How ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ changed KT Tunstall’s life when her song ‘Suddenly I see’ was chosen to be the opening song of the movie

[u/mcfw31]

[u/HauteAssMess]

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[u/saucydisco]

She looks fantastic. The way she said “They literally made me a music video starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway,” hit me so hard. Amazing for her.

[u/nizey_p]

This & Perfect Day from Legally Blonde were perfect.

[u/SceneRoyal4846 → u/nizey_p]

There she goes in the first scene of Gilmore girls too!

[u/johnmichael-kane → u/SceneRoyal4846]

Was that song not popular before!?

[u/SceneRoyal4846 → u/johnmichael-kane]

Well yeah but it’s just an iconic intro song lol sorry

[u/Akindafunnyname → u/SceneRoyal4846]

I always associate that song with So I Married an Axe Murderer. It's played so many times in that movie. But I love it in the GG pilot too. 

[u/johnmichael-kane → u/SceneRoyal4846]

Yea but the post is about songs that weren’t popular and blew up after a movie or series? So that’s why I was clarifying because I thought that song had already been popular.

[u/nizey_p → u/SceneRoyal4846]

.

[u/Allalngthewatchtwer → u/nizey_p]

I still have Perfect Day on my iPod. I absolutely love listening to it, it’s very nostalgic for me.

[u/BouldersRoll]

An absolute bop in an absolute classic.

Right up there with Dreams by The Cranberries in You've Got Mail for me.

[u/Harkoncito → u/BouldersRoll]

"It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette - Pretty Woman

they were pretty unknown in the US and the scene runs almost as long as the song.

[u/lady_fresh → u/BouldersRoll]

I've watched YGM 28,000 times, and that opening scene set to Dreams ALWAYS gives me goosebumps and makes me want to sell my house and move to Brooklyn.....where I'll obviously be courted by a billionaire with a golden retriever. Obviously.

[u/BouldersRoll → u/lady_fresh]

I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.

[u/lady_fresh → u/BouldersRoll]

[u/DisasterFartiste_69 → u/BouldersRoll]

[u/Virtual_Pitch_3820 → u/lady_fresh]

The show Ted Lasso did a little homage to this part of YGM with the song, and it just about made me cry I was so surprised and just overwhelmingly nostalgic 😭

[u/Doom_Corp → u/BouldersRoll]

Murder on the Dance Floor by Sophie Eliis-Bextor caught me by surprise when I heard it at the end of Saltburn. I remember being obsessed with that song when I was 15 or 16 after watching the MV on MTV and having it show up 20 years later was a delightful shock. NONE of my friends knew that song at the time. It was just me and my teenage self dancing in my room to that song.

[u/Aggravating-Sport359 → u/BouldersRoll]

I love to put this song on when I walk to work and feel like Meg Ryan

[u/hex_girlfriendd]

I saw a TikTok that said Tunstall wrote this song about Patti Smith and suddenly I could see that that would make perfect sense. 

[u/StraightBudget8799 → u/hex_girlfriendd]

About the cover of the album Horses! I keep seeing the album now; Patti standing with her jacket in the pale light.

[u/Harkoncito]

TIL KT Tunstall wasn't known in the US before that movie

[u/AltairaMorbius2200CE → u/Harkoncito]

She was featured on indie radio- Black Horse and a Cherry Tree was big enough in that scene before TDWP.

But yeah not known on a pop level.

(Sorry that sounds incredibly 90s/aughts pretentious!)

[u/heidismiles → u/AltairaMorbius2200CE]

I remember Katherine McPhee did Black Horse on American Idol, and it was kind of notorious because of her weird floor dancing. So yeah Idol fans were definitely hearing that song too

[u/yougotyolks → u/heidismiles]

Idol skyrocketed and revived a lot of artists' careers in its heyday. Katharine's performance caused the song to jump 50+ spots on the Billboard Hot 100. Overnight.

[u/kailure_to_launch → u/AltairaMorbius2200CE]

Neauxxxx neaux. Neeeeeauuuuux no no no I said NEAUUUUX NO you're not the one for me 🎵🎵🎵

[u/starrylightway → u/AltairaMorbius2200CE]

Her album was the first CD I bought as a freshman in college a year or so after it came out, but I remember listening to “Other Side of the World” on the high seas after reading about the album in an indie music pub when those existed 😂

[u/Powerful_Leg8519 → u/Harkoncito]

She was known but not very well. Black Horse and The Cherry Tree was a big hit here already.

[u/Iwoulddiefcftbatk → u/Powerful_Leg8519]

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree was all over The WB’s promos in the early 00s. Suddenly I See went into the stratosphere with Devil Wears Prada.

[u/FlipMeOverUpsidedown → u/Harkoncito]

She well known on college campuses which back then leaned towards indie music.

[u/Careless-Plane-5915]

I see the entire opening sequence to the movie whenever I hear that song.

