You probably remember the fluffy bunnies and the neurotic terriers, but if you close your eyes and think about the movie, you’ll hear something else. It’s that brassy, fast-paced, almost frantic energy that makes New York feel like, well, New York. Honestly, the soundtrack for The Secret Life of Pets does a lot more heavy lifting than most people realize. It isn't just background noise for kids eating popcorn. It’s a sophisticated love letter to big-band jazz and mid-century orchestral pop.
Alexandre Desplat. That’s the name you need to know.
Before he was scoring the inner lives of animated poodles, Desplat was winning Oscars for The Shape of Water and The Grand Budapest Hotel. He’s a heavyweight. When Illumination Entertainment hired him, they didn't just get "cartoon music." They got a 120-piece orchestra and a rhythm section that sounds like it was ripped straight out of a 1960s heist movie. It’s snappy. It’s bright. It’s incredibly fast.
The Alexandre Desplat Magic: Beyond the Fur
Most animated scores today rely heavily on synthesizers or "Mickey Mousing"—that's a technical term for when the music mimics every single physical movement on screen. Desplat avoids the cliché. Instead of just making a "cute" sound when Max wags his tail, he builds a thematic world.
The score is fundamentally built on a swing foundation. Think Duke Ellington meets George Gershwin, but on a sugar high.
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There’s this specific track, "Meet the Pets," that basically sets the entire tone. It uses a walking bassline and syncopated brass hits that make the apartment building feel alive. It’s sophisticated. You don't usually see this level of complexity in a movie marketed toward toddlers, but that’s why it works for the adults in the room, too. It feels like a throwback to the era of The Pink Panther or Peter Gunn.
Why Jazz Works for Pets
Have you ever watched a dog try to catch a fly? It’s chaotic. It’s improvisational.
That is exactly why jazz is the perfect language for the soundtrack for The Secret Life of Pets. Jazz is about spontaneity within a structure. The pets have these rigid lives—owners leave at 9:00 AM, return at 5:00 PM—but the "secret" part of their lives is the improvisation. Desplat captures this by using woodwinds that flutter like a nervous bird and trumpets that blare with the confidence of a cat who knows it owns the sofa.
- The Big City Energy: New York is a character in this film. To make it feel real, Desplat used a "symphonic jazz" approach.
- The Emotional Core: When Max and Duke are lost, the music shifts. It gets leaner. The brass disappears, replaced by softer strings and a lonely piano.
- The Villains: Snowball the rabbit gets some of the best musical cues. It’s mock-serious. It sounds like a revolutionary anthem played by someone three inches tall.
The Needle Drops: From Bill Withers to System of a Down
While the orchestral score is the spine of the movie, the licensed songs are what people usually hum on the way out. It’s a weird mix. It shouldn't work, but it does.
You’ve got "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers playing during the opening montage. It’s the ultimate "feel-good" song, setting up the idyllic bond between Max and Katie. But then, the movie takes a hard left turn.
One of the funniest moments involves Leonard, the posh white poodle. As soon as his owner leaves, he switches the classical music to "Bounce" by System of a Down. That’s a genius use of contrast. It tells you everything you need to know about that character in four seconds without a single line of dialogue.
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Then there’s the Pharrell Williams influence. Since Pharrell basically became the musical godfather of the Illumination studio with the Despicable Me franchise, his vibe is all over the marketing, though he didn't write the main score here. The inclusion of "Happy" or similar upbeat pop tracks in trailers creates a specific brand identity. But don't let the pop marketing fool you; the actual film belongs to the orchestra.
Technical Brilliance in the Recording Studio
If you listen closely to the soundtrack for The Secret Life of Pets, you’ll notice the percussion is incredibly crisp. Desplat recorded the score at Sony Scoring Stage in Los Angeles and Abbey Road Studios in London. These are legendary rooms.
The engineers didn't just "plug and play." They captured the literal air in the room. You can hear the slap of the upright bass strings. You can hear the breath of the flute players. This "organic" sound is why the music doesn't feel dated. If they had used MIDI instruments or cheap synths, it would sound like a 2016 time capsule. Instead, it sounds timeless.
What People Get Wrong About Animated Scores
A common misconception is that music for "kids' movies" is easy to write. It’s actually the opposite. In an action movie, the music can often hide behind explosions. In The Secret Life of Pets, the music has to narrate the story because the characters are animals. Their faces can only do so much. The music has to tell us if Max is feeling jealous, scared, or heroic.
Desplat’s work here is dense. There are more notes in one minute of this score than in ten minutes of a modern Marvel movie. The tempo is relentless. It’s a workout for the musicians.
The Legacy of the Sound
The first movie's success led to a sequel, and Desplat returned for The Secret Life of Pets 2. He kept the jazz roots but expanded the palette to include a bit more "Americana" and western themes, especially for the scenes on the farm. But the original 2016 soundtrack remains the gold standard for the series.
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It proved that you can give a mass-market audience high-art musical arrangements and they will love it, even if they don't know why. They just know it feels "fun."
How to Truly Appreciate the Music
If you want to get the most out of this soundtrack, stop watching the screen for a minute. Put on a good pair of headphones and listen to "Gutter Cats and Turkey Leg."
Notice how the rhythm section maintains a constant drive while the horns play a melody that feels like a chase. It’s masterclass-level composition. Most people treat this as background music for their kids, but it’s actually a sophisticated piece of work that stands up to multiple listens.
Practical Steps for Music Lovers and Parents:
- Listen to the Score Only: Search for the "Original Motion Picture Score" by Alexandre Desplat on Spotify or Apple Music. Avoid the "Music From and Inspired By" playlists if you want the real orchestral experience.
- Compare the Themes: Listen to the track "Max and Katie" and then listen to "Duke’s Memories." Notice how Desplat uses the same instruments but changes the key and tempo to shift from joy to melancholy.
- Explore the Genre: If you or your kids liked the "vibe" of the movie, look up "Mid-Century Big Band Jazz" or artists like Vince Guaraldi (of Charlie Brown fame). It’s a great gateway for introducing younger listeners to jazz.
- Watch the "Bounce" Scene Again: Look at how the animation is timed perfectly to the beats of the System of a Down track. It’s a lesson in rhythmic editing.