Us (soundtrack)

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Us (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Michael Abels
ReleasedMarch 15, 2019
Recorded2018–2019
GenreFilm score
Length74:59
LabelBack Lot Music
ProducerMichael Abels
Michael Abels chronology
Get Out
(2017) 		Us
(2019) 		See You Yesterday
(2019)

Us (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2019 film of the same name directed by Jordan Peele and featured musical score composed by Michael Abels in his second feature. The soundtrack was released by Back Lot Music on March 15, 2019,[1] featuring Abels' original score, and three tracks heard in the film—"I Like That" by Janelle Monáe, "I Got 5 on It" by Luniz and "Les Fleurs" by Minnie Riperton.[2] The remixed version of "I Got 5 on It" preceded the album.[3][4] The vinyl edition of the soundtrack was released on September 13, 2019.[5]

Development[edit]

The film is Abels' second feature composition, although he contributed additional music for the film Detroit (2017), and his second with Peele.[6][7] Abels recalled that Peele would like to hear music during the pre-production, as it helps him to design the sonic world as well as with the visual world. Although Peele did the same in Get Out, the film had a different story and the music had to identify the characters and story, and Peele wanted him to experiment with duality in music, as it was an overarching theme in the film itself. Abels came up with traditional and non-traditional sounds being experimented to come up with the appropriate sonic palette, hence the film's music used variety of instruments such as violin, cimbalom, amongst others. The track "Beach Walk" had several instruments such as karimba, berimbau and didgeridoo playing together, all from different cultures.[8][6]

Abels did not have specific instruments signifying each characters, as the film had different sorts of music which would be restricting. However, for Umbrae's (Zora's doppelgänger) character, the cimbalom seemed to work well in her scenes. The solo violin was played in scenes surrounding over Red (Adelaide's doppelgänger) which expressed Red's quest for justice, the menacing malevolence and her freedom of spirit very well.[9] However, Abels felt that the stand out element in the music is the choral work. Jordan specifically described that he wanted the voices to be in the soundtrack.[10]

The first track "Anthem" is a vocal choir rising in volume with the drum beats and chimes, which Abels wanted it to sound like an "evil march".[11] He further described it as "One thing that Jordan loves to do and is becoming known for is [to] take something you always assumed was safe or innocent and turn it into something else" citing the children's voice as one example as he thought it would be "super scary".[11] Abels described the lyrics and language, saying "the voices are not [singing in] a language, it’s nonsense syllables so you focus more on their feeling and the music – you can tell something’s coming and it’s not good, these people mean business but you can’t tell exactly what it is they want. It was important that they sounded like not like any specific culture, they sounded like they were organized and evil but not foreign."[10]

The 1995 Luniz single "I Got 5 on It" had an original as well as a tethered orchestral remix being played in the showdown between Adelaide and Red.[10][12] Abels felt that "the original intention from the script was that the scene would be underscored by "Pas de deux" from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker (1892)" where the longer version of that scene is scored that way. He further recalled that, "the idea was that we would use that music, or I was going to make a horror version of that, and it was an exciting challenge that I was looking forward to, but it was clear to Jordan, following the response of the trailer, what needed to be done."[9] It had an "haunting lick to it" comparing Angelo Badalamenti's score for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and being a "total banger" at the same time.[13][14] The track "Pas de Deux" is also featured in the film, has been twisted on Club Nouveau's "Why You Treat Me So Bad" a song which "I Got 5 on It" being sampled.[10] This beat had been slowed down and strung out on violins, to builld suspense into a crescendo of jarring, discordant sounds.[10]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Anthem" 2:57
2."I Like That"Janelle Monáe3:22
3."Outernet" 0:46
4."Spider" 1:17
5."Ballet Memory" 1:11
6."I Got 5 On It"Luniz featuring Michael Marshall4:15
7."Beach Walk" 1:23
8."First Man Standing" 0:44
9."Back to the House" 1:10
10."Keep You Safe" 1:36
11."Don't Feel Like Myself" 2:00
12."She Tried to Kill Me" 1:46
13."Boogieman's Family" 1:25
14."Home Invasion" 4:11
15."Once Upon a Time" 2:59
16."Run" 4:39
17."Into the Water" 2:23
18."Spark in the Closet" 2:58
19."Escape to the Boat" 1:18
20."Femme Fatale" 2:13
21."Silent Scream" 1:24
22."News Report" 2:02
23."Zora Drives" 1:42
24."Death of Umbrae" 0:55
25."Somber Ride" 1:07
26."Immolation" 1:40
27."Down the Rabbit Hole" 2:34
28."Performance Art" 1:20
29."Human" 4:03
30."Battle Plan" 0:59
31."Pas De Deux" 2:51
32."They Can't Hurt You" 1:45
33."Finale" 3:05
34."Les Fleurs"Minnie Riperton3:16
35."I Got 5 On It (Tethered Mix from US)"Luniz feat. Michael Marshall1:43
Total length:74:59

