nerdy prudes must die and it's motifs!

I. Like. Sound. Design.
The attention to detail deserves some attention and I am absolutely obsessed with NPMD's music and its motif's and callbacks so I thought i'd make a video highlighting my favourite parts :D
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WATCH NPMD NOW!!: • Nerdy Prudes Must Die
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[@oliveparmesan3725]

THATS WHY EMMA SCREAMS WHEN PAULS GETTING ARRESTED. ITS LIKE HER SCREAM IN INEVITABLE OH MY GOD

[@thatenbyartist517]

I think I'm missing something

[@ani_4797]

@@thatenbyartist517 Inevitable is the final song in "The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals", which is another part of the Hatchetfield series

[@DaSpringBunny]

​@@thatenbyartist517when the cop drags Paul to the ground, Emma screams. The instrumental is Inevitable from The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals, and the scream is meant to be a reference to Emma screaming at the beginning of the "Show Stoppin Number" section of the song

[@thatenbyartist517]

@@DaSpringBunny Thank you

[@adamrhodes9533]

Of note too is that the "I'm not a Loser" part of Nerdy Prudes Must Die is very much set in a way to make it seem that Richie has FINALLY come to realize that he isn't one in that very moment. He starts singing the part with Max, only to change to the ensemble, suggesting he learned in that moment he was not a loser.

[@briannaciaga8959]

i love LOVE when motifs are circulated throughout a show, it truly creates a character's theme and the beat of the story. its like when a motif is played "HEEY, PAY ATTENTION, this is important!". Our auditory senses are so important its insane and this play did amazing!!!

[@scifigeek14]

So true! Nerdy Prudes is right up there with Legally Blonde Musical for this motif use for me!

[@jessk1683]

i loveee love love grace's theme, i call it her 'plan theme' because every time she comes up with a frankly atrocious idea, it's right there alongside us as we talk about it

[@nacha3776]

the "im not a loser" motif is also in the bridge of just for once! it's so cool

[@gabuenthusiast]

oh!! i missed one im so mad at myself (tysm 🙏🙏)

[@Halucygeno]

The "Nerdy Produces Must Die / Hatchet Town" motif also plays when Pete tells Steph that he's having a hard time feeling bad about what they did to Max.

[@jee462]

Also for callbacks, the the lords in black first enter we get the “we will build a portal just for-“ moment from black Friday

[@twist_ending7545]

It's their theme

[@clarasimoes3625]

love how grace's theme plays every time she's making her crazy plans, that get more and more unhiged as she gets more desperate

[@michael_1205]

npmd is slowly becoming my favorite starkid musical because it is just so beautifully constructed, the way they have meticulously weaved together themes and motifs that have been developing since the beginning of the hatchetfield trilogy to all come together in this one big fantastic explosion of ideals and story and lore, the product of years of world building, character developments, and passion. its a masterpiece and i want to kiss it

[@skyfallshome8169]

I got pointed out how ruth has the same "I'm not a loser" motif when she sings just for oOOOOOOnce"

[@lydiavalentino]

"axe man" was the debut of the "hatchet town" melody, especially on bryce's bridge

[@goobrious7505]

In terms of callbacks you've also got Wiggle from Black Friday being referenced in The Summoning right when the LiB show up (WE WILL BUILD A PORTAL JUST FOR), you've got the Nightmare Time theme at the very end of Nerdy Prudes Must Die (the song not the musical), and a really funny background detail to me is towards the very end of the show right before Best of You the background music at the homecoming dance is an instrumental rendition of Jane's A Car from the Nightmare Time episode of the same name.

[@adamrhodes9533]

You missed a couple references. Namely, the "Look what happens Nightmare time!" motif is used again in Nerdy Prudes Must Die, as is the "watching nerds run for their lives" line of Axe Man from Abstinence Camp in the same song as well as in Dirty Dudes Must Die.

[@ant3t3]

i listened to the whole song desperately trying to find the nightmare time part only for it to turn up right after the song haha

[@ant3t3]

i read "grace's theme" more as the theme for making insane plans

[@TheAstip]

The motif at 8:20 to me sounds closer to the music in the scene after La De Dah Dah Day when Paul does his 'okay's, which i think really fits in that both he and Grace are trying to force themsleves back into normality and denying everything that has happened that at point.
(I know it's the same motif, i just like the themeatic aspects of it being similar to that point in time)

[@peggyschuyler156]

in “Cool as I think I am (Reprise)” there’s also the “Inevitable” motif!!

[@lindsayduthie1749]

The "I'm not a loser" motif also plays in the bridge of Ruth's song, Just For Once, when she hits the high note and it's just beautiful because, as someone who has anxiety and stage fright, her 'cool' moment is her belting that bridge, centre stage, and she's really fucking good. She overcame her fear and nailed it, which makes what happens to her straight after the song even more tragic.
In fact, the motif plays for each nerd as they have their 'cool moment', then Max comes in and robs them of it, showing his ability to dictate who is cool and who isn't, even in death.

[@thebugthatruinsyourpicnic]

if you pay attention to Axe-Man, you can hear the Hatchet Town melody in the background of the bridge and final chorus!

[@jessk1683]

shout out also to the appearance of 'we will build a portal just for' from black friday's 'wiggle' as the lords in black first show up

[@twist_ending7545]

It's the lord's theme

[@sineadoneill5635]

Aaaaa and this isn't relevant, but the last shot of Grace and how her dress looks like angel wings bc that's how she sees herself ALDKGJADLKGJ
I'm totally normal about this

[@danny_deceito7935]

the level of detail is insane!! graces' motif reflecting her stagnant character is SO fascinating too! honestly tgwdlm is my favourite starkid musical, so seeing those references made me very happy!

[@AudiFrog]

i LOVE how much detail you put into this, i agree that these motifs deserve attention they added SO MUCH to the show!!

[@silliestcreature_]

the nmt motif and the "we will build a portal just for" also show up *jumps up and down*

[@addiedoherty4371]

I noticed there was a line in the axe man song “watching nerds run for their lives” that is included by max in npmd

[@jule4772]

this video is nerd heaven

[@fionabuchanan7787]

I haven’t seen anyone mention it yet but in the homecoming scene in NPMD you can hear Jane’s A Car in the background.

[@CabbagePatchCatch]

One that I noticed that i don’t think has been mentioned is Wiggle. the “We will build a portal” tune is used in the summoning after wiggly im says hi

[@RockyRainer8675]

I think the only one you missed is "high school is killing me" appearing after Max gets banished and the teacher is info dumping. It's a cute way to contrast life before/after Max in song form.

[@isabeltobonmejia2724]

Nooo, what about the NightmareTime motif? It appears several times around the musical QnQ

[@bernacarangan]

JEFF BLIM AND MATT DAHAN DOING THE MOST

[@americaroleplayer]

People like you are the reason musical fandoms, live, my dude. This is amazing!!!

[@koalarm]

At the start of the homecoming scene you can hear Foot on the Gas in the background

[@winstermagic7886]

There was a mashup of hatchettown/nerdy prudes must die/dirty dudes must die that i saw on tumblr if you can find it its really good

[@jaysea682]

1 obvious one you missed was nightmare time theme starting the summoning

[@twist_ending7545]

It's also just kind of The Hatchetfield Theme now

[@DaSpringBunny]

That's not actually from Not Your Seed, it's from Wiggle in Black Friday, specifically "We will build a portal just for"

[@winstermagic7886]

this is some amazing analysis dude kudos to you

[@iiiinkman]

god i love npmd so much