different,” Malone said. “Every story they tell, how they use music, is a strong vision to be served…. My first gig in the music biz was working at Formula PR years ago as a publicist. It’s amazing that I’m in this place, now.”
Weisberg added that she enjoyed going through source music and pitching songs that fit the character of Wednesday. “I wanted to get into the head of Wednesday, to use the character’s lens to fill the musical palate,” she said.
When asked why they chose the Cramps’ song, Malone said:
“When we readied that episode, we knew it was a school dance with lots of music, and that Jenna was working on her choreography. We had a huge Spotify list and the Cramps were always on it. We pitched the Cramps’ ‘Human Fly’ to the team, too, then spring-boarded onto ‘Goo Goo Muck.’ The Cramps are perfect for Wednesday. They’re in her headspace, like Siouxsie and Joy Division. I’m a former Goth. To work with music I love, to find that right moment – the track had to be fun, quirky and lend itself to Wednesday’s personality. For the team to come back with ‘Goo Goo Muck’? Done.”
Malone also noted that it was an easy song to clear for use in the series. “It was an easy clear,” she said. “Everybody was super-psyched for its use.”
The popularity of the song on TikTok has brought it to a new generation of fans, something that Malone and Weisberg are happy to be a part of.
“This job is about the moment, the connection it makes with the audience,” Malone said. “One bonus is introducing music to people who haven’t heard it before. Being a part of having kids get into the Cramps – that’s awesome.”
Weisberg added:
“It’s amazing to be able to keep songs alive through such an organic moment.”
When asked about the TikTok videos featuring people impersonating Wednesday and dancing to the Cramps’ song, Malone said:
“Having people dress up like Wednesday – the hair, the outfit – with the complete set design and the Cramps? Bravo.”
