Elle Fanning is one of those annoying people that is good at everything. Whether she’s starring in arthouse fare like The Neon Demonand The Beguiled, or blockbusters like Maleficent, the 20-year-old is never less than utterly captivating. It turns out, she’s also a rather handy singer. Elle shows off her vocal chops in the upcoming Teen Spirit (in theaters April 12) — a film about a British school girl with a passion for pop and the drive to escape from her small, claustrophobic town.
The singer/actress belts out a number of covers in the movie including an impressive rendition of Robyn’s seminal “Dancing On My Own” (listen here) as well as Ellie Goulding’s “Lights” and Sigrid’s“Don’t Kill My Vibe.” Elle also contributes an original to the soundtrack, and it perfectly slots into its electro-pop aesthetic. “I wore your shirt as I was running away from you, ’cause I like to keep the good things,” she sings over ’80s synths. “I know you’re hurt and I’d like to sit right next to you, but you’d only say the worst things.”
Elle cuts the emotional chord on the bittersweet chorus. “Wildflowers you brought me are crumbled in my hands,” she laments. “I killed them, you caught me — the stain is on my hands.” The track was co-written by Carly Rae Jepsen, Jack Antonoff and Tavish Crowe, and wouldn’t sound out of place on the Canadian pop star’s E·MO·TION LP. And that’s high praise indeed! Check out “Wildflowers” below and pre-order the soundtrack here.
