Netflix’s hit movie The Life List introduced a whole new generation to The Ting Tings’ 2008 banger “That’s Not My Name.”
Released on Friday, March 28, The Life List stars Sofia Carson as a grieving young woman, Alex, who goes on an unexpected quest following her mother’s death. Alex embarks on a road trip to complete a list of life goals she originally wrote as a 13-year-old, in order to access a mystery inheritance left by her late mom.
Along the way, Alex jams out with her family’s lawyer, Brad (Kyle Allen), and his girlfriend Nina (Maria Jung) to “That’s Not My Name” — with the banger becoming an anthem for Alex that recurs throughout her journey.
Keep scrolling for a look back at the history of “That’s Not My Name” and how the cast of The Life List felt about the track below:
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The Song
“That’s Not My Name” was the debut for British indie pop duo Katie White and Jules De Martino in 2007 when it was released as a double A-side single with “Great DJ.” It didn’t get much attention at first but was re-released in 2008 to much greater success.
The group couldn’t have asked for a better debut, as the rerelease of “That’s Not My Name” entered the British pop charts at No. 1 in May 2008. It only held the top spot for a week before falling down the charts in favor of Rihanna‘s “Take a Bow” hitting No. 1 across the pond.
“That’s Not My Name” cracked the Top 40 in the U.S. — hitting No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 — but was certified Gold with sales of over 500,000 copies.
The track received an additional boost of exposure in 2022 as part of a viral TikTok trend that intentionally misidentified some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Will Smith, Alicia Silverstone and Drew Barrymore are among the stars who took part in the trend.
The Meaning
White and De Martino have previously suggested the general public misinterpreted the meaning behind “That’s Not My Name.” White was once quoted as saying the song was basically her “ranting about [her] frustrations with the record industry.”
While the pounding beat and relentless repetition of names may fool listeners into thinking it’s a frivolous party jammer, White told The Irish Examiner in 2010 that the track is “a really sad song” about the unfair comparisons that artists often face.
“It’s empowering, but we’ve all had a point in our lives where we felt that s***, that we’re useless at everything and that we weren’t memorable,” White explained. “Everybody feels like, ‘I don’t know what my place is and I can’t seem to find myself,’ at some point, and I don’t think a lot of people saw that with the song.”
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White went on: “Most people probably thought it was about some boy in a bar who has forgotten your name — but it really wasn’t about that. It was about feeling invisible and unconfident.”
In 2022, the track resurfaced when it was used in a TikTok trend poking fun at various celebrities. At the time, White and De Martino expressed their surprise and appreciation that “That’s Not My Name” had reached a new audience.
“Early in our career, someone said, ‘You’ve written one of those songs that’s just going to keep on going.’ And they were right, it just keeps coming around,” De Martino told Variety at the time.
‘The Life List’
In Netflix’s latest hit movie, “That’s Not My Name” recurs during tough moments for Alex as inspiration to keep pushing forward on her cathartic road trip.
One particularly recurrence of the song sees Alex and Brad rocking out in an empty bar — before realizing how much they’d bonded throughout their road trip. Carson and Allen actually landed their starring roles in The Life List by auditioning with this scene.
“It was so fun to watch them dance to that Ting Tings song at the audition — instant chemistry, instant connection,” producer Liza Chasin told Tudum.
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Carson and Allen are both trained dancers, so they were able to put their backgrounds to use in one of The Life List’s particularly resonant moments.
“It was really fun to dance like Alex and Brad in a completely uninhibited, free, and kooky way,” Carson revealed. “I love that scene, and that was such a beautiful memory. I think so many people have had nights like that.”
The Life List is streaming on Netflix.
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