Pitch Perfect 2—the second chapter in the comedy franchise starring Anna Kendrick and more—won't be releasing its soundtrack until three days before the film, despite existing in a market where film-based music collections have soared. Why not?
For one thing, the folks over at Universal don't think they can recreate the formula that helped pushed the soundtrack from Pitch Perfect to platinum status. That film's song collection was most noted for "Cups," a song sung by Kendrick and a track that wasn't exactly designed to be a smash single. Still, its popularity built even as the film left theaters, eventually leading to a no. 1 spot on the Adult Contemporary charts more than a year after its release. The single sold more than 3 million downloads.
"[That's] a lightning-in-a-bottle moment that's really not replicable," admits Mike Knoblach, the president of film music at Universal Pictures.
The goal is to succeed with an original single, somewhat similar to the Hot 100-topping "See You Again" that Wiz Khalifa has performed for the Furious 7 soundtrack. The Pitch Perfect promoters are pushing "Flashlight," sung by Jessie J on the soundtrack and described by Billboard as an "inspirational ballad" in line with Katy Perry's "Firework." The song will be sung in the film by actress Hailee Steinfeld (her version apparently blew away producers, leading to a record deal with Republic Records, under the Universal umbrella).
That single has struggled to find footing on the charts, only rising as high as no. 46 on the Pop Digital Songs chart. Universal hopes, of course, that its use in the film will spur buyers back to it.
That remains one of the few tracks that the rest of the world knows will appear in the film, with Billboard also revealing that the Green Bay Packers will sing Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious" onscreen. That leaves 16 tracks out of the announced 18 to be revealed. Most will, of course, be covers handled by the cast, but Universal is being coy about what singles it's opted for, as a further bit of suspense to push viewers to the theaters.
