by Rachel Finucane
Does anyone else have Lady Gaga casually sketching the Joker’s smile onto the Mona Lisa stuck in your memory?
In September, Gaga collaborated with the Louvre to recreate the unforgettable scene Joker: Folie à Deux—except this time, rather than Harley Quinn drawing a deadly lipstick grin over costar Joaquin Phoenix, she used the iconic Paris gallery as her canvas. Two months later, those electrifying synths of “The Joker” are still swirling through our minds. The tune also appeared on Harlequin, a 13-track companion album to the film featuring 11 passionate Harley-inspired covers alongside two fully original songs.
Harlequin isn’t just an album—it also has the potential to be a trend-setting work for further projects featuring characters as the artists’ muses. If Harley’s signature “Good Night” bat weren’t busy swinging, it could act as a baton, passing those creative juices on to the next musicians to find their own inspiration in fictional icons. Below are three character-inspired albums we’d love to hit Spotify someday.
Agatha Harkness & Charli xcx: Still Chaotically Cackling on a Broomstick
It’s no coincidence that “Apple” was on Charli xcx’s BRAT, boasting a neon lime hue like the ooze dripping from the infamous toxic apple delivered by a hook-nosed witch to Snow White. Marvel’s Agatha All Along also paid tribute to Snow White’s classic villain, featuring a whole coven of nose-wrigglers in its credit sequence as the series dove further into the witchy weirdness of Westview following WandaVision.
Agatha All Along follows the chaos-spawning witch Agatha Harkness, played to mischievous perfection by the remarkable Kathryn Hahn. Her quips are as edgy and stylish as her rune-scripted cloak, and if anyone would be able to capture that magic and centuries-long folklore with her sense of spellbinding confidence, it would be the bewitching Charlie xcx.
That cauldron’s not quite bubbling yet, but we can still conjure up an album worth streaming in our wild imaginations. Replacing the mood-lifting neon lime of Brat summer, it would be time for the cover art to embrace a poisonous-looking purple hue as irresistible as Agatha’s magical allure. Think power suits, hairdos styled like heart-shaped love potions and a snake poised to strike as its head perches just between scaly, glossed lips.
Its lead single could toss us back into the viral song “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” a recurring plot in the show, with a music video featuring twinkling, fairy-like cats and lacy robes in a rainbow haze among scenes of dramatic ruins. Charli’s merch would also be equally fabulous and mystical, featuring amethyst bath salts and intention-setting candles to make you feel like a member of the coven yourself.
Also read about: Magical Quotes From WandaVision to Use as Instagram Captions
Dean Winchester & Hozier: Paranormal Americana
Turn on any episode of Supernatural and you can count on hearing the old familiar hum of “Baby,” monster hunter Dean Winchester’s beloved 1967 Chevy Impala, accompanied by the blare of AC/DC. Dean (played by Jensen Ackles) may be headed down the “Highway to Hell,” but we have other ideas about which artist already has a bible of lyrics that feel tailor-made for our hero.
No one’s better suited for the job than Hozier, a modern-day poet with untamed curly hair that flings around like it’s caught in a perpetual windstorm. His discography dives into the age-old battles between heaven and hell, and though Dean isn’t going to kneel before a pew a la “Take Me to Church” anytime soon, Hozier’s silky lyrics still tango with Supernatural’s recurring themes of redemption, sacrifice, rebellious freedom and even love and loss—especially when a testy hellhound tries to bite you.
The album cover’s color palette would likely lean toward the tones the Winchester brothers might wear while trekking along for a case, such as burnt umber. We can imagine Hozier wrapped in that deep, reddish-brown hunter chic-hued plaid as he performs to sold-our arenas around the world.
As for the lead single’s music video, we’re picturing imagery of glamorous cowboys littering the ranches just outside three-star hotels, just like the ones Dean and his brother, Sam, check into as they chase ghouls around the U.S. The merch would include hunter kit purses, collectible patches with character designs, lyric-revealing heat-sensitive mugs and camping gear, leaving fans feeling amply prepared for their own demon-hunting adventures.
Also read about: 30 Evocative Lyrics From Hozier’s Unreal Unearth to Use as Your Next Instagram Caption
Quinn Fabray & Sabrina Carpenter: The Heart Corsets Were Stolen From our Glee-ful Cheerleader
We’re karaoke-ing our way back to the early 2000s to invoke some of our all-time favorite pom-pom twirlers—Glee‘s Cheerio trio. Consisting of Santana Lopez, Britney Pierce and Quinn Fabray, they paired unforgettable moves with killer vocals, and the time they ditched their bossy coach, Sue Sylvester to try out for the glee club with a rendition of Dionne Warwick’s “I Say a Little Prayer” will forever live on in our memories.
Portrayed by Dianna Agron, Quinn remains a timeless icon as the charmingly snobby head cheerleader who’d toss up spirit fingers like confetti and constantly find herself in the middle of a bombshell love triangle.
For a Quinn-inspired album, no artist could flawlessly embody the cheer star quite like Sabrina Carpenter. There’d be so much for Sabrina to explore, from choir room gossip and Billboard chart climbs to all the spicy twists of Glee-caliber drama. Obviously, each topic would be accompanied by a song, but why not high-kick the covers for an entirely original album celebrating Quinn?
For Sabrina’s album aesthetic, we’re imagining a hard pivot back to the era’s girly paint pot with an eye-catching shade of bubblegum pink, paired with early 2010s crop tops, feathered accents and clown ruffle colors. Expect all the hair accessories and so many buttons woven into her spunky raspberry threads.
The merch would also help fans transform into their own versions of Quinn, covering all of the makeup shades she wore on the show, plus a pom-pom shaped makeup holder to cheer you on as your get dolled up. The lead single’s music video would follow Glee‘s quest for musical stardom, featuring a futuristic dream lab where even your wildest fantasies can be transformed into reality.
While we haven’t been able to will these albums into being just yet, we do recommend you click HERE to check out our 10 favorite musical releases of the week of Nov. 8, 2024.
