"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is the latest addition to the iconic "The Hunger Games" franchise that has ruled cinema for years.
Set 64 years before the first book and film, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is a prequel set to unearth the roller coaster story of the 10th Hunger Games, along with the rise of a young Coriolanus Snow before he became the President of a dystopian North America.
In the new book and movie, music is ingrained heavily because the District 12 tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, portrayed by Golden Globe Award-winning actress Rachel Zegler, is actually a musician. Zegler sang all of her musical moments in the movie and recorded the soundtrack separately.
Check out what critics have been saying about "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" soundtrack.
'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' Soundtrack Reviews
The Hollywood Reporter praised the movie in a lot of aspects but pointed out that the excitement that Jennifer Lawrence brought to the table in the first four movies had never been filled by the extensive cast on the film. About the music, they both praised the songs and the score of the film:
"The orchestral thunder of James Newton Howard's score marries well with Lucy Gray's songs, in which executive music producer Dave Cobb crafts rousing tunes around Collins' lyrics, adding fire to the heroine's rebel spirit," the publication said.
Notably, the soundtrack highlighted the prowess and excellence of the Bluegrass, Folk, and Country artists, as exemplified in the array of artists on the soundtrack - including Grammy-winning singers Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings, among many others.
Saving Country Music says that "the power of this soundtrack to expose its participants to a wider audience makes it one to watch, especially if many watch the movie, and seek out the music from it."
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Olivia Rodrigo's "Can't Catch Me Now" is a clear standout on the soundtrack. The lead single has completely mirrored Lucy Gray Baird's songwriting ethos. Inspired by the final scenes of Zegler and Tom Blyth, Rodrigo masterfully wrote the song while also conveying Zegler's character's unpredictable and predictable all at the same time.
"Rodrigo's reverberating voice throughout the bridge brings to mind the crowds across Panem's districts singing the anthem as a symbol of their unity against the oppression they face," The Harvard Crimson says in a review of the soundtrack.
Listen to the "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" soundtrack below.
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