“How long have you been 17?” As it turns out, Twilight—the film that defined a generation of teenage longing—has officially turned 17 itself.
Released in 2008, Catherine Hardwicke’s adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s brooding vampire romance captured a cultural moment of forbidden love, both on screen and through a soundtrack that further immersed the film in an alternative climate. But if Twilight were released today, what would it sound like?
17 years after the film’s original release, we’re reimagining an already iconic soundtrack to echo the emotional weight that spoke to a Team Edward or Team Jacob generation. Here are 17 songs we could definitely hear scoring the film today.
Sharon Van Etten — “Seventeen”
When Bella arrives in Forks to live with her father, Charlie, she steps into a life that feels smaller and gloomier than the one she left behind. Even her childhood bedroom—with the freshly placed purple bedspread Charlie hopes will soften the transition—feels like the life of a girl she doesn’t know. Sharon Van Etten’s “Seventeen” becomes the sound of that uneasy homecoming, echoing the shift Bella undergoes as she attempts to adjust: “I used to be seventeen/Now you’re half shy/Hanging on my block/Who is my shadow?”
The Shins — “New Slang”
There’s a comfort when Bella first sees Jacob again, as he smiles and hands her the keys to her beat-up, red truck. But even here, the sense of something other is already creeping in. The Shins’ “New Slang” wraps the scene in warm nostalgia, but its lyrics betray that soft exterior: “Gold teeth and a curse for this town / Were all in my mouth.” That curse, of course, goes deeper, stretching into the second film, when Bella realizes Forks isn’t just home to vampires, but werewolves too.
Widowspeak — “All Yours”
The Cullens move through the cafeteria like porcelain shadows in human form. When Bella first sees the Cullens, time seems to fold inward—especially when her gaze meets Edward. Her friends are warning her to forget him before she even gets to know him, but the room dissolves. Widowspeak’s “All Yours” plays like the hush of raindrops. Bella doesn’t know what Edward is yet—only that she’s already lost to him.
Hayley Williams — “Mirtazapine”
In 2008, Paramore was a catalyst for Twilight in the alternative scene. Today, hearing Hayley Williams on a reimagined soundtrack would feel full circle. “Mirtazapine” would play as Edward stands undetected in Bella’s bedroom, watching her sleep. The irony, of course, is that Edward doesn’t sleep—and yet, Bella’s presence quiets the storm in him: “You make me eat, you make me sleep/You let me dream, you let me dream.” She is his calm. The song opens with “I could never be without her/I had to write a song about her/Who am I without you now?” foreshadowing that Edward later writes “Bella’s Lullaby” on piano.
Beabadoobee — “Care”
Prom dress shopping is supposed to be a rite of passage for any teenager. But Bella can’t focus on Jessica and Angela’s excitement for this high school tradition. Her thoughts spiral around Edward and everything he might be. Beabadoobee’s “Care” is the sound of pretending to be present while your brain is miles away. Beabadoobee delivers the mood of reluctant small talk and suppressed anxiety: “I don’t wanna care.”.
Björk — “Bachelorette”
When Bella finally dares to connect the threads—cold-skinned, inhuman speed, impossible strength—the truth doesn’t scare her. As she scrolls through myths and ancient texts, reading the word vampire on a screen that now feels like a mirror, Björk’s “Bachelorette” would play like a secret incantation. Her voice is elemental, full of strange power and self-recognition through the opening line: “I’m a fountain of blood/In the shape of a girl.”
Fiona Apple — “I Want You To Love Me”
The moment Bella confronts Edward in the woods, the emotional gravity shifts. She’s certain of what he is, and he insists that she say it out loud. What’s less certain is what she’ll do with the knowledge that he’s a vampire, and if she can still love him in spite of it. Fiona Apple’s “I Want You To Love Me” doesn’t narrate Bella’s thoughts, but rather, it gives voice to Edward’s. And so the lion falls in love with the lamb.
Snail Mail — “Valentine”
The meadow pulses with sunlight and danger. Edward sparkles like something not meant to exist, and Bella looks at him like she finally understands what it means to belong to someone—even if that someone might destroy her. “Valentine” burns with that same paradoxical tenderness. “Why’d you wanna erase me?” Snail Mail asks, as if voicing Edward’s own self-loathing. The song is a confession whispered in the space between breath and bite.
