Deadpool 2 (soundtrack)

The soundtrack for the 2018 American superhero film Deadpool 2, based on the Marvel Comics character Deadpool and distributed by 20th Century Fox, consists of an original score composed by Tyler Bates and a series of songs featured in the film. This includes an original single "Ashes", performed by Celine Dion. Bates had worked on all of director David Leitch's previous films before being hired to compose the score for Deadpool 2. In addition to the initial theatrical release of the film, beginning on May 18 in the United States, an extended cut of the film was released on home media on August 21 that featured additional music.

Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Score)
Deadpool leans against a large '2', above the title "Deadpool 2".
Film score by
ReleasedMay 11, 2018 (2018-05-11)
GenreRock
Electronic
Orchestral
Length37:02
LabelSony Classical
Fox Music
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(2017)
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(2018)
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(2019)
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Logan
(2017)
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(2018)
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(2019)
Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Deadpool leans backwards on a chair underneath a shower of bullets, with the title "Deadpool 2" shown.
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedMay 18, 2018 (2018-05-18)
Length43:54
LabelColumbia
Singles from Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  1. "Ashes"
    Released: May 3, 2018
  2. "Welcome to the Party"
    Released: May 15, 2018
Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe – Super Duper Cut]
From top-to-bottom are Domino, Deadpool, and Cable, with the title "Deadpool 2" to the left and "Super Duper Cut" to the right.
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedAugust 10, 2018 (2018-08-10)
Length62:00
LabelColumbia

Bates joined the film after Junkie XL chose not to return from the first Deadpool, and approached the score with a slight rock sensibility. He attempted to write music that stayed out of the way of the film's comedy and complemented its dialogue, which was a challenge due to the constant changes being made to the film throughout the post-production process. In addition to an orchestra and electronic instrumentation such as an electric guitar, Bates' score includes a choir that sings explicit phrases which match the film's irreverent tone. This earned the score a parental advisory warning, making it the first score album to receive such a warning.

"Ashes" was released as a single on May 3, 2018. Bates' score was released as Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Score) by Sony Classical on May 11. A soundtrack album collecting the previously released singles and other songs heard in the film was released by Columbia Records as Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on May 18. Bates' score received positive reviews, especially when compared to the reception of the first film's score, while the soundtrack songs were generally praised; "Ashes" in particular received positive responses from critics with some even suggesting it be nominated for an Academy Award. Columbia released an album featuring songs heard only in the film's extended cut as well as previously released songs on August 10.

Background

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Work on a sequel to the 2016 film Deadpool began before that film's release in February of that year,[1] with the creative team of star/producer Ryan Reynolds, director Tim Miller, and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick all set to return.[2][3] However, Miller left the film that October citing "mutual creative differences" with Reynolds.[4] Subsequently, Junkie XL announced he would not be returning for the sequel after composing the score for the first film, given that Miller was "the driving force behind" him working on that film in the first place.[5] Miller was replaced as director for the sequel by David Leitch,[6] and in October 2017 it was confirmed that Tyler Bates would be writing the score for Deadpool 2 after doing the same for Leitch's previous films.[7]

Original score

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Bates felt his role was to stay out of the way of the film's comedy and instead support the action and emotional elements of the film. He described the film as "a true Rubik's Cube" to score because of all the different elements involved, and found a "learning curve" as he discovered how to balance these different parts of the film.[8] Bates approached the music with a slight rock sensibility,[8] and created an "obvious superhero theme" that he felt fit within the established X-Men franchise.[9] Bates wrote a specific motif for the character Cable which is for both the electronic and orchestral sides of the score, and reflects the character's physique and weaponry.[10]

Due to Deadpool's mask, the creative team was able to change the character's dialogue up to the film being officially completed; Reynolds took this opportunity to keep adding new jokes to the film as long as possible, with Bates consistently receiving new versions of the film to score throughout the post-production process.[8] These new versions often included new timings for dialogue and jokes, and Bates had to adjust his music to match as Bates approached the film's dialogue as if it was the lead vocals of a song he was writing, for which his music would have to complement the tonal range and timbre of the characters' voices.[11] This left very little time for Bates to prepare the final score for recording, and for the film's final sound mix to be delivered. Bates' pacing was also based on the film's editing, while the cinematography helped inspire the score's "tonal palette".[9]

