Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave garnered buzz from film critics even before its release in select theaters. And now it has the music community talking, too. On November 5th, John Legend and Columbia Records will release a digital soundtrack for the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. There are 16 tracks, which come from a group of artists with great range in style. The digital version will come out prior to the "old-school," physical version release on November 19th.
Legend says he was completely moved by the "stunningly powerful film." He adds, "This album brings together some incredible artists from different places and different genres who have all been touched by the film."
Who are the other artists? German film composer and producer Hans Zimmer. Alicia Keys, Alabama Shakes, actor and musician Gary Clark Jr. There's a "Misery Chain" duet with Joy Williams (The Civil Wars) and Chris Cornell (Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman).
The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (Salt), Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild) and Brad Pitt (everything). There is a long list of cast members: Oscar-nominated Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild lead) and Academy Award-winner Paul Giamatti, to name two. The Fox Searchlight film is the true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who is sold back into slavery after being kidnapped in New York. Pitt plays a white abolitionist who Northrup meets in his 12th year of a struggle-filled journey.
With such a raw and real storyline, it's no surprise that so many musicians have signed on to be part of the soundtrack. John Legend said, "When artists are inspired by great art, it makes us want to create. This album is the result of that inspiration."
Which artist will you be listening for on the soundtrack?
