"Females are strong as hell!" If the opening theme to Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt wasn't stuck in your head before reading this, it surely is now. And why wouldn't it be? The series' opening, as well as its countless other original songs and musical moments, is the brainchild of composer Jeff Richmond, the musical genius behind the catchy and often bonkers earworms from other Tina Fey- and Robert Carlock- created projects like 30 Rock and Mr. Mayor ("Werewolf Bar Mitzvah," anyone?).
In lesser hands, the story of a woman (Ellie Kemper) who travels to New York City after being rescued from a doomsday cult might veer to the darker side, but Richmond's music gives Fey and Carlock's show an upbeat comedic flavor and quirky charm that make the heavier topics more palatable. Between its 51 episodes and one movie, music is just as much a part of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's DNA as Lillian's (Carol Kane) hilarious detestation of hipsters or Titus' (Tituss Burgess) showbiz schemes. After all, there's plenty of original songs, themes, and parodies to fill the show's four seasons. From a clever Beyoncé parody to an outrageous ode to "pinot noir," here are Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's 7 funniest original musical moments, ranked.
7. “Bunny and Kitty” (Season 2, Episode 4)
"Bunny and Kitty, being best friends / Together forever, the fun never ends / Solving mysteries one hug at a time / Bunny and Kitty, two of a kind." That's it. That's the song. It's a short one, but it does a great job at conveying Kimmy's innocence. After all, she's making up a song on the spot about an Internet video featuring a rabbit and cat snuggling with each other. Not only is she so completely invested in the animals that she makes up the tune and lyrics, but she gives them a full backstory about being a pair of mystery solving pet friends. It's the kind of musical insert that perfectly sets up the series' comedic flavor.
6. “Spider-Man Too: 2 Many Spider-Men” (Season 1, Episode 4)
Titus' audition for the fictional Broadway musical is a clear and hilarious parody of the production issues that plagued the real-life musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.” The lyrics are completely nutty in the best way possible, with constant repeating "Spider-Man" and countless words that rhyme with it to make it as nonspecific with Spider-Man lore as possible. Titus belting out "And I will crush that Spider-Man...and that other Spider-Man...and all the Spider-Men...'til I'm the Spider-Man" is a highlight. It's also laugh-out-loud funny for showing just how little the characters know about Spider-Man.
5. “Little Girl, Big City” (Season 4, Episode 1)
What better way to commemorate Kimmy getting a brand new Big Girl job in the city than with a song? "Little Girl, Big City" opens Season 4 with a smart parody of the opening of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (complete with Kimmy tossing her hat into the air...and getting it stuck in a tree). Its upbeat and catchy tune juxtaposed with its completely ridiculous lyrics about New York ("Little girl, Big Apple / It's a fruit that's bigger than people") make it a clever and hilarious satire of 1970s sitcoms featuring young women chasing after their dreams. Plus, it gets extra hilarity points for the lyric, "Now you're laughing at salads” in a spot-on parody of the meme.
4. “Boobs in California” (Season 3, Episode 4)
When Titus is short on cash, he takes on the job of singing sketchy songwriter Gordy's (Judah Friedlander) lyrics. One of the songs turns out to be "Boobs in California," an ode to California's "cowabunga lifestyle" — and one that's completely against type for Titus, someone who isn't interested in women or California. Beginning with the relaxed vibes of the "left coast," the song gets progressively more ridiculous as its lyrics devolve into a series of things that Gordy loves about the Golden State: "Sun in California / Ska in California / And my bro in California / I love bikes in California / Workin’ out in California." Titus is clearly uncomfortable singing about something that he's not passionate about which makes the juxtaposition even more comedic. Paired with an upbeat tempo and beach-themed music video (Titus' surfer wig!), it's one of Kimmy Schmidt's funniest and most ridiculous song offerings.
3. “Hold Up” Parody (Season 3, Episode 2)
When Titus becomes convinced that Mikey (Mike Carlsen) is cheating on him, he does what any well-adjusted member of society would do by going on a Beyoncé-esque revenge rampage. “I’m not overreacting," he says. "I’m doing what any reasonable person would do in this situation. I’m Lemonade-ing.” As Titus slow-motion saunters down the Brooklyn sidewalks in a billowy yellow dress and gleefully swings a baseball bat (RIP a mailbox, piñata, and car window), the scene and accompanying musical accompaniment is both meticulously produced and a pitch-perfect Beyoncé parody ("Something don't taste right, 'cause it ain't right / Like when you take a sip of water, and it turns out to be Sprite"). "Hold Up" is one of the best moments where the show leans hard into its ridiculous humor, and it couldn't possibly be better for it.
2. “Peeno Noir” (Season 1, Episode 6)
Oh, how tempting it is to include all the gloriously bonkers lyrics of "Peeno Noir" here. Titus' attempt at going viral is outrageous in true Titus fashion. Rather than actually making a song about wine, Titus instead creates nonsensical lyrics that rhyme with "pinot noir." From "cigar" to "spectacu-lar," the rhymes grow more outrageous until it reaches the beautifully hilarious climax of: "Pinot Noir / Caviar / Myanmar / Mid-sized car / You don't have to be popu-lar / Find out who your true friends are." It's comical that Titus believes that his song is solid enough to become a viral sensation, and his belief in (and committal to) the material makes amps up the funny. After all, only Titus would include "pinot noir," "Roseanne Barr," and "au revoir" in the same sentence. Capped with his elongated exclamation of “Peeeenoooooo Noir!” it's one of the show's most genius musical moments that's nearly impossible to watch without laughing.
1. “Unbreakable”
The show's first original musical moment is also it's best. Catchy and clever, it manages to summarize the plot of the show while being a smart parody of the "songified" news segments popularized by The Gregory Brothers (who also produced the show's theme). Featuring the remixed interview of a man (Mike Britt) who witnessed the raid of Kimmy's bunker, "Unbreakable" has a toe-tapping, upbeat tune and manages to be the perfect encapsulation of the show's humor, uplifting tone, and penchant for quirky musical moments. And with catchy autotuned lyrics like "females are strong as hell" and "they alive, damnit!" how could it not be the best the show has to offer? "It's a miracle!"