For the score, Bates used a distorted guitar run through a wah-wah pedal, microsynths to add "unique colors", and a choir.[8] The choir originally sang "meaningless, faux-Latin phrases" for an aggressive vocal cue, which was being recorded on a day that Leitch was visiting the 20th Century Fox recording studio. Bates discussed with Leitch potentially replacing the nonsense phrases with scene-appropriate lyrics, and the pair worked during a 20-minute break in recording with choral contractor Sally Stevens and orchestrator-conductor Tim Williams to write the new lines. The lyrics they wrote, which follow the rhythm of the original music, include "you can’t stop this motherfucker" and "holy shit balls!", which ultimately earned the score a parental advisory warning. It is the first score album to receive such a warning. Bates felt this was not "merit-less debauchery, it was just fun. It’s very rare that we can work on something at such a high professional level that embraces the irreverence of Deadpool."[12]

Songs

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Leitch felt that retaining the personal stakes of the first film by focusing on "an existential crisis and a deeply personal cause" for Deadpool was going to be more compelling for audiences than trying to build the film around global stakes,[13] and as part of that he wanted to create an original song for the film that served as an emotional through-line for the film's characters in the vein of "Take My Breath Away" and "My Heart Will Go On".[14] He and music supervisor John Houlihan "ended up discovering" the song "Ashes" as written by Petey Martin, Jordan Smith, and Tedd T.[14][15] After further discussions between Leitch and Reynolds, the latter asked Céline Dion to record the song for the film.[14] The soundtrack also features an original collaboration between Diplo, French Montana, Zhavia Ward and Lil Pump called "Welcome to the Party".[16]

As explained by co-writer Reese, the song "We Belong" by Pat Benatar was used in the film to illustrate the theme of family that they were exploring, and was almost used a second time during the X-Force parachuting sequence but was replaced with AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" which was used as a "pump me up" song—because of its "straight" tone and use in Iron Man 2—to help sell the excitement of the audience before the X-Force characters are unexpectedly killed.[17] While writing the film's score, Bates was kept aware of the licensed songs that were being used in conjunction with his music because he felt it was "paramount" to his understanding of the film and Reynolds' intentions for it. He also attempted to compose the music on either side of each song in such a way that it could augment the songs and elevate their intended effects.[10]

Release

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Singles

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"Ashes" was released as a single by Columbia Records on May 3, 2018, along with a music video directed by Leitch.[14][18] "Welcome to the Party" was released on May 15.[16]

Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Score)

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Sony Classical and Fox Music released a score album for the film on May 11, 2018. It is the first score album to receive a parental advisory warning—it is labelled "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" for the phrases sung by the choir in the score.[12] A vinyl release for the album was released on August 17.[19]

Standard release

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All music composed by Tyler Bates:[12]

No.TitleLength
1."X-Men Arrive"0:58
2."Fighting Dirty"2:03
3."Hello Super Powers"0:57
4."Escape"2:13
5."Vanessa"1:55
6."Weasel Interrogation"1:11
7."Holy S*** Balls"1:32
8."Mutant Convoy"3:59
9."The Name is Cable"1:23
10."Sorry for Your Loss"1:01
11."You Can’t Stop this Mother F*****"1:10
12."Ice Box"1:19
13."Docking"1:16
14."Make the Whole World our B****"3:15
15."Pity D***"0:58
16."Knock Knock"0:51
17."Let Me In"1:43
18."Maximum Effort"1:38
19."The Orphanage"2:57
20."Cable Flashback"1:23
21."Genuine High Grade Lead"1:53
22."Courage Mother F*****"1:27

Vinyl release

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All music composed by Tyler Bates:[19]

