You have probably seen the trailer for “The Great Gatsby” numerous times, and have noticed the different music that accompanies each version. There is Jack White’s “Love is Blindness” or Jay-Z and Kanye West ft. Frank Ocean’s “No Church in the Wild.”
Baz Luhrmann, the film’s director, chose Jay-Z to produce the film’s soundtrack after being introduced by one of the film’s stars, Leonardo Di Caprio. Jay-Z worked with Craig Armstrong, Luhrmann’s composer and collaborator to integrate his contribution into the score.
A sample video was released within the last week of sampling 30 seconds of every song that is on the soundtrack. The artists include Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, André 3000, Florence + The Machine, will.i.am, Gotye, Jack White, Emeli Sandé and the Bryan Ferry Orchestra and, of course, Jay-Z, himself.
The songs mix the 1920’s Jazz Age with the modern sweet melodies of hip-hop. Not only that, but the past is blended with the present styles of music to create a classic mash up that would be loved by both eras.
There are more than a few recognizable songs, such as “Back to Black,” “Love Is Blindness” and “Crazy in Love”; but each are not sung by the original artist.
The cover songs redone for the soundtrack take on a new life and bring jazz infused with the melodies and beats that we know and recognize with today’s music. There’s a hint of different music genres blended so well the music speaks with as much presence, color and voice as one of the trailers.
There are a few head twists. Lana Del Rey’s “Young & Beautiful” features the classic heartache tone of most of her previous released songs; slow and filled with sorrow, so there isn’t much of a difference seen vocally from Del Rey. It’s beautiful, but maybe something different from Del Rey would have shocked even more on this album.
will.i.am’s and Fergie’s songs on the album give a little worry as well. will.i.am’s “Bang Bang” seems to be a cliché of the Jazz Age, trumpets and all, but of course like all of his songs it is catchy, maybe the other couple of minutes could prove me wrong. Fergie, Q-Tip and GoonRock’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” starts of in the Jazz Age and quickly turns to a techno dance house, which might be the stand out of the album or the flop.
My bet for the stand out is Emeli Sandé and the Bryan Ferry Orchestra cover of “Crazy in Love” or Coco O. of Quadron’s “Where the Wind Blows.” Each makes a step out from being different. “Crazy in Love” played by an orchestra, who would have thought? And Coco O. mixes her modern vocals with the pianos of the 20s with a hint of crackles from a phonograph or radio transmission for a hit.
The soundtrack is released May 7, three days before the movie is released, May 10. You can preorder a copy starting April 23.
But click here for your preview of the soundtrack.