The Heated Rivalry soundtrack is not decorative noise but a deliberate storytelling device which is carefully woven into the narrative to deepen emotion in Shane and Ilya's relationship.Heated Rivalry uses music as a narrative language of its own, drawing on a thoughtfully curated mix of indie, alternative and emotionally resonant tracks that evolve with Shane and Ilya's story. The soundtrack moves fluidly between vulnerability & intensity, reflecting the unspoken tensions at the heart of the series.Tracks by artists such as t.A.T.u. and Wolf Parade bring a sense of urgency and enrich the silent yearnings and angry confessions that plague the characters' minds throughout the series. Additionally, Hudson Williams (Shane) and Connor Storrie's (Ilya) impressive acting and emotive eyes brilliantly complement Tierney's music choice, making Heated Rivalry a visual and sensory treat for fans.More on this in our story.The club anthem from Heated Rivalry Episode 4 that changed Shane and Ilya's story View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThanks to Heated Rivalry Episode 4, the young generation is swaying to the beats of a staple club anthem from 2002, "All the Things She Said" by t.A.T.u, which was remixed for the iconic scene from the fourth episode by artist Harrison. For the uninitiated, t.A.T.u (a Russian abbreviation that roughly translates to "this girl loves that girl'') is an iconic Russian pop duo comprised of Lena Katina and Julia Volkova, who dropped this banger back in 2002.While the peppy beats captivated the audience, the bold music video cemented "All the Things She Said" as a queer anthem. The iconic video shows two teenage girls kissing behind the fence while the world watches them in horror. It is no coincidence that Tierney used this queer anthem from 2002 to underscore the iconic club scene in Heated Rivalry Episode 4.All the Things She Said not only holds importance in queer storytelling but its captivating and meaningful lyrics aptly translate Shane and Ilya's plight in the club scene, which took place after the famous tuna melt scene where the players addressed each other by their first names, a rare intimate moment for both.While Shane dances with his new girlfriend Rose Landry, Ilya watches them with angst and yearning. Once Shane lays eyes on his arch-rival and the players dance with their respective female partners (while silently eyeing each other), All the Things She Said fills the silence and the audience feels their chemistry and feelings of forbidden love without a single word from our protagonists.The 'sunshine' that stole the spotlight in Heated Rivalry Episode 5 View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIf t.A.T.u's "All the Things She Said" made a bold move in Episode 4, “I’ll Believe in Anything” by Wolf Parade created history in Heated Rivalry Episode 5. The final moments from the latest episode, which became one of the highest-rated episodes on IMDB, saw Scott Hunter and Kip's historic kiss on the ice, which instilled hope in Shane and Ilya. While Scott Hunter became the first openly gay player in the show and publicly accepted his love for Kip, Wolf Parade's beautiful lyrics score the moment perfectly.While “I’ll Believe in Anything” is the perfect choice for the moment and deserves all the love and Spotify streams it's getting after Heated Rivalry Episode 5, the choice is not random. The mention of the word 'sunshine' (in the song) is a direct callback to a scene from Episode 3, where Elena subtly warns Scott that Kip 'deserves sunshine and so do you.' Additionally, Episode 3 'Hunter', which featured a page from Scott's meet-cute with Kip, also opened with “I’ll Believe in Anything”, essentially making it Skip's (Scott+Kip) theme song.In an interview with Glamour, François Arnaud could not help but appreciate Tierney's song choice in this historic scene:''They reuse it [Wolf Parade's song] for that emotional climax. I thought that was really clever. I heard the lyrics again in a completely new light. The mention of “sunshine,” which was Elena’s sort of forceful tip at the end of three, yeah, it made me really emotional.''Additionally, the contrast between "All the Things She Said" and “I’ll Believe in Anything” subtly establishes the fundamental difference between Scott-Kip and Shane-Ilya's love in Heated Rivalry. While Skip's romance has always been softer and a literal embodiment of 'sunshine,' Shane & Ilya shared a years-long secret fling that gradually transformed into a forbidden love.Tune in to the Heated Rivalry finale on HBO Max on December 26.For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.