Much like the film itself, the soundtrack to the sexy-barmaids-with-hearts-of-gold dramedy
Coyote Ugly is an incongruous mix of glitz, sleaze, and naïveté. The bar's surprisingly dated jukebox staples include
Don Henley's "All She Wants to Do Is Dance," EMF's "Unbelievable," Snap!'s "The Power" and
INXS' "Need You Tonight"; strangely enough, the album doesn't include
Blondie's "One Way or Another," which plays a key role in helping struggling singer/songwriter Violet (Piper Perabo) overcome her stage fright. Violet's own songs -- as penned by
Diane Warren and performed by
LeAnn Rimes -- have a more contemporary feel, borrowing the personas of a wide variety of young female artists. As Violet emerges from her shell, her songs evolve from the demure, Jewel-esque love song "But I Do Love You" to "The Right Kind of Wrong" -- a sassy modern rock song à la
Alanis Morissette -- to the positively
Britney Spearsian power ballad "Can't Fight the Moonlight." Problem is, the soundtrack's original songs don't mix especially well with the better-known pop songs. However, this probably won't bother the film's, and album's, target audience; the soundtrack's jumbled yet enjoyable mix of pop clichés mirrors the feel of the film perfectly. ~ Heather Phares