“I Was Shocked That the Song I Wrote Is Actually on the Movie Trailer!”: ‘Beyond The Likes’ Musicians Talk Soundtrack Magic
Get ready for the premiere of Beyond The Likes, a comedy set in 2008 Chicago, where five friends, navigating the tricky waters of adulthood, stumble into social media fame as the world’s first influencers. Starring Matt Rife, Don Benjamin, Terrance J, Stephanie Nur, King Bach, and George Lopez, the film follows the story of an aspiring model, and his whirlwind connection with an heiress from Abu Dhabi.
We’re immensely proud that friends of ISINA Jemma Webb, Seneca Paliotta, Shelton Taylor, Starrz, Amalyn Romero, J’nard, Chad Holland, M3Lo, and Davix Foreman (DJ Dojo) contributed their musical talents to the soundtrack. Each artist brought a unique sound that enhanced the story’s rich tapestry. In exclusive comments to ISINA, they shared their experiences and thoughts on creating music for the film.
Jemma Webb
Jemma describes her process as intense but rewarding.
“I had a short script to work with—a moment where the main character discovers she’s been cheated on. I drew on my own life experiences to capture that feeling of betrayal.”
Within two hours, she’d recorded the song in her home studio and sent it to the team. Later, she took on a project management role, assisting in organizing the music production.
“I was shocked that the song I wrote is actually on the trailer of the movie, and I’m looking to perform it very soon with my dancers and possibly do a music video!”
Amalyn Romero
Amalyn’s song left a strong impression on the film’s producer, Elijah Long. She said that “Run” wasn’t originally created specifically for the movie; the opportunity came only after the track was finished.
“We just got in the studio and wanted to create something energetic that could work for an action-related scene.”
While she hasn’t seen the specific scene it’s used in yet, she’s thrilled, noting that this is actually the first time one of her songs will be featured in a film.
“We experimented a lot to get the right sound, and when ‘Run’ happened, it just felt like such a fun vibe, so we ran with it!”
Shelton Taylor
Shelton said that, while it wasn’t his first time writing music featured in a film, it was his first experience creating music specifically for a movie—a new and enjoyable challenge for him. He found it exciting that the song came together in a single take, with everything else built around that initial spark.
“For me, it was easy because I could get into the mindset of that emotion the characters were feeling.”
He explains that Davix, being a “crazy writer,” brought an energy to the process that allowed them to bounce ideas off each other.
“I remember I laid down a scratch vocal take; he had some backing track idea, and so he played it and was like, ‘What do you hear over this?’ So I just sang what I was hearing, and then we took that first take I did and started switching out the lyrics, honing in on the message we were saying. We just kind of built the song around that.”
J’nard
J’nard brought a summery, upbeat feel to his track.
“They wanted my voice on it, so I sang and wrote the hook,” he recalled.
Writing music for film felt natural, given his long-standing connection to movies as inspiration.
“The main difference with film is working within someone else’s vision and being open to their changes. And waiting to hear if your song makes the cut can be nerve-wracking!”
For him, this project was a step closer to his dream of consistently creating music for movies.
Davix
Davix Foreman, a multi-platinum award-winning, Latin Grammy-nominated producer and one of ISINA’s mentors, took on the music supervision role for Beyond The Likes, ensuring the soundtrack’s cohesion.
“Elijah trusted my ear, so I managed the music selection, blending existing tracks with new recordings from artists like Shelton, Jemma Webb, and Amalyn within just two weeks.”
He feels confident they accomplished the musical vision the producer had for the film.
“I like working under pressure because it doesn’t give you time to debate or stress yourself out. You just have to make sound decisions and trust your taste in the moment.”
Davix already had a clear idea of which artists he wanted to work with and what each could deliver.
“I knew Shelton could come in and hit the home run—knock it out of the park—because he’s a talented artist. So, when I approach things like this, I already have in mind who I want to go to and what each artist is going to bring to the project.”
He described the final result as a cohesive, vibrant soundtrack that gives each artist their own spotlight while supporting the film’s story.
Seneca Paliotta
As a newcomer to film soundtracks, Seneca embraced the opportunity to work on this project, which became an unexpected but valuable learning experience.
“I was interning with Davix, who’s also my producer outside of this, and he was like, ‘You should do the vocals for this,’” she shared. Working on the track late into the night left a lasting impression. “We were in the studio until maybe midnight, just doing this song after we’d already done two more tracks that day.”
Despite the long hours, Seneca found the experience incredibly rewarding.
“I was there to learn and to push myself as an artist, you know?” she explained, reflecting on how the environment and teamwork fueled her growth. “It wasn’t just about the song—it was the environment, the team, and really pushing myself forward.”
Be sure to read our exclusive interview with the film’s producer, Elijah Long, for an inside look at the making of Beyond The Likes. The film hits theaters starting November 7, bringing its unique mix of comedy and culture to the big screen. Don’t miss it!