Hailee Steinfeld Covers The Cars’ ‘Magic’ for Disney’s ‘Hexed’

Hailee Steinfeld has returned to music with a new recording of The Cars’ “Magic,” released for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming fantasy Hexed. The cover arrived Friday, October 23, ahead of the movie’s November 25 theatrical opening.

Steinfeld does more than contribute to the soundtrack. She leads the voice cast as Billie Doe, an unconventional teenager whose newly discovered powers pull her from suburbia into a hidden witch realm called Hexe. Rashida Jones voices Billie’s mother, Alice, with Jodie Foster, Walton Goggins, Tracey Ullman and Stephen Fry also among the cast.

‘Magic’ gets a new pop setting

The new version keeps the bright, instantly recognizable character of The Cars’ 1984 recording while placing Steinfeld’s voice at the center. Ric Ocasek wrote the original song for the band’s fifth studio album, Heartbeat City.

“Magic” reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 during its original run. The Cars also placed songs including “Drive,” “Shake It Up,” “You Might Think” and “Tonight She Comes” inside the chart’s top 10, making the cover a fresh entry point to one of the group’s signature eras.

According to Just Jared, the Hexed soundtrack is scheduled for November 20, five days before the film opens. Steinfeld said on Instagram that she was proud of the record and the work behind it. The release is her first new music of 2026.

Another bridge between acting and music

Steinfeld has increasingly connected her recording career to her screen roles. She released “Dangerous” for the Sinners soundtrack in 2025, while her earlier pop catalog includes “Starving,” her collaboration with Grey and Zedd, which also peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100.

That crossover makes “Magic” a natural fit for Hexed: it promotes the film without functioning only as a conventional score cue. The song’s playful theme closely matches a story built around powers, family secrets and a reluctant journey into an unfamiliar magical world.

Disney has not yet detailed the complete soundtrack lineup. For now, Steinfeld’s cover serves as the clearest musical preview of the film and her first recording release in more than a year.