Saltburn (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to the 2023 film Saltburn, directed by Emerald Fennell, consists of a score composed by Anthony Willis, as well as an number of pop songs. Willis had previously scored Fennell's Promising Young Woman (2020) and also M3GAN (2022). Saltburn (Original Motion Picture Score) features 18 cues from his score and was released by Milan Records on the same date as its international release, 17 November 2023. The soundtrack album, Saltburn (Music from the Motion Picture), was released on 28 June 2024.
Background
[edit]At the Deadline Hollywood's Sound and Screen film event, Willis wanted the score to navigate the audiences through Oliver's (Keoghan) journey at University of Oxford, as he undergoes a wide range of emotions like loneliness, romance and lust.[1] He also praised Fennell on her collaborative effort in making the score, that included use of "dirty synth", "gothic orchestral" and "electronic" sounds which was about "capturing this classical world that Oliver wants to fit into and he doesn’t".[2]
Apart from the score, the film used pop music as needle drops in subsequent scenes, so that it could drive the storyline; Fennell accompanied the use of needle drops in Promising Young Woman.[3] One such song that played in the beginning of the film is the British coronation anthem "Zadok the Priest" as it felt like the "absolute apex of Brexit Britain" that provided "jingoistic" stuff. In discussion with Willis, she wanted the song to guide the film—playing in the beginning as well as in the end—so viewers would understand that it is a coronation.[4] Fennell revealed that the Killers' "Mr. Brightside" was the most expensive cue in the film.[5] Willis recorded the acoustic music at the Temple Church in London, as "the Templar knights are buried there!".[1] The London Contemporary Orchestra further performed the score.[2]
Score album
[edit]| Saltburn (Original Motion Picture Score) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Film score by Anthony Willis | ||||
| Released | 17 November 2023 | |||
| Recorded | 2022–2023 | |||
| Length | 43:58 | |||
| Label | Milan | |||
| Producer | Anthony Willis | |||
| Anthony Willis chronology | ||||
| ||||
Saltburn (Original Motion Picture Score) was released digitally on 17 November 2023. The LP was released on 3 May 2024 via Music on Vinyl, and omits the track "You're So Real".[6]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Loved Him / Oliver Quick!" | 3:27 |
| 2. | "NFI'D" | 1:38 |
| 3. | "Felix Amica" | 2:35 |
| 4. | "Throwing Pebbles" | 1:51 |
| 5. | "Journey to Saltburn" | 1:19 |
| 6. | "Felix's Tour" | 1:37 |
| 7. | "You're So Real" | 1:02 |
| 8. | "A Shared Bathroom / Inconsistent Stories" | 2:43 |
| 9. | "Venetia's See-Through Night Dress" | 1:51 |
| 10. | "Slightly Bad Form" | 1:54 |
| 11. | "Accusations & Departures" | 0:54 |
| 12. | "The Summer Burned On" | 0:49 |
| 13. | "Spit Roast" | 2:55 |
| 14. | "Blood Run Cold" | 1:46 |
| 15. | "The Maze" | 2:21 |
| 16. | "Staff Exit" | 1:52 |
| 17. | "Almost None" | 5:35 |
| 18. | "Felix's Suite" | 7:49 |
| Total length: | 43:58 | |
Soundtrack album
[edit]| Saltburn (Music from the Motion Picture) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by various artists | |
| Released | 28 June 2024 |
| Label | Polydor |
Saltburn (Music from the Motion Picture) was released on 28 June 2024 on CD and digital formats.[7][8] It consists of "indie sleaze" and pop songs popular in the 2000s.[9][10] The album is also scheduled to be released as a standard red LP, an Amazon-exclusive gold LP, and a picture disc on 23 August 2024.[11][12][13] In addition, a "bath water" liquid-filled LP is scheduled for release on 29 September 2024 via Bad World, referencing an infamous scene from the film.[14][15]
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Modern Love" | Bloc Party | |
| 2. | "Destroy Everything You Touch" | Ladytron | |
| 3. | "Hang Me Up to Dry" | Cold War Kids | |
| 4. | "No Cars Go" | Arcade Fire | |
| 5. | "Loneliness" (radio cut) | Tomcraft | |
| 6. | "Perfect (Exceeder)" | Mason vs Princess Superstar | |
| 7. | "Murder on the Dancefloor" | Sophie Ellis-Bextor | |
| 8. | "Time to Pretend" | MGMT | |
| 9. | "You're Gorgeous" | Babybird | |
| 10. | "Sound of the Underground" | Girls Aloud | |
| 11. | "Mr. Brightside" | The Killers | |
| 12. | "Satisfaction" (Isak original edit) | Benny Benassi & the Biz | |
| 13. | "Have a Cheeky Christmas" | The Cheeky Girls |
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Compilation Albums (OCC)[16] | 1 |
| UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[17] | 1 |
Reception