Reception[edit]

Music critic Jonathan Broxton commented "Although the creepy Latin chanting is certainly effective, and although the ‘I Got 5 On It’ remix from the finale has already worked its way into public consciousness, the rest of the score has too much traditional abstract horror music for it to cross over from the film music niche and into the mainstream. Some of the specific instrumental textures are interesting, and the intellectual concept behind much of the writing is fine, but I fear that too many people will simply pass over the bulk of the score’s middle section, having dismissed it as pretty typical thriller fare."[15]

Tim Grierson of Screen International commented that Abels' "nerve-jangling instrumentals" underscore the "elegant, brutally efficient scares".[16] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian felt that Abels' music "has the same disturbing “Satan spiritual” feel of his compositions for Get Out".[17] Writing for the same website, Mark Kermode had commented "blends brooding polytonal drones with stabby strings, interspersed by inventive use of the human voice. A quasi-gothic choral Anthem evokes the chills of Jerry Goldsmith’s Ave Satani from The Omen, while jukebox tracks by Luniz, Minnie Riperton and (most pointedly) NWA are strategically deployed to hilariously horrifying effect."[18] Lindsey Romain of Nerdist commented "Music is a huge part of Us, from Michael Abels’ fantastic score to the use of Luniz’s “I Got Five On It,” which makes an appearance in the trailer and is put to even better use in the language of the film. Peele knows how to let music make a mood."[19]

Accolades[edit]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result
Austin Film Critics Association[20] January 7, 2020 Best Original Score Michael Abels Nominated
Black Reel Awards[21] February 6, 2020 Outstanding Score Michael Abels Won
Chicago Film Critics Association[22] December 14, 2019 Best Score Michael Abels Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards[23] January 12, 2020 Best Score Michael Abels Nominated
Georgia Film Critics Association[24] January 10, 2020 Best Original Score Michael Abels Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association[25] January 9, 2020 Best Score Michael Abels Nominated
Hollywood Music in Media Awards[26] November 20, 2019 Original Score — Horror Film Michael Abels Won
Houston Film Critics Society[27] January 2, 2020 Best Original Score Michael Abels Nominated
NAACP Image Awards[28] February 22, 2020 Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album Michael Abels Nominated
Online Film Critics Society[29] January 6, 2020 Best Score Michael Abels Won
Seattle Film Critics Society[30] December 13, 2019 Best Score Michael Abels Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association[31] December 8, 2019 Best Score Michael Abels Won
World Soundtrack Awards[32] October 18, 2019 Discovery of the Year Michael Abels Won

References[edit]

