SZA to Release ‘Save the Day’ for Pixar Film Hoppers on Friday

SZA will perform the end-credits song “Save the Day” for Pixar's upcoming film Hoppers. The multi-GRAMMY-winning artist's single is set to debut today on all major music platforms, arriving ahead of the film's theatrical release on March 6. 

The soundtrack strategy aligns with a broader trend in the music industry that focuses on expanding an artist's reach through individual songs associated with major motion picture releases, providing additional exposure beyond album releases and live performances.

Hoppers, written by Jesse Andrews and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle, is about habitat preservation through a blend of environmental and science-fiction themes, directed by Daniel Chong. In the film, the viewer follows Mabel Tanaka, a nature enthusiast who has taken it upon herself to protect a glade that will be destroyed by the construction of a new highway. Scientists develop technology that transfers human consciousness into robotic animal bodies, allowing Mabel to inhabit a robot beaver to help restore the habitat.

Piper Curda stars as Mabel Tanaka. The voice cast includes Kathy Najimy as Dr. Sam, the scientist behind the consciousness-transfer technology; Sam Richardson as Conner; Aparna Nancherla as Nisha; and Karen Huie as Grandma Tanaka.

Chong and Grindle discussed the film's development and stylistic influences in a press interview, noting that early versions of the story and 1980s science fiction shaped its tone and visual approach. During production, placeholder tracks were used to establish a melancholic yet joyous mood for the end credits before SZA was invited to write the final song.

Chong said, "I think there was an intuitiveness in talking with SZA that when she saw the movie, I think she immediately knew what the movie needed. She understood Mabel as a character immediately."