Julia Wolf — “In My Room”
Edward kisses Bella, then pulls back, needing to keep himself in control. Julia Wolf’s “In My Room” has become synonymous with Twilight in recent years, stitched into fan edits and montages on TikTok by the artist herself, a lifelong fan of the saga. The lyrics read like Bella’s diary in that moment: “I want your things in my room/I miss you all of the time… You make it look so easy, leaving everything behind.” She aches for him. And yet he pulls away, not knowing that she would give up everything—even herself—to be his.
Caspian — “Flowers Of Light”
Rushing through treetops, Bella clings to Edward’s back as he introduces her to his world—one where gravity bends and sunlight burns. “Flowers Of Light” lifts the moment without words. It’s the score to impossible movement, to beauty that shouldn’t be survivable.
Sleep Token — “The Summoning”
The baseball game crashes into darkness the moment the nomads arrive. Sleep Token’s “The Summoning” is thunderous and seductive, uncoiling just as the Cullens go from playful to primal. While Edward sees Bella as his heart and soul, James sees only flesh and blood: a meal. “I’ve got a river running right into you/ I’ve got a blood trail, red in the blue… You’ve got my body, flesh, and bone, yeah/The sky above, the earth below.” The line between predator and protector has never been so thin.
Spiritbox — “Circle With Me”
Driving away from Forks with Alice and Jasper, Bella doesn’t have a plan yet, but she knows she’d do anything to protect Edward, even if it means putting herself in danger. Spiritbox’s “Circle With Me” throbs with that looming inevitability: the slow acceptance of self-sacrifice. “Feel the weight of a martyr/It could all be yours.” Bella hasn’t decided to surrender yet, but the seeds are there.
Gracie Abrams — “The Bottom”
In the quiet of a Phoenix hotel room, Bella waits for her fate. She is left to sit with the consequence of her and Edward’s love. “The Bottom” feels like Edward’s internal voice bleeding through the walls. “You’re no good/You could do better/You should walk out/It’s now or never.” His fear isn’t just that Bella will be hurt—it’s that she will be hurt because of him. That by loving her, he’s damning her.
Loathe — “Two-Way Mirror”
Bella steps into the ballet studio, expecting to find her mother—but it’s James who greets her with a camcorder in hand and venom on his tongue. Loathe’s “Two-Way Mirror” plays like a fever dream, as James inflicts both physical and psychological pain: “Blood of blood and life of life/Looking through the eyes of a life lived twice.” As the Cullens arrive and Edward faces the unthinkable, the track bleeds seamlessly into “Let Me Sign,” echoing everything that might still be saved.
Robert Pattinson — “Let Me Sign”
Some songs are so ingrained in the DNA of a film, they’re untouchable. “Let Me Sign”—performed by Robert Pattinson—is that moment for Twilight—the only original track from the 2008 soundtrack that remains too perfect to replace. As Bella lies broken and bitten on the ballet studio floor, James burns in the background, and Alice recoils from the scent of blood, Edward hovers in agony. To save her, he must find the will to stop himself—to draw the venom from her bloodstream without taking too much. And in that moment, Edward isn’t just trying to save Bella—he’s trying not to lose himself.
Suki Waterhouse — “Good Looking”
Bella walks into prom with Edward on her arm, trying to let the magic of the Monte Carlo-themed night cover the brokenness beneath her dress. “Good Looking” would play with just the right amount of allure, fitting into the casino styling of the night: “Play casino halls on one of my eyeballs/Roll the dice on my thighs.” The girls are all smitten with their dates, but outside the frame, Victoria watches from the shadows—her eyes locked not on Edward, but on Bella.
Ludo — “The Horror Of Our Love”
As Bella and Edward dance in the gazebo, they speak in half-truths. She wants forever with him. He won’t give it to her…not yet. Ludo’s “The Horror Of Our Love” brings their entire arc into focus: “I’m a killer/Cold and wrathful/Silent sleeper/I’ve been inside your bedroom/The horror of our love/Never so much blood pulled through my veins/The horror of our love/Never so much blood.” There is no romance here without ruin, and Edward is acutely aware of this before the credits roll.
