Insert Song

An Insert Song is a song with lyrics that is inserted during a certain scene of a show or series. Usually, this is done to give a scene more emotional impact by using a song with lyrics which relate to the scene in question. Sometimes though, especially if it's a music-oriented show, the creators will have the characters play a song in-story.

What sets the in-story version apart from a regular Musical Episode is that there has to be something important happening in-story as justification for why someone is singing, and that the entire cast doesn't have to be involved.

This is very common in anime, as detailed in Anime Theme Song, since many Japanese voice actors/actresses also happen to be singers.

Note that the opening theme only counts an example if it's used in the middle of the show, when something is actually happening. And the ending theme doesn't count as an example if it starts during a scene which segues into the credits.

Compare Anime Theme Song (the opening theme, which can be used as this sometimes), Image Song (can overlap with this if the song in question is brought into the show), Leitmotif (when a particular piece of music is tied to a certain character), and Theme Music Power-Up (when epic BGM is playing while a character is kicking ass).

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Examples:

Anime

• Angel Beats! has several in-universe due to the Girls Dead Monster subplot, as well as infamous Tearjerker "My Most Precious Treasure".
• In episode 20 of Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works], the song "Last Stardust" plays when Shirou finds the resolve to challenge Archer's beliefs.
• Haruhi Suzumiya has a couple. For example, "God Knows" is used as the concert version of this trope, along with "Lost my music..."
• In the finale of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency, the theme from the first opening plays again as Joseph finally defeats Kars once and for all.
• In episode 19 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, "Kamado Tanjiro no Uta" plays when Tanjiro experiences a flashback during his battle against the arc villain Rui.
• Being a show about girls forming a music club, K-On! has quite a few, such as "Fuwa Fuwa Time".
• The Lyrical Nanoha series has several:
  • "Take A Shot" from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
  • "Brave Phoenix" and Snow Rain from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's
  • "Pray" from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS.
• Mekakucity Actors: Given that it's an anime based on a manga and light novel based on a set of songs, this was bound to happen: (Warning, spoilers)
  • "Kisaragi Attention" at the end of episode 2.
  • "Mekakushi Code" at the end of episode 3
  • And "Kagerou Days" at the end of episode 4.
• Assassination Classroom: "Moonlight" (月光) plays in Season 2 Episode 16 during the moment in Korosensei's backstory where Aguri requests he teach in her stead as she dies in his arms.
• In Season 4, Episode 13 of My Hero Academia, "Might+U" plays when Deku saves Eri from Overhaul, leading to the climactic battle foretold by Nighteye.
• Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann has several.
  • "Happily Ever After".
  • "Sorairo Days" in episode 26.
  • The "Row! Row! Fight the Powah!" rap is featured in a few songs, most notably "Libera Me From Hell".
• In Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, the song "Clear Mind" plays when Yusei gets his Next Tier Power-Up and summons Shooting Star Dragon for the first time. The song would then be used for the remainder of the series every time Yusei proceeded to summon said monster.
• In Cardcaptor Sakura, there are sometimes background lyrical songs setting the mood of the scene. Some of them are performed by the series' cast. One time there was a song by Syaoran's seiyuu about his feelings for Sakura that played during a montage.

Film

• Tarzan has insert songs sung by Phil Collins, including "Son of Man" and "Strangers Like Me". These songs are translated in foreign-language dubs.
• Brave has "Touch the Sky" and "Into the Open Air". These are also translated in foreign-language dubs.
• Sucker Punch has several, such as "Where is My Mind?".