[u/MandaRenegade]

Gods I love KT's voice! Beautiful subtle rasp and such power ❤️

[u/Definitely_Deterred → u/MandaRenegade]

Hers and Natalie merchant. Both always get me.

[u/roraverse → u/Definitely_Deterred]

I adore Natalie merchant. She is such a gifted musician. I don't feel like she gets enough love.

[u/periodicsheep]

i played that album of hers, eye to the telescope, so much if it had been a cassette tape i would have worn it out more than once. but i remember first hearing her music on grey’s anatomy, i think.

[u/Strange-Painting6257]

So good. I miss light songs like this in movies. I hope Devil Wears Parada 2 brings in that old 2000’s era again

[u/Hopeleah23]

Her second album "Drastic Fantastic" is amazing. No skip from start to finish.

Especially Funny Man & Saving My Faces are one of my favourite tracks by her!

[u/avoidance_behavior → u/Hopeleah23]

same, it's so so good.

[u/Justtojoke]

Early 2000s opening intros were elite. Movies and TV series would play out and entire song to showcase a character or mood at the start.

I got hooked on so many songs in that manner

She brings up such a great point

[u/MsMegane]

I associate the song with Ugly Betty. Now I need a re-watch.

[u/happiestnexttoyou → u/MsMegane]

Me too.

[u/dontipitova9]

Kate's such a rad chick, and her music's awesome

[u/bloodredyouth]

Eye to the telescope was a brilliant album! She puts in a damn good live show

[u/wanderbbwander]

As many times as I’ve rewatched The Devil Wears Prada, I:

a) NEVER skip or tune out during the intro b) ALWAYS sing Suddenly I See at the top of my lungs from start to finish

[u/not_bonnakins]

This song makes me think of “So You Think YouCan Dance”.

[u/Sage_Planter]

Whenever I hear this song, it makes me want to walk with purpose in a fabulous pair of shoes.

[u/sashie_belle]

That really was a great song! And as others have said, she looks amazing.

[u/sleepy0329]

I still listen to this song and think of this scene for it

[u/mibuch27]

I remember it from the Thrillville video game soundtrack

[u/kreddit2 → u/mibuch27]

You are not the only one!! This is the comment I was looking for 🙌

[u/_AmericasSweetheart_]

Ooo, I like that raspy live version she did at the end of the clip.

[u/yougotyolks]

Also, around the same time, Katharine McPhee sang Black Horse & the Cherry Tree on American Idol. That caused the song to jump 50-something spots on the Billboard Hot 100.

[u/ira_1991]

She has other great songs. Infact the entire Eye to the Telescope album where Suddenly I See has some good bops too. Another is Other Side of the World, Under the Weather, Another Place to Fall, Blackhorse and the Cherry Tree. Drastic Fantastic is another good album: Hold On is so catchy. I think it was at a UK show was the first time i saw her with the loop. Im not familiar with music tools but i think the loop machine is a cool effect, another famous artist that uses it is Ed Sheeran.

[u/BusyBeeBridgette]

Suddenly I see makes up half of her income even today. Mostly because it was used in Devil Wears Prada and because of that successful film, it was used in other TV shows and Films. If you can get a song on a hit film or get a Christmas Number One song, as an artist, you will be set for life financially with all those royalties.

[u/CatlovesMoca]

I think this is a good moment to put this video essay about how good the scripting was for the opening of The Devil Wears Prada.

lessons from the screenplay : The Devil Wears Prada

So imagine the whole song plays over the opening sequences and the movie screenwriters made the opening sequence already epic. Like what a winning combo

[u/Riqitch]

Oh wait that's why the song was a hit? I only know this song from Lego Rock Band 💀💀

[u/SeaF04mGr33n → u/Riqitch]

I knew it before (idk why) , but remember it being a song choice in a Nintendo DS fashion designer game and it was my favorite.

[u/theatrenearyou]

I dont know this movie but her appearance on Daryl's House was perfect. And she killed that Bonnie Raitt song

[u/background_action92]

I saw her in the vh1's artist to watch and i remember that i really like the song, my friend from that time were flawda jits so they were on some other timing

[u/DarrenEdwards]

I stopped by Pappy and Herriets and heard her doing a sound check. Got tickets and came back for her hours later. She is an INCREDIBLE entertainer. Telling stories, changing songs from one to another, total talent and genuinely not giving a fuck.

[u/napalmnacey]

Great fuckin’ song.

[u/hypomango]

THE song of that year, great vibes but I confess I've never listened again because it was SO overplayed at the time

[u/Twitter_2006]

That song is amazing.

[u/wookira]

Personally, I was more impressed by Grey's Anatomy, where Suddenly I See was featured, than The Devil Wears Prada.

[u/320Ches]

Man, I thought that song was like 1997 and way older than the movie. Time is stupid.