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."X-Men Arrive"0:58
2."Fighting Dirty"2:03
3."Hello Super Powers"0:57
4."Escape"2:13
5."Vanessa"1:55
6."Weasel Interrogation"1:11
7."Holy S*** Balls"1:32
8."Mutant Convoy"3:59
9."The Name is Cable"1:23
10."Sorry for Your Loss"1:01
11."You Can’t Stop this Mother F*****"1:10
Side B
No.TitleLength
12."Ice Box"1:19
13."Docking"1:16
14."Make the Whole World our B****"3:15
15."Pity D***"0:58
16."Knock Knock"0:51
17."Let Me In"1:43
18."Maximum Effort"1:38
19."The Orphanage"2:57
20."Cable Flashback"1:23
21."Genuine High Grade Lead"1:53
22."Courage Mother F*****"1:27

Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

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A soundtrack album compiling the songs from the film, including the previously released singles "Ashes" and "Welcome to the Party", as well as a cue from Bates' score was released by Columbia Records, Fox Music and Sony Music on May 18, 2018, coinciding with the film's release.[20][21]

Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe – Super Duper Cut]

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A soundtrack album covering all of the songs previously released in the soundtrack album, including "Ashes" and the cue from Bates' score, and adding six tracks including songs heard only in the extended cut of the film was released by Columbia Records on August 10, 2018, ahead of the extended cut's release on August 21.[22]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Ashes" (performed by Celine Dion)
Steve Mac3:19
2."Welcome to the Party" (Diplo, French Montana and Lil Pump featuring Zhavia Ward)
  • Diplo
  • Valentino Khan
3:01
3."You Can’t Stop this Mother F***** (Choir Only Mix)" (Tyler Bates)Tyler BatesTyler Bates1:10
4."Deadpool Rap (X-Force Remix)" (Teamheadkick)TeamheadkickTeamheadkick2:20
5."Nobody Speak" (DJ Shadow featuring Run the Jewels)DJ Shadow3:16
6."In Your Eyes" (Peter Gabriel)Peter Gabriel5:29
7."Take On Me" (MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice) (A-Ha)4:14
8."If I Could Turn Back Time" (Cher)Diane Warren
  • Diane Warren
  • Guy Roche
4:01
9."9 to 5" (Dolly Parton)Dolly PartonGregg Perry2:45
10."All Out of Love" (Air Supply)Robie Porter4:03
11."We Belong" (Pat Benatar)
3:42
12."Tomorrow" (Alicia Morton) 2:30
13."Mutant Convoy" (Tyler Bates)Tyler BatesTyler Bates3:59
14."Bangarang" (Skrillex featuring Sirah)Skrillex3:35
15."Ashes" (Jordan Smith)
  • Petey Martin
  • Jordan Smith
  • Tedd T
Steve Mac3:11
16."Love Hurts" (The Osborne Brothers)Boudleaux Bryant 2:51
17."Fight Dirty" (Guignol and Mischief Brew)
  • Erik Peterson
  • Guignol
 4:02
18."Fly Like an Eagle" (Steve Miller Band)Steve MillerSteve Miller4:42

Reception

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Charts

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Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at number 18, surpassing the peak of the first Deadpool film soundtrack (number 30 in 2016).[23] It also peaked at number 3 on the soundtrack albums charts in the United States and the United Kingdom.[24][25] In Australia, Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) reached number 9 on the ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart.[26]

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[26] 9
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[27] 29
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[28] 133
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[29] 16
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[30] 44
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[31] 68
Irish Compilation Albums (IRMA)[32] 2
Japanese Albums (Billboard Japan)[33] 57
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[34] 65
Japanese International Albums (Oricon)[35] 12
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[36] 3
South Korean Albums (Circle)[37] 44
South Korean International Albums (Circle)[38] 2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] 29
Taiwanese Western Albums (5-Music)[40] 2
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[25] 3
US Billboard 200[41] 18
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[24] 3

Critical response

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Writing for Movie Music UK, Jonathan Broxton praised Bates' score as a "blast", describing it as "like night and day" compared to Junkie XL's score for the first film which Broxton felt had "failed on every conceivable level". He specifically called the use of choir "hilarious and brilliant", and the main theme of the score "outstanding", considering it to be better than the thematic work done by many of the other composers who have worked on the X-Men franchise. He concluded that Bates "fully understood the needs of this film and delivered exactly what was required, but remembered to imbue it with a great deal of personality". On the soundtrack, Broxton was positive about the songs chosen for the film, and particularly praised "Ashes" as both "hilarious" and a genuine contender for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.[42]

