Honestly, if you haven’t had a Mindy Chen track stuck in your head for three days straight, are you even watching the show? Most people tune into Emily in Paris for the chaotic love triangles or the "so bad it's good" marketing pitches. But for a huge chunk of us, the real reason to keep hitting "Play Next Episode" is the music. Specifically, any ashley park emily in paris song that pops up.
It's kinda wild.
Ashley Park wasn't even supposed to sing on the show. At least, not originally. When she first auditioned for the role of Mindy, the script didn't have her belting out Broadway-caliber hits on the streets of Paris. But after creator Darren Star saw her in Mean Girls on Broadway—where she was Tony-nominated, by the way—he realized he’d be an idiot not to use that voice.
How a Broadway Star Ended Up Busking in the 1st Arrondissement
Ashley Park's journey to becoming the musical heartbeat of the show is actually pretty moving. She’s a cancer survivor who found her voice in musical theater after a grueling battle with leukemia at age 15. That grit shows. When she sings "La Vie En Rose" in Season 1, it isn’t just a cover. It’s a statement.
She told Refinery29 that Darren Star called her after they’d already started writing the first few episodes to ask if she’d be okay with Mindy being a singer. Talk about an understatement. Now, we’ve got five seasons of bangers.
The Evolution of the Mindy Sound
- Season 1: Mostly busking. Very raw. Very "struggling artist."
- Season 2: The BTS "Dynamite" moment. It went so viral even RM and V from BTS posted about it. Ashley actually thought she was in "BTS shock" when she saw their reaction, but it turned out she just had Omicron.
- Season 3: "Mon Soleil." This was the big one. An original song written specifically for the show by Freddy Wexler.
- Season 4: "Beautiful Ruins." A heartbreaking piano ballad performed in the middle of a Roman piazza.
- Season 5: "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge. A total full-circle moment for a musical theater nerd.
Why "Mon Soleil" is the Ashley Park Emily in Paris Song We Can't Forget
If you ask any fan about the definitive ashley park emily in paris song, they’re going to say "Mon Soleil." It’s the anthem of Season 2. It’s sun-drenched, catchy, and has that perfect "I’m in love in Paris" vibe.
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But there’s a deeper story there. Freddy Wexler, who has written for people like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, actually reached out to Ashley on Instagram. He was moved by a video she posted about anti-Asian hate. They became friends, and when the show needed an original song that felt like a "classic but new," they teamed up.
The recording process was sort of a mess, though. Because of COVID-19, they were recording over Zoom. Ashley was in a hotel room in Paris, pushing herself for hours. Wexler said he had the perfect take, but Ashley kept saying, "I can do better. Run it again." That’s the Broadway training kicking in.
The Viral BTS Moment That Almost Didn't Happen
We have to talk about "Dynamite." In Season 2, Mindy performs a drag-inspired, half-man-half-woman version of the BTS hit. It was risky. Covering the biggest band in the world is a one-way ticket to being roasted by the ARMY if you mess it up.
Instead? They loved it.
RM shared it on his Instagram story with a "Wow." V posted the clip to his actual feed. For an Asian-American actress like Ashley, having the biggest Korean icons in the world validate her performance was massive. It wasn't just about the song; it was about representation on a global stage.
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What’s the Secret Sauce?
Why do these songs work when musical numbers in other shows feel cringey?
It’s the nuance. Ashley Park doesn't just "sing" the songs; she acts them. Whether she’s performing a Celine Dion cover like "All By Myself" or a cheeky rendition of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," there’s a reason for it in the plot. Usually, it's Mindy processing her estrangement from her billionaire father or her latest heartbreak with Benoit or Nico.
In Season 5, we see her moving into a new chapter. With the show shifting some of its focus to Rome, the music is evolving too. "Beautiful Ruins," which she sang in Rome, felt more mature. It wasn't the "poppy" busking of the early seasons. It was the sound of a woman who has finally found her footing.
A Quick Cheat Sheet of Every Major Song
- La Vie En Rose (Season 1) - The one that started it all.
- Dynamite (Season 2) - The BTS cover that broke the internet.
- Falling Slowly (Season 2) - A gorgeous duet with Kevin Dias (Benoit).
- Mon Soleil (Season 2) - The first original breakout hit.
- Shallow (Season 3) - Another duet that proved she can handle Gaga.
- Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Season 4) - Pure fun.
- Beautiful Ruins (Season 4) - The emotional peak of the Rome episodes.
- Come What May (Season 5) - The theater kid's dream.
Facing the Critics
Not everyone is a fan, though. If you lurk on Reddit, you'll see people complaining that the musical numbers take up too much screen time. "It’s a waste of 3 minutes per episode," one user wrote.
But honestly? They’re missing the point. Emily in Paris is a fantasy. It’s a fever dream of fashion, croissants, and impossibly beautiful people. The music is the glue that holds that fantasy together. Without Ashley Park’s vocals, the show would lose its soul.
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What's Next for Mindy's Music?
Now that we’ve wrapped Season 5, the speculation is already starting for Season 6. With Mindy potentially judging Chinese Superstar, we’re likely going to see a shift from her being the performer to her being the mentor. But don't worry—there's no way Netflix lets a season go by without at least three big Ashley Park performances.
The "Mindy Chen" era of music is far from over.
If you want to dive deeper into the soundtrack, your best bet is to head straight to Spotify. The Emily in Paris official soundtracks are surprisingly well-curated. You can hear the studio versions of the songs, which—let’s be real—sound even better than the "live" versions on the show where they have to compete with the sound of Parisian mopeds in the background.
Go listen to "Beautiful Ruins" again. Pay attention to the lyrics. It tells you more about Mindy's character than any dialogue ever could.
Next Steps for the Ultimate Fan:
- Check out the official Season 5 soundtrack on Apple Music or Spotify to hear the high-fidelity version of "Come What May."
- Watch Ashley Park’s Broadway clips (specifically "What's Wrong With Me?" from Mean Girls) to see the technical foundation of her Emily in Paris performances.
- Follow Freddy Wexler on social media; he often shares behind-the-scenes stories about writing original music for the series.