Music

How to determine your favorite ‘Hunger Games’ song

If you can’t wait until “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” hits theaters Friday, hunker down with the already-available soundtrack. Following the whopping success of the first film’s soundtrack, which debuted last year at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and has sold 480,000 copies, the new album features a slew of hitmakers who were asked to pen songs inspired by action in the book.

At this point, you should pretty well know whether you’re “Team Gale” or “Team Peeta.” So we’ve set out to decide which song is best for you, based upon your favorite character.

Katniss: “Capital Letter,” Patti Smith

Almost the entire album was probably intended to be about Katniss, but it’s punk queen Patti Smith’s stripped down “Capital Letter” that most lovingly lifts up our bow-clad heroine. “Rebellion is an arrow / wired to the sun / igniting everyone / igniting everyone,” she talk-sings, essentially running down the list of Katniss metaphors.

Peeta: “Mirror,” Ellie Goulding

Poor Peeta. The dude cannot catch a break — especially when it comes to having to fake a relationship with Katniss when he’d rather the relationship be authentic. In Goulding’s “Mirror,” the Britpop songstress asks “Are we starcrossed lovers?” and “If I’m really a winner / where do these demons come from?” It’s super depressing, much like Peeta’s entire existence.

Gale: “Gale Song,” the Lumineers

We dug really deep for this one. Folk favorites the Lumineers take on the plight of the man at home who gets to spend the entirety of “Catching Fire” working in a mine, away from his feisty gal pal, who’s out changing the world. Stay strong, Gale — the world needs men pining at home for their women, too.

Effie: “Devil May Cry,” the Weeknd

First of all, if your favorite character is Effie, what is wrong with you? Second, of course there’s no vanity-laden, glittery song on this album. But there is a song by the Weeknd that predicts: “Faces in the crowd / faces in the crowd will smile again.” So just pretend that Effie has secret remorse about her giddiness during the Reaping each year — then this is the perfect tune.

Haymitch: “Lean,” the National

Matt Berninger’s drowsy vocals are perfect for the perpetually inebriated Haymitch. Imagine this one as the deep thoughts he has while walking home from the bar alone at 3 a.m. Bonus: The song even features the lyric, “Everybody wants a sip of wine to drink.” Cheers!