Who Did the Music for ‘Soul’?
Contents
We take a look at the music of ‘Soul’ and the composer who brought it to life.
Music in ‘Soul’
The Music in ‘Soul’ was created by several different artists. Some of the artists that worked on the music for ‘Soul’ include Michael Kiwanuka, Robert Glasper, and Kamasi Washington. The music in ‘Soul’ is a mix of different genres including jazz, hip hop, and R&B.
The film’s score
The film’s score is composed by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste. The trio worked together remotely, with Reznor and Ross in Los Angeles and Batiste in New Orleans.
The film’s soundtracks
The film’s soundtracks consist of two parts: the first features traditional and modern jazz, while the second is an original score by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste.
The jazz songs featured in the film are “Lotus Flower” by Radiohead, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, “Runnin'” by Pharrell Williams, and “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson. The original score was composed and performed by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste.
The Composers
The music for ‘Soul’ was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Reznor and Ross are known for their work on the ‘The Social Network’ soundtracks, as well as for scoring films such as ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ and ‘Gone Girl.’
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are an American musical duo from Pennsylvania. The pair worked together on the score for the 2010 film The Social Network, for which they won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. They have since collaborated on the scores for several films, including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, and Birdman. In 2016, they released their first album as a duo, titled Not the Actual Events.
Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste is an American musician, composer, and bandleader. He is best known as the leader of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” house band, Jon Batiste and Stay Human. He has also released several solo albums and has composed music for film and television, including the soundtrack for the 2020 Pixar film “Soul.”
The Music’s Influence
The film’s original score and songs were composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, their second collaboration for a Pixar film following Onward (2020). Jon Batiste wrote the film’s jazz music, which Reznor and Ross produced. The film’s music has been widely acclaimed by critics.
The film’s critical reception
The film was widely praised by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 97% “Certified Fresh” rating, based on 435 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.67/10. The website’s critical consensus reads: “Exhilaratingly vibrant and beautifully animated, Soul is a delightful return to form for Pixar that expands the studio’s outlook while remaining true to its roots.” On Metacritic, the film has a score of 86 out of 100, based on 58 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.
Writing for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave the film five out of five stars, saying “Pixar lifts the spirits again with this absorbing and transporting story of a man in search of his mojo.” Writing for Variety, Owen Gleiberman gave the film a positive review and praised Docter and Jones for expanding Pixar’s horizons. He also praised the film’s sense of humor and concluded that “Soul is one more transporting example of how, when it comes to state-of-the-art digital animation, Pixar remains in a class by itself.”
The film’s awards and nominations
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, and Best Original Score. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Motion Picture.
