With Lady Gaga lending her powerhouse vocals to the film’s soundtrack, the music of A Star is Born is an undoubted success. The music appeals to movie-goers and pure listeners alike, as the songs complement the film’s plot and tell its own story as an individual entity. In recent interviews, Lady Gaga has said that there isn’t a song in the film whose lyrics don’t parallel what is going on during in the narrative, which adds a layer of meaningfulness to every song on the 19-track masterpiece.
The film tells a story of a seasoned, rock-and-roll musician, Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) and the love-story of he and up-and-coming artist Ally (Lady Gaga) in her career ascension. The music of the film tracks their stories and sets the emotional tone for every scene, acting as a melodic narrator giving insight into the characters’ state.
The soundtrack opens with “Black Eyes,” which introduces us to Jackson Maine and his hardcore, gritty sound. Bradley Cooper has said that Neil Young was a strong influence on the way that Jackson’s guitar would sound for the film. His musical skills shine through in many songs where he is performing as the tough, bluesy-rock Maine in songs throughout the film and also in the softer duets with Ally. Tracks like “Out of Time,” “Alibi” and “Digging My Grave” are all strong, rock tracks that electrify the audience and listeners, which add to the building plot with a sharp, intense edge. The country twang that peeks out from the Arizonian characters’ voices comes as an exciting burst of energy even to those who may not love country music.
A softer side of Jackson is revealed early in the soundtrack with the song “Maybe It’s Time,” an emotional, acoustic guitar ballad. This side of Jackson continues to be shown further into the soundtrack with Ally as an influence with tracks like “Music to My Eyes” and “Too Far Gone.” The standout track, “Shallow” is a song that will be on everyone’s minds far beyond the release of the soundtrack. This duet that has been teasing audiences in the trailers for weeks and is an absolute vocal show from Lady Gaga. Singing as Ally, Lady Gaga begins with the trepidation of a shy songwriter but quickly reveals herself as a star when the unmistakably Gaga vocals roar.
Gaga goes on an interesting musical journey on this soundtrack as well. While Cooper was challenged by learning how to become a musician, Gaga approached the score with a different challenge: writing from the perspective of Ally. There are tracks that are very Gaga, including a cover of “La Vie en Rose” in which her strong, sensual voice sends chills as she belts in full French to the dreamy tune. This being her first song on the soundtrack, it is established from the onset that she, as Ally, has the vocal chops to become a star.
Emotional piano ballads serve best to highlight Ally’s vocal skills in tracks like “Always Remember Us This Way,” “I Don’t Know What Love Is,” and “Is That Alright?” bringing tears to the eyes of many even upon first listen. The overwhelming force of her voice provides for a complete immersion into the emotion of the scene and song alike. As much as there are powerhouse ballads, there are more pop contemporary songs as Ally’s career takes off including “Heal Me,” “Why Did You Do That?,” and “Hair Body Face.” Though a departure from the tone of most of the soundtrack, they are enjoyable pop songs and absolutely songs that could be played on the radio today.
The upbeat tempos and electric pop beats along with sensual, seductive interludes could easily make these tracks hits outside the A Star is Born reality. Somewhere in the middle of the spectrum are “Before I Cry” and “Look What I Found,” which find a place between the Jackson Maine sound and Ally sound, with strong vocals and a faster tempo.
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper shine in this incredible, timeless soundtrack that will surely solidify the pair as forces to be reckoned with musically. Every song tells a story and every song stands on its own with a genuine, profound thoughtfulness and appreciation for the craft of songwriting and instrumentation. As far as soundtracks go, this is one brings freshness and life into the film’s fourth iteration—it is not one to be missed.
A Star is Born opened in theaters along with the release of the soundtrack on October 5, 2018. The soundtrack is available in two versions, one with and one without dialogue clips.
Author’s Note: See the film before listening to the soundtrack for the best experience! Enjoy!
Listen here.