  1. ^ Shoemaker, Whitney (March 13, 2019). "Jordan Peele's 'Us' soundtrack is 35 tracks of terror". Alternative Press Magazine. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "Jordan Peele's Us Soundtrack Announced". Pitchfork. March 13, 2019. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Burks, Tosten (March 13, 2019). "Listen To The Us Remix Of Luniz's "I Got 5 On It"". Spin. ISSN 2010-3247. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  4. ^ Squires, John (March 15, 2019). "Listen to the Creepy "I Got 5 On It" Remix from Jordan Peele's 'Us'; Soundtrack Available Today!". Bloody Disgusting!. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  5. ^ "Jordan Peele's Us Soundtrack Comes to Vinyl". Pitchfork. August 23, 2019. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "How Music Influenced The Darkest, Most Powerful Moments In 'Us'". UPROXX. April 2, 2019. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Parisi, Paula (March 22, 2019). "Michael Abels on Delivering a Frightfully Good Score for Jordan Peele's Horror Flick 'Us'". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  8. ^ "Us Composer on Working with Jordan Peele & Making Music Scary". Collider. June 19, 2019. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "'Us' Composer Michael Abels Talks How 'I Got 5 On It' Shaped The End Of The Movie". MTV. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d e Sinha-Roy, Piya (March 14, 2019). "Exclusive: How Jordan Peele's composer conjured scares for 'Us' — listen to two new tracks". EW.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Winkelman, Natalia (March 29, 2019). "Us Composer Michael Abels on Working With Jordan Peele, Writing "Nonsense" Lyrics, and the Film's Musical Easter Eggs". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  12. ^ Willman, Chris (March 25, 2019). "Jordan Peele's 'Us' Music: How the Beach Boys and N.W.A Came to Anchor a Great Horror Playlist". Variety. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  13. ^ "Jordan Peele's Us Swapped Tchaikovsky For 'I Got 5 On It'". Empire. 2019. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Caples, Garrett (March 25, 2019). "How 'Us' Turned the Weed Anthem 'I Got 5 on It' Into a Creepy Horror Theme". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  15. ^ "US – Michael Abels". MOVIE MUSIC UK. March 26, 2019. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  16. ^ Grierson, Tim (March 15, 2019). "'Us': Review". Screen. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  17. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (March 11, 2019). "Us review – Jordan Peele's brash and brilliant beach holiday horror". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  18. ^ Kermode, Mark (March 24, 2019). "Us review – a terrific horror tale from Jordan Peele". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  19. ^ "Jordan Peele's US Is Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen (Review)". Nerdist. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  20. ^ Stoddard, Elizabeth (January 7, 2020). "Parasite leads the 2019 Austin Film Critics Association Awards". Austin Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  21. ^ "The 20th Annual Golden Trailer Award Winners". Black Reel Awards. December 11, 2019. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  22. ^ Bennett, Anita. "Chicago Film Critics Give Best Picture To 'Parasite' And Best Director To Bong Joon Ho". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  23. ^ "Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Irishman' Leads With 14 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. December 8, 2019. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  24. ^ "2019 Awards". Georgia Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  25. ^ "'1917' Wins Best Picture at 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards". Variety. January 9, 2020. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  26. ^ "2019 Music in Visual Media Nominations". Hollywood Music in Media Awards. November 4, 2019. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  27. ^ "Houston Film Critics Society Nominees See 'Marriage Story,' Tarantino's 9th Film In The Lead". Houston Film Critics Society. December 16, 2019. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  28. ^ Haring, Bruce (January 9, 2020). "NAACP Image Awards Nominees: 'Harriet,' 'When They See Us', Netflix Lead Way". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  29. ^ "OFCS Presents: 23rd Annual Awards For 2019". Online Film Critics Society. January 6, 2020. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  30. ^ ""The Irishman" Leads the 2019 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics Society. December 9, 2019. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  31. ^ "'Parasite' Finds a Host in D.C. Film Critics". Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. December 8, 2019. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  32. ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 18, 2019). "Nicholas Britell, 'Chernobyl' Composer, "Shallow" Among World Soundtrack Award Winners". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
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