Discover how Olivia Rodrigo’s rebellious anthem ‘Brutal’ became the perfect sonic anchor for Netflix’s twisted new fairy tale, Steps.
Think you know Cinderella’s “evil” stepsisters? Think again. Netflix’s upcoming animated feature Steps completely flips the script on the classic fairy tale.
Sick of living in Cinderella’s shadow, Lilith (voiced by Ali Wong) steals the Fairy Godmother’s (Bette Midler) magic wand and hijacks the Royal Ball with her sister Margot (Stephanie Hsu). The hilarious, narrative-breaking adventure dooms the kingdom to the tyrannical rule of Priscilla (Nikki Glaser), forcing an unlikely team-up between Lilith and Cinderella (Amanda Seyfried). They must brave biker trolls, evil henchmen, and the Screaming Woods to save the kingdom—and their relationship.
To capture this fiercely modern, anti-archetype energy right out of the gate, directors John Ripa and Alyce Tzue knew they needed a soundtrack that packed a serious punch. Enter pop-punk royalty Olivia Rodrigo and her hit track “Brutal“.
In a recent interview with Mama’s Geeky, Ripa and Tzue opened up about how the angst-ridden anthem ended up anchoring the film’s rebellious tone and why Rodrigo’s sound was their ultimate creative North Star.
When audiences get their first taste of Steps, the needle drop of “Brutal” immediately sets expectations on fire. For Tzue, securing the track was about finding an authentic sonic match for characters who are pushed past their limits.
“What a great representation for the energy and tone of the film, a rebellious spirit,” Tzue explained, noting that the track perfectly mirrors the internal chaos of the main cast. “It’s her lowest character.”
The song reflects the film’s core mission: humanizing characters who have historically been painted with a single, villainous brush.
“The whole movie tackles fairy tale archetypes,” Tzue said. “What you think is evil – sure, our stepsisters are flawed too, but they’re complete human beings, they’re relatable women. And Cinderella… has her own issues, her own problems to deal with.” The raw frustration embedded in Rodrigo’s lyrics perfectly matches the modern, layered angst of young women trying to navigate expectations in a royal world that doesn’t fit them.
Securing a track from a global powerhouse like Olivia Rodrigo is no small feat, and the directors were well aware of how competitive licensing her music can be. However, they refused to compromise on their vision.
“We always wanted to find someone that resonates with such a huge population of people around the world,” Ripa shared. “It was one of our first choices and we went out there and when we got it, it was just – we were overjoyed, absolutely.”
John Ripa credited their behind-the-scenes collaborators for turning their wishlist into reality. “We have a great music team that did a lot of the legwork and setting us up for this… but we were like super excited because of how it really felt like it connected to the character and resonated.”
“The music, just the soundtrack and the original songs and the needle drops that you will hear in the movie, is such a huge – it’s like its own character,” Tzue teased, hinting that audiences should keep their ears open for more brilliant musical surprises throughout the film’s quest.
By contrasting Olivia Rodrigo’s gritty, pop-punk energy with a rich, detailed “dessert-inspired” Rococo visual world, the directors have created an experience that speaks directly to modern families without watering down the emotional weight or the comedy.
Thanks to “Brutal,” Steps safely ensures that parents and kids alike will be too busy nodding their heads to look at their phones.
Steps will premiere later this year on Netflix.
