Supergirl’s Surprise Hit: Kelty Greye on the “Wild” Response to Her Jimmy Eat World Cover

Kelty Greye never expected her moody rendition of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” to become one of the most talked-about musical moments in ‘Supergirl’. But that’s exactly what happened when the cover appeared during the film’s climactic sequence, sparking intense reactions from audiences and fans alike.

“The response has been wild,” reflecting on the unexpected buzz surrounding her version of the 2001 pop-punk anthem. She recorded the track with KidMotel years before it was tapped for the movie—three years before, to be exact.

What makes the story even more interesting is how the song ended up in the film at all. Director Craig Gillespie and writer Ana Nogueira put the production through an exhaustive testing process, auditioning roughly 45 different songs for the crucial scene. James Gunn ultimately played a decisive role in choosing Greye’s slower, more emotional take on the upbeat original.

The decision has proven controversial among some viewers, but there’s no denying it’s become impossible to ignore. Greye’s stripped-down arrangement gives the familiar track a melancholic quality that fundamentally shapes the tone of the scene—and the reaction has only amplified since the film’s release, transforming what was essentially a last-minute call into a major conversation piece.