New Cool is a song performed by Cynthia Zdunowski and the T-Birds while at the Rydell High garage in the Paramount+ original series, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.
Overview
In a garage, the T-Birds plotted revenge against the Rangers for the disrespect at the football field. Cynthia announced she wanted to be a T-Bird, but they laughed at her. She gave her case and offered an initiation; she would get them revenge. She led them in a performance of “New Cool” that took them from shop class to a warehouse. After it ended, Cynthia explained to Gil that they would interrupt the pep rally that night. If they pull it off, she would get her own T-Birds jacket. Richie agreed and joked that if they pulled it off, he'll give her his.
Lyrics
[Cynthia (speaking)]:
The world's changing, boys
Howdy Doody, Joe College he's on the way out!
The wild one, Marlon Brando, the T-Birds.
That's who's next.
We got the cars, the bikes, the charm.
Yeah, we're covered in grease!
That's why we're so slick!
We just gotta let them know it.
[Cynthia (singing)]:
No more disrespecting
No more gettin' double decking
Better bet that I'll be checking every square I know
Teach these socs a lesson
Might be Catholic as confession
But no more genuflectin'
[Shy Guy (speaking)]:
I'm Jewish, though!
[Cynthia]:
Down with the phonies and up with the new cool
The T-Birds are ruling the new school
Down with the phonies and up with the new cool
The T-Birds are ruling the new school
(Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
The new cool, yeah
The new cool, yeah
(Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
The new cool, yeah
The new cool
Come on someone tell me
Why do all the pretty preppies
Run the school like Thomas Jeffy?
[Gil]:
'Cause their Daddy's rich
[Richie]:
It's 'cause their Anglo's, no offense, with khaki pants their mama's pressed
[Potato]:
Silver spoons in all their fists
[Gil]:
This BS gotta end
[Cynthia]:
Down with the phonies and up with the new cool
The T-Birds are ruling the new school
Down with the phonies and up with the new cool
The T-Birds are ruling the new school
(Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
The new cool, yeah
The new cool, yeah
(Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
The new cool, yeah
The new cool
All the footballers, they aren't that much taller
And somehow they lose every game
([All]: Somehow they lose every game!)
But with starch on their collars
And their daddy's dollars
They still walk away the fame, okay
We got the sexiest cars, souped up to Mars
We got the battling scars from living real hard
We got the good kinda nerve the kind that's been earned
It's a brand new world
[Gil]:
We're stealing your girls
[All]:
The T-Birds are ruling the new school
Hoo, yeah, gimme some more
Hoo, yeah, gimme some more
Hoo, yeah, gimme some more
Gimme some more
Gimme some more
Hoo, yeah, gimme some more
Hoo, yeah, gimme some more
Hoo, yeah, gimme some more
The T-Birds are ruling the new school
[Cynthia]:
Oh, yeah, yeah
(The new cool, yeah
The new cool, yeah)
Oh, yeah, yeah
(The new cool, yeah
The new cool, yeah)
Eight in the morning, I got my own jacket
(The new cool, yeah
The new cool, yeah)
Oh
(We got the new cool, yeah)
The new cool
Performers
- Cynthia Zdunowski (Ari Notartomaso)
- Richie Valdovinos (Johnathan Nieves)
- Gil (Nicholas McDonough)
- Potato (Alexis Sides)
- Shy Guy Maximo Salas)
- Background mechanic workers
Appearances
Notes and Trivia
- "New Cool" is the first song to feature a location and clothing change mid-song. The T-Birds jump from Rydell High's shop garage to the basement of a building. The transition features a change from their jumpers to jeans and their signature leather jackets.
- The lighting also changes three times; from the Rydell high shop which is normal lighting, the initial transition to the basement which is red, and then the rest of the song which is in cool blue.
- The choreography in "New Cool" earned an Emmy nomination in the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in the "Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming" category.
- The term "The Wild One" reference at the beginning of the song refers to the 1953 film starring Marlon Brando. It was arguably the first depiction of a "greaser" archetype in mainstream media.
- "New Cool" was the first song written for the show and the one that booked songwriters Justin Tranter, Brittany Campbell, Daniel Crean, and Eren Cannata, on Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.
Gallery
