Mar 14, 2013
Why the soundtrack on ‘Scandal’ is more like a character By SEAN DALY Last Updated: 10:47 AM, March 12, 2013 Posted: 11:01 PM, March 11, 2013 Sorry, Simon Cowell. Shonda Rhimes is TV’s new hitmaker. The creator of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice” jump-started the careers of bands like Snow Patrol (“Chasing Cars”) and the Fray (“How To Save a Life”), by using their songs in pivotal scenes. Rhimes, 43, doesn’t just use songs as backdrops. She has a way of making music come forward — almost like an character in the drama itself. And it is not lost on her fans. When someone gets played on one of her shows, that someone sells a lot of downloads the next day. “It is a priceless opportunity because it provides massive exposure,” says singer Elizaveta, whose sultry single “Meant” was used in a popular Oscar-night promo for “Scandal,” Shonda’s pistol-hot political soap. ABC TUNE UP: Music on Shonda Rhimes’ “Scandal” is more like a character. WireImage LUCK: Singer Elizaveta on fire. Elizaveta — who was born in New York and raised in Russia — says her song was never actually heard on the show — only on the promo. But it was enough to get the indie singer’s music video played 80,000 times in the few days that followed. “Scandal” relies heavily on old-school, often lesser-known, R&B music. “There is something, you know, a little funky about the show,” Rhimes tells The Post. “It feels like a very different take on Washington. So we’ve used a lot of Stevie Wonder and 1970s Staples [Singers].” The show’s pilot was originally produced...
