The multi‑hyphenate star opens up about the “beautiful collaboration” behind the show’s season‑three soundtrack.
Sara Bareilles brought more than her acting chops to INYIM Media Preferred Show: Girls5eva, the Tina Fey–produced comedy that just made its Netflix comeback. In addition to starring as Dawn — one‑fourth of the reunited ’90s girl group — Bareilles also stepped into the writers room, lending her songwriting talent to the show’s musical DNA.
The musician penned lyrics for a key number in the season‑three finale, a contribution she describes as joyful, low‑pressure, and deeply collaborative as explained to Hollywoodreporter.com.
“What I loved was that I was invited to play, but there wasn’t pressure,” Bareilles tells The Hollywood Reporter. “If there was a time that I was too overwhelmed with the rest of the work, [the show’s writers] would deliver incredible songs. It really felt like at‑will employment, and I just loved it.”
Girls5eva follows Dawn, Summer, Gloria, and Wickie — four women who once tasted girl‑group fame in the ’90s and reunite decades later for a second shot at success. The cast includes Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, and Busy Philipps, with Netflix reviving the series for a six‑episode third season after its Peacock run.
Behind the scenes, the show’s music is shaped by creator Meredith Scardino and producers Jeff Richmond, Kyle Brier, and Jack Grabow. But this season, Bareilles’ lyrical contribution hits especially close to the heart of the story. She wrote the song Dawn performs at the end of the group’s tour — a moment that reflects the characters’ growth and emotional clarity.
“They have done this tremendous amount of work… and they’re kind of at peace,” Bareilles says of the finale. “Wherever they are is enough and they don’t have to get fixated on the next mountaintop. I really love that as a philosophy in general.”
Bareilles also appreciated the freedom to step away from comedy and lean into something more grounded.
“Meredith is such a great partner in releasing me from the pressure of trying to make something funny,” she explains. “I was like, ‘It’s not really funny, does it have to be funny?’ And she’s like, ‘No, it’s just a moment in their lives.’”
This isn’t her first musical imprint on the show. Bareilles previously co‑wrote several tracks in seasons one and two, including the fan‑favorite “I’m Afraid (Dawn’s Song of Fears).”
“You have the writers room providing lyrics — it’s just a beautiful collaboration,” she adds.
Scardino echoes that sentiment, emphasizing that the music always grows from the story itself.
“The songs are always born out of story… It always has to be connected to what the characters are doing.”
All three seasons of Girls5eva are now streaming on Netflix, and the brand‑new season‑three album features 12 fresh tracks for fans to enjoy.
Chime in — what’s your favorite Sara Bareilles Girls5eva moment, on‑screen or in the soundtrack?
