Polygon spoke with Hazbin Hotel songwriters Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg about the music of season 2—how the approach evolved from season 1 and what it’s like composing with specific performers in mind. This is the first installment in a three-part series examining a standout number from Hazbin Hotel season 2.
The song: Episode 5’s “Vox Populi.” Demon overlord Vox (Christian Borle) rouses a crowd against Heaven, and Lucifer Morningstar (Jeremy Jordan) interrupts to intimidate him. Vox, unfazed, turns Lucifer’s showy rock moment into a march of populist bravado, promising to “make Hell great again.”
On writing for known performers
Polygon: In season 1 some songs were written before you knew who would sing them or what the characters would sound like. In season 2 you knew Jeremy and Christian would return and you’d worked with them — how did that affect writing for numbers like “Vox Populi”?
Sam Haft: It made a tangible difference. In season 1 we often composed without a clear sense of the performers’ voices; by season 2 we’d spent time directing and socializing with the cast, so we understood their instincts and what energizes them. That familiarity changed how the songs were shaped.
With Jeremy specifically, our writing adapted as we went. He’s a classic Broadway lead, but he also brings a genuine rock persona. On “Vox Populi” he contributed choices that weren’t strictly on the page — gritty, rock-oriented embellishments that elevated the performance.
Andrew Underberg: Jeremy is very comfortable improvising—leaning into unexpected moments—which opens the door to lots of playful options in the studio.
Haft: Both Jeremy and Christian are willing to experiment across takes. They’ll make bold choices in early runs and keep evolving them, which is a gift for us as songwriters because it creates variety and surprises.
Recording and structure
Polygon: Did Jeremy and Christian record this number together in the studio?
Haft: No — none of the season 2 songs were recorded with both principals in the same vocal session.
Underberg: “Vox Populi” actually functions like two distinct songs stitched together.
Haft: Exactly. It’s essentially two separate pieces that we merged into one sequence.
Underberg: If you listen closely, Jeremy’s section ends and Christian’s begins without returning to Jeremy, which gives the number an almost binary structure. We’re limited by the number of tracks we were contracted to deliver, so things like that sometimes determine how we present material. [Both laugh]
We enjoy experimenting with song forms on the show; season 2 continues to let the narrative and characters dictate structure rather than forcing songs into predictable shapes.
Music as persuasion
Polygon: In a musical, characters often shift from speech to song to amplify meaning. Do you think Vox communicates differently by singing—would the crowd react the same way if he’d only spoken?
Haft: In the world of Hazbin Hotel, music is the lingua franca of persuasion. When Vox wants to sway the masses, music does the heavy lifting. A melody gets people moving and committing before they’ve fully processed the message—so the song becomes a powerful rhetorical tool. It’s similar to Vox’s failed duet attempt in season 1’s “Stayed Gone.”
Stylistic changes between seasons
Polygon: This season leans harder into rock compared with the more Broadway-tinged first season. Was there ever a conscious decision to shift the show’s sonic palette?
Haft: Not as a blanket mandate. We never said “make season 2 more rock.” Instead, each piece is driven by the characters and the story beats. Because season 2 features different combinations of characters and new narrative needs, the overall sound naturally skewed toward grittier, rock-forward textures in places. That’s less a stylistic overhaul and more the result of letting the material determine its own voice.
New episodes of Hazbin Hotel arrive on Wednesdays on Prime Video.
Source: Polygon