Video Games

• Averted in Halo 2. In-game, we hear the instrumental version of "Blow Me Away" by Breaking Benjamin. The original is featured in the game's soundtrack.
• The Forza Horizon has specific licensed songs play for each "boss" event and Bucket List Challenge, many of which are specifically chosen to tie into the themes of the event. Notable examples include "Train in Vain" by The Clash playing during an event where the player races against a train in 2, and "The River" by Ladyhawke when racing a fleet of speedboats downstream in 3.
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land has "New World", a vocal theme sung for the opening introduction and the credits.
• Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil has one during the "snowboarding" (or something like it) stage, which is sung in the made up language of the series.
• The Shoji Meguro-composed Persona series has a lot of vocal themes, but uses them in an inversion of the standard expectations - vocal themes tend to play at more trivial moments and the instrumental themes are often reserved for more dramatic, important sequences.
  • The standard battle themes in 3, "Mass Destruction", 4, "Reach Out to the Truth", and 5, "Last Surprise", have vocals. Boss themes are entirely instrumental. Persona Q, which wasn't composed entirely by Meguro, has vocal themes for both regular battles ("Light the Fire Up in the Night") and bosses ("Laser Beam").
  • For the majority of 3 and 4, the various exploration themes are vocal. During the final month of each game, wherein things begin look more grim and the story is reaching its conclusion, the background music is replaced with usually-somber instrumentals.
  • There are a few cases where the "used for dramatic effect" intention is played straight:
    • In the finale of Persona 3, a heavy hip-hop remix of the game's main theme, "Burn My Dread", first heard in the opening, plays against the scripted, post-final boss sequence.
    • The dungeon themes for Persona 4 and 5 are all instrumental - save for a single dungeon near the end of the game when the stakes have suddenly gotten dangerously high. In 4, the vocal theme is for the dungeon Heaven, which the party goes through when the protagonist's seven year-old cousin is kidnapped. For 5, it's Niijima's Casino, where the storyline comes back around full circle and everything is clearing up just before the game's final act.
    • In 5, the instrumental version of "Life Will Change" replaces the standard dungeon themes when the Phantom Thieves are on their way to finish the dungeon. Near the end of the game, it upgrades to the vocal version, first heard in the prologue level.
    • A single boss theme in 5 has vocals rather than being purely instrumental: "Rivers in the Desert", the theme for Shadow Shido, the big bad who ruined the protagonist's life at the beginning of the story.
• Saints Row became fond of this beginning with the third installment:
  • Villain Song "POWER" by Kanye West, which more-or-less serves as the game's Real Song Theme Tune, plays in the background of the mission "Party Time". As said mission consists of the Saints crashing a penthouse party to steal it and use it as a base of operations, it's certainly a fitting jam.
  • Used for hysterical effect during "Murderbrawl XXXI", where the inspiring "You're the Best" by Joe Esposito plays as the Boss uses a chainsaw to slaughter a gang of luchadores during a live wrestling broadcast.
  • "Holding Out For a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler plays during the mission "Three Way", as the Boss has to decide between saving several of their closest allies or leaving them to die and opting to go for revenge on the main W Big Bad.
• Super Mario Odyssey is the first Mario game in history to have vocal songs of any kind. In this game, there are two: "Jump Up, Super Star!" plays during the New Donk City festival, while "Break Free (Lead the Way)" plays at the end of the final level, when Mario (in Bowser's body) and Princess Peach escape the underground lair in the wedding hall on the moon.
• In Gotcha Force, a song called "We are Gotcha Force!" starts playing when you get the final boss to half health. While the English releases have a instrumental version of the track, the Japanese version features lyrics, sung by Hideaki Takatori from Project.R.
• Honkai Impact 3rd: Most cinematic cutscenes have their Insert Song which usually is also a Leitmotif or an Image Song:
  • "Will of the Herrscher" – Befall
  • "Final Lesson" – Nightglow
  • "Cyberangel: ZERO Exception" – Cyberangel
  • "Lament of the Fallen" – Houkai Sekai no Utahime
  • "Shattered Samsara" – Rubia
  • "Everlasting Flames" – Moon Halo
• Rakuen:
  • The "Mori no Kokoro" are fully voiced songs of strong emotional value that are needed to wake up Morizora.
    • "Lights", "The Lonely Tree", and "Walking Through The Night" are all performed by Laura Shigihara.
    • "My Little Girl" is sung by Andy Hull.
    • "Yours" is performed by Dale North.
  • "Build A Little World With Me", sung by Laura Shigihara as well, plays when the Boy dreams about having fun with Sue in all her little marble worlds and wakes up to learn that she passed away that night.
• To the Moon: Laura Shigihara sings the insert songs for first two games in the series. Both play during the emotional climaxes of the story as the wishes of Eva and Neil's dying clients are finally granted.
  • Episode 1: To the Moon: "Everything's Alright" plays as River is slowly erased from Johnny's memories in order to grant his wish to go to the moon.
  • Episode 2: Finding Paradise: "Wish My Life Away" plays as Collin's life plays out exactly as it did in real life, but with an emphasis on the most positive moments in his life and Sigmund Corp removed from his memories.

Visual Novels

• Kira-Kira, being a VN about forming a rock band, has gems such as "Let's Jump", "Kimi no Motoe", and a rock version of their school theme, "O. H. B. I.", all of them performed during their concerts.
• Muv-Luv Alternative has Takeru's Image Song, "Wings", play at the end of the PTSD Arc, when he finally finds his resolve to save the world. "Carry On", another insert, plays at the start of the last arc. The all-ages edition also has the opening play when the last arc is well underway.

Web Original

• In Dragon Ball Z Abridged, when Bardock goes to take on Frieza and his army, The Touch by Stan Bush plays when he sets off.
• RWBY: Much of the soundtrack consists of lyrical songs, especially during fight scenes.

Western Animation

• The Transformers: The Movie: In true fashion, several insert songs by artists such as Stan Bush and Weird Al play, of which probably the most famous has to be "The Touch", which has been cemented as the "something badass is going to happen" insert song for the entire franchise despite only playing twice in the movie.
• The Fairly OddParents! also has a number of them, such as "My Shiny Teeth And Me".
• The Ghost and Molly McGee has original songs that often play in the background, but there are a few performed by the characters.
• Jellystone! occasionally has songs playing in the background reflecting what's happening. For example, "Sweet Dreams" includes a synth pop song about the various bedtime stories told to Augie. Sometimes, the characters themselves will perform songs, like in "Pants", "The Brave Little Daddy", "Spell Book", and the Band Episode "Yogi's Midlife Crisis".
• Let's Go Luna! has one lyrical song per episode. The songs are done using instruments from the country the episode is set in, so an episode set in Mexico would use a lot of trumpets.
• Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is heavily music-driven, using lyrical songs to match the tone of certain scenes. Word of God says that this aspect was inspired by how Quentin Tarantino uses music in his films.
• Phineas and Ferb has several, considering that the entire series runs on Musical Episodes.
• Ready Jet Go! has multiple songs, with many of them themed after '50-60s music and Broadway. The songs advance the plot and are both character-driven and curriculum-driven, so one moment you could have a love duet between Carrot and Celery, and the next moment you could have a song about why the moon has craters.
• Regular Show often uses lyrical songs to underscore scenes such as "Mississippi Queen", "Ballroom Blitz", "Heroes", "Holding Out For a Hero", "I Get Around", and more.