I don’t know about you, but I’m loving Twisted Metal Season 2. One of the most absurd (and absurdly awesome) shows on the 2025 TV schedule, this great video game adaptation has everything this longtime fan wants in a series and then some.
From cracking up at Will Arnett and Samoa Joe’s Sweet Tooth to living vicariously through Anthony Mackie having so much fun as John Doe, I’m loving this goofy, bloody, and addictive Peacock original. I recently noticed something really sweet when watching Twisted Metal with my Peacock subscription, and this little minor detail has led to me loving the show even more.
No, it’s not the “weird as hell” orgy, all those wild callbacks to the games, but instead the music. Let me explain…
All Of The Songs In Twisted Metal Are From Before The World Crashed In The Show
If you look at the official Twisted Metal playlist on Spotify, you’ll see songs like Gorillaz’s breakout hit “Clint Eastwood,” the late DMX’s “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” and Michelle Branch’s pop phenomenon “Everywhere,” to name just a few. What do all of these songs have in common, you may ask? Well, they were all released in or before 2002, the point at which the world went to shit in the Twisted Metal-verse.
I lost my mind during “ONURMRK,” when Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” started playing during the opening of the Twisted Metal tournament. Not only was this a track released before society’s collapse, but it was only a nice nod to Twisted Metal 4, which featured “Dragula” on the soundtrack and as the name of Mr. Zombie’s vehicle in the tournament.
It's A Minor Detail, But Having Songs From That Era Adds So Much To The Feel Of The Show
Just like the “Thong Song” needle drop during the first season of Twisted Metal, including all of these era-specific songs adds so much to the feel of the show. Sure, there's the traditional instrumental score from composers Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson (which really is great, by the way), but including these chart-topping songs that existed inside the show’s world before the collapse adds some great worldbuilding.
These small moments, which are admittedly brief at times, add so much magic and humor to the scenes, especially during that training montage set to “Clint Eastwood” during the early part of the season. It just wouldn't feel quite right to hear Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar behind these scenes.
What Showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith Has Said About Those Needle Drops
You know what makes these ‘90s and early 2000s tracks so much fun in Twisted Metal? Well, besides the fact that they make the world so much more fun? When speaking with CinemaBlend’s Nicholas Venable ahead of the Season 2 premiere, showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith talked about the personal connections to the songs, including an iconic and bad SNL movie:
I love 'Volcano Girls!' I love our playlist. This year, we have 19 tracks that are in the season. One of my favorites is --- I mean, I don't want to spoil one of them [that's] a later one --- but one of my favorites is early on in the season: Haddaway's 'What Is Love?' Because my first date was going to see Night at the Roxbury, so I had to put that in there as a nice nod. But I'm really proud of all the songs that we have this season. It's a hell of a playlist.
I have my “Dragula” and “Clint Eastwood” memories, Smith has his “What Is Love?” first date story, and both prove why these songs just work!
With all these needle drops, comedy, and over-the-top violence, hopefully, we get more Twisted Metal in the future, because I’d love to see this join the list of other promising upcoming video game movies and shows.
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