We can't stop talking about Off Campus. This hit show is on our TikToks, Spotify playlists, and brains. Prime Video seems determined to fill the space in our hearts left by Heated Rivalry and Summer I Turned Pretty.
Based on the popular YA Off Campus books by Canadian author Elle Kennedy, this show follows Hannah, a hockey-hating music student, who strikes a deal to have a fake relationship with Garrett, the school hockey star. We fell just as hard as Hannah and Garrett.
As mentioned, music is a major part of this TV show, from Allie’s Jennifer Lopez costume and dance to Josh Heuston’s band, and everything in between. We can’t get enough of the classics and new songs dotted throughout the show.
But the question on everyone’s lips remains: is Hannah/Ella Bright actually singing in Off Campus? Let’s investigate.
I'm still thinking about that gorgeous black lace underwear set Allie wore at Thanksgiving…
Singing is a vital aspect of Hannah's character on Off Campus
Singing and music are a crucial part of Hannah’s character journey in Off Campus. She starts out as someone who only plays classical music, before ending the season performing a pop song she wrote herself at the showcase. Along the way, we see her singing in different moments — from karaoke nights to emotional declarations in the ice hockey stadium.
Music is central to Hannah’s story, particularly in how it reflects her healing process: she stops writing lyrics after the assault, and eventually returns to songwriting as a way of processing what she’s been through.
But is Hannah actually singing in Off Campus? Here’s what we know.
Is Ella Bright actually singing as Hannah in Off Campus?
It’s common for TV shows like Off Campus to use vocal doubles — in fact, even Zac Efron had one in High School Musical, which is why his voice sounds noticeably different between the first and second films.
Off Campus — and Hannah — are something of an exception in that regard. Ella Bright did not use a vocal double and instead worked extensively on her vocals and instrument skills herself.
Speaking to Variety about her preparation for playing Hannah, Ella revealed she and Josh Heuston, who plays Justin, worked daily with a vocal coach and both learned piano and guitar from scratch.
“I feel very happy to say that it was all me,” she confirmed to Variety.
She also shared that she created a playlist to get into Hannah’s headspace ahead of filming, with songs like Olivia Rodrigo’s “Scared of My Guitar” and Ethel Cain’s “Sun Bleached Flies” making the cut — iconic behaviour.
“I learned piano, guitar, basically to sing,” Bright told Entertainment Weekly. “It was kind of crazy. It was a big training moment for me. I had a little shoebox apartment, and we had the entire looping station, three guitars, two keyboards, a ukulele, everything squished into this one little space, and I was trying to practice as much as I could when we got back from work.”
As for the final song, Bright explained it was pre-recorded, but she also sang live on the day. “When you are doing the scene on the day, the emotion you’re singing in the recording studio is different. So for that, I had pre-recorded, but then I also re-recorded a few of the lines on the day. When I saw Bel and Mika in the audience, that drove the performance in a different way.”
“It was terrifying, singing in front of a live audience,” she added. “It felt like I was actually on stage. They made me sound much better than I probably was in real life.”
We’re inclined to believe her.
Did Ella Bright write the original songs in Off Campus?
No, the four original songs featured in Off Campus were penned by songwriter Amy Allen, who has previously written for artists including Harry Styles and Sabrina Carpenter.
The four original songs in Off Campus are:
- Page One
- Girl That I Am
- Yellow Haze
- Keep Pretending
Campus romances galore.
Is Hannah's song in the ice rink an original song?
Like most of social media, it seems I mistook the song Hannah performs at the ice rink after the Drunk Shakespeare event for an original track. I was a little confused by the lyrics, but I went with the flow. As it turns out, I was wrong.
She was actually singing Baby Now That I’ve Found You by The Foundations. It’s the same song that was playing when the two were intimate for the first time, which is why Hannah performs it for him.
Almost as cute as an original song!
Will we get more original songs in Off Campus season two? Here's hoping!