[edit]Sonya Alexander of Script Magazine wrote "Anthony Willis’s lugubrious score underscores the vibrant pinings of each character".[18] Amy Nicholson of Los Angeles Times wrote Willis' score featuring "tizzy of violins" paired the first glimpse of Oliver's new life.[19]
One of the songs in the film, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Murder on the Dancefloor", was featured in the last scene.[20][21] As a result, the song re-entered the top 40 UK singles chart and garnered its most-ever global streams on Spotify, receiving more than 1.4 million streams on New Year's Eve.[22][23]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 15, 2023 | Original Score – Feature Film | Anthony Willis | Nominated | [24] [25] |
In December 2023, the score was shortlisted for Best Original Score at the 96th Academy Awards.[26]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Rice, Lynette (10 November 2023). "'Saltburn' Composer Anthony Willis On Emerald Fennell's "Dirty Synth" And Templar Knights – Sound & Screen Film". Deadline. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ a b Licuria, Rob (16 November 2023). "Anthony Willis ('Saltburn' composer): This film is 'a journey through loneliness and romance and lust' [Exclusive Video Interview]". GoldDerby. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Emily Murray (17 November 2023). "Saltburn director Emerald Fennell on why her follow-up to Promising Young Woman is actually a vampire movie". gamesradar. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Saltburn's cultural blueprint: the books, films and music that…". The Face. 16 November 2023. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ King, Jack (23 November 2023). "How Saltburn pulled together the most mega Noughties pop playlist ever". GQ. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Saltburn- Vinyl Soundtrack". Music on Vinyl. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Various Artists – Saltburn (Music from the Motion Picture) CD". Polydor Records. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Saltburn (Music From The Motion Picture) – Album by Various Artists". Apple Music. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Pilley, Max (14 June 2024). "'Saltburn' soundtrack set for vinyl release full of cloudy bathwater". NME. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Kaplan, Ilana (4 January 2024). "'Saltburn' Gave Us The Ultimate Indie Sleaze Playlist". Paper. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Various Artists – Saltburn (Music from the Motion Picture) Standard Vinyl". Polydor Records. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Saltburn (Music From The Motion Picture) (Amazon Exclusive Gold Vinyl)". Amazon. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Various Artists – Saltburn (Music from the Motion Picture) Picture Disc". Polydor Records. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Saltburn". Bad World. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Fu, Eddie (14 June 2024). "Saltburn Soundtrack Gets Vinyl Release Filled with "Bath Water"". Consequence. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Official Compilations Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Alexander, Sonya (16 November 2023). "'Saltburn' Film Review". Script Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Nicholson, Amy (17 November 2023). "Review: 'Saltburn' lays out a rich spread of class envy as one vulture swoops in to feed". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ James, Alastair (2 January 2024). "Sophie Ellis-Bextor responds after Saltburn causes classic hit resurgence". Attitude. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "Sophie Ellis-Bextor Has Finally Gotten Her Due in America". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "Sophie Ellis-Bextor's 'Murder on the Dancefloor' Earns Its Most 1-Day Spotify Streams Ever Thanks to Saltburn". Peoplemag. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder On The Dancefloor set for charts thanks to Saltburn". Yahoo News. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ Grein, Paul (2 November 2023). "Songs from 'Barbie' Pace 2023 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations (Full List)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ Brew, Caroline (2 November 2023). "Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo Nominated for 2023 Hollywood Music in Media Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ Bergeson, Samantha (21 December 2023). "2024 Oscar Shortlists Unveiled: 'Barbie,' 'Poor Things,' 'Maestro,' and 'The Zone of Interest' Make the Cut". IndieWire. Retrieved 21 December 2023.