You probably noticed it the second the credits rolled. Or maybe even halfway through Riley’s chaotic hockey camp weekend. There’s a specific vibe to the Inside Out 2 songs that doesn't quite mirror the first film. It’s louder. It’s more frantic. It’s basically the sonic equivalent of a fourteen-year-old having a localized meltdown in a Target aisle.
Michael Giacchino handed the baton to Andrea Datzman for this sequel. That’s a big deal. Giacchino’s work on the original was all about those tinkling, glass-like piano notes that made you want to weep over a pink elephant made of cotton candy. Datzman, who has worked with Giacchino for years, keeps some of those motifs but pivots hard into the messy reality of puberty. It’s less about "Bundle of Joy" and more about the percussive, driving anxiety of trying to fit in.
The music works because it isn't trying to be a Broadway musical. Pixar didn't give us a "Let It Go" moment here. Instead, we got a score that functions as a nervous system.
The Shift in the Inside Out 2 Songs and Score
If you’re looking for a tracklist full of pop stars belting out lyrics about their feelings, you’re looking at the wrong franchise. Inside Out 2 songs are almost entirely instrumental, and that’s a deliberate creative choice by director Kelsey Mann. When you’re a teenager, your "theme song" isn't usually a polished ballad. It’s a wall of sound.
Andrea Datzman leaned heavily into a palette that feels contemporary but grounded. We’re talking about a mix of traditional orchestral sweeps and some seriously gritty synth work.
Take the track "Outside Into Inside." It’s the bridge between the two worlds. It feels familiar, sure. But then you get into the new stuff. "Anxiety" is a standout theme. It’s twitchy. It’s rhythmic in a way that feels like a heart rate monitor spiking. It perfectly captures that specific "New Anxiety" energy where everything feels like a life-or-death emergency even though you're just standing in a hallway.
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Why there isn't a vocal "hit"
People kept asking during the lead-up to the release: where is the song? Where is the catchy earworm? Honestly, adding a lyrical pop song to the middle of Riley’s panic attack would have felt cheap. The "songs" in this film are the emotional cues. They are the motifs that represent Joy’s desperation and Anxiety’s frantic planning.
Breakdown of the Key Tracks
There are 27 tracks on the official soundtrack. That's a lot of music to digest.
- Found! – This one hits different because it brings back that sense of discovery. It’s light, but there’s an undercurrent of "oh no, things are changing."
- The Life of Riley – A direct nod to the status quo being shattered.
- Anxiety’s Theme – This is the one you’ll remember. It uses a lot of staccato. It’s purposeful. It feels like someone tapping a pen on a desk repeatedly until you want to scream.
- The Belief System – This is arguably the most important piece of music in the movie. It’s ethereal. It represents the core of who Riley is. When the music here gets distorted later in the film, it’s genuinely unsettling.
Datzman used a lot of "found sounds" and unique textures. It’s not just violins. There’s a mechanical quality to the Headquarters music now that reflects the "renovation" the Puberty Alarm triggered. It’s noisy. It’s messy. It’s perfect.
The hockey camp vibes
A huge chunk of the Inside Out 2 songs are tied to the intensity of the Michigan State hockey camp. The music here shifts into sports-movie territory but with an emotional twist. You have tracks like "The Next Level" and "Sentimental Value" that juggle the pressure of performance with the internal struggle of Riley’s changing personality.
The percussion in the hockey scenes is driving. It’s meant to mimic the skates hitting the ice and the puck hitting the boards. It creates a physical sensation in the theater that makes the stakes feel higher than they actually are. I mean, it’s just middle school hockey, right? But the music tells you it’s the end of the world.
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Comparing the Sequel to the Original
Giacchino’s 2015 score was iconic. There’s no getting around that. "Bundle of Joy" is one of those pieces of music that instantly triggers a Pavlovian tear response in most adults.
Datzman had a hard job. She had to respect that legacy while acknowledging that Riley isn't a kid anymore. The music in the first film felt like a toy box. The music in Inside Out 2 feels like a backpack—stuffed, slightly disorganized, and heavy.
The transition is most obvious in how the "Joy" theme returns. It’s still there, but it feels a bit more strained. It’s trying harder. You can hear the effort in the strings. It’s a brilliant bit of musical storytelling that shows Joy is losing her grip on the console.
The Cultural Impact of the Soundtrack
Believe it or not, the Inside Out 2 songs have been blowing up on TikTok and Reels, specifically the more ambient, moody tracks. Gen Z and Alpha are using the "Anxiety" motifs to underscore their own "POV" videos about school stress or social awkwardness.
It’s rare for a purely instrumental score to have that kind of legs in the social media era. It speaks to how accurately Datzman captured the feeling of internal chaos. People don't need lyrics to tell them how Riley feels; the frantic tempo changes do the work for them.
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What critics are saying
Most critics have praised the score for not being a carbon copy of the first. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter both noted that Datzman managed to evolve the soundscape without losing the "Pixar soul." There’s a nuance in the track "Bloof's Adventure" that shows the composer isn't afraid to have a little fun with the absurdity of Riley's childhood memories, too. It’s a nice break from the high-tension anxiety tracks.
Technical Nuances You Might Have Missed
If you listen closely to the Inside Out 2 songs on a good pair of headphones, you'll notice a lot of binaural-style layering. Sounds shift from left to right. It creates a "headspace" feel. This is especially true during the "Sar-chasm" sequence. The music echoes. It feels vast and empty, mirroring the visual scale of the canyon.
The use of the "Val" theme is also interesting. Val Ortiz is Riley’s idol in the movie, and her musical motif is cool, confident, and slightly intimidating. It contrasts sharply with Riley’s erratic themes. Every time Val is on screen, the music stabilizes, showing how much Riley is trying to anchor herself to this new person.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're obsessed with the music from the film, don't just leave it at a single theater viewing. There is a lot to unpack in how these compositions work.
- Listen to the "Belief System" and "Anxiety" tracks back-to-back. You’ll hear how the melodies actually fight each other. It’s a musical representation of the movie’s central conflict.
- Watch the credits. The way the music resolves during the end crawl gives a lot of insight into Riley’s new "integrated" sense of self. It’s much more harmonious than the middle of the film.
- Check out Andrea Datzman’s previous work. She’s worked on things like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Lost. You can hear that "mystery" and "adventure" DNA woven into the Pixar framework.
- Analyze the tempo. Notice how the music slows down significantly whenever Sadness is on screen. It’s a classic technique, but Datzman uses it to give the audience a physical "breather" from the high-BPM anxiety cues.
The Inside Out 2 songs prove that you don't need a catchy pop anthem to make a soundtrack memorable. By focusing on the raw, unpolished sounds of growing up, the music becomes as much a character as Joy or Anxiety. It’s a masterclass in scoring for emotion rather than just for the sake of a "hook."
Go back and listen to "Creating a Legacy." It’s the track that plays when the new Belief System finally takes hold. It’s messy, beautiful, and complicated. Just like being a teenager.