Mikey Mason praised Bates' score as "upbeat, energetic and fun" when reviewing the soundtrack for We Are Geeks of Color, highlighting the tracks "Mutant Convoy" and "You Can’t Stop This Motherf*****". He felt each song chosen for the film was used perfectly, especially "Ashes" which he felt "makes total, genius sense in context" and was able to balance humor with heartbreak.[43] Chuck Campbell of Knoxville News gave the soundtrack album three out of five, calling it an "ultimately disposable" compilation that is still "fun in the moment". Campbell praised "Ashes" for its earnest effect, but felt the main positive of the soundtrack was its "campy collection of decades-old hits".[44] An editor's note on the iTunes website described the score as "that rarest of treats: an actually funny action-film soundtrack".[45]

Accolades

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Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards but lost to The Greatest Showman (soundtrack).[46]

References

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  1. ^ Chitwood, Adam (September 15, 2015). "Simon Kinberg on 'Deadpool' Rough Cut, Sequel Talks, and Cable". Collider. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  2. ^ Kit, Borys (February 9, 2016). "'Deadpool' Sequel Already in the Works". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 11, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  3. ^ Lang, Brent (April 14, 2016). "'Deadpool 2' Confirmed With Ryan Reynolds, Director Tim Miller Returning". Variety. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  4. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 22, 2016). "Director Tim Miller, Ryan Reynolds Part Company On 'Deadpool 2'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  5. ^ Evry, Max (November 3, 2016). "Deadpool 2 Loses Composer Junkie XL". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  6. ^ Kit, Borys; Galuppo, Mia (November 18, 2016). "It's Official: 'John Wick' Director David Leitch to Helm 'Deadpool 2'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "Tyler Bates to Score 'Deadpool 2'". Film Music Reporter. October 30, 2017. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d Burton, Byron (May 16, 2018). "Ryan Reynolds Reworked 'Deadpool 2' Lines Until the Last Minute". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Alexander, Iain (May 19, 2018). "Tyler Bates Discusses Making the Deadpool 2 Movie Soundtrack - Exclusive". Film Industry Network. Archived from the original on May 28, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Winkie, Luke (May 9, 2018). "Marilyn Manson Collaborator Tyler Bates on Challenges of Scoring 'Deadpool 2'". Revolver. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  11. ^ Score Podcast (April 30, 2018). Tyler Bates on the subversive sound of Deadpool 2 | Score: The Podcast. YouTube. Retrieved May 28, 2018.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ a b c Burlingame, Jon (May 17, 2018). "'Deadpool 2' Score Album Is First Ever to Receive a Parental Advisory Warning". Variety. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  13. ^ Buckley, Cara (May 2, 2018). "This Story Has Already Stressed Ryan Reynolds Out". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
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  15. ^ "Céline Dion - Ashes Lyrics". Genius. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  16. ^ a b "New Music: Diplo, French Montant, & Lil Pump FEat. Zhavia - 'Welcome to the Party'". Rap-Up. May 15, 2018. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  17. ^ Ryan, Mike (May 16, 2018). "The 'Deadpool 2' Writers Tell Us About Cut Scenes Featuring Chris Evans And Baby Hitler". Uproxx. Archived from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  18. ^ Blistein, Jon (May 3, 2018). "Watch Celine Dion, Deadpool Unite for Powerhouse Ballad 'Ashes'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Sony Music Masterworks (June 25, 2018). "Deadpool 2 Score Soundtrack Now Available For Vinyl Pre-Order". PR Newswire. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  20. ^ "'Deadpool 2' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. May 2, 2018. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  21. ^ "'Deadpool 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' Set To Release May 18 via Columbia Records". Music Existence. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  22. ^ "'Deadpool 2' – Super Duper Cut Soundtrack Album Released". Film Music Reporter. August 10, 2018. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  23. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 1, 2018). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: '13 Reasons Why' Season 2 & 'Deadpool 2' Soundtracks Debut in Top 40". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  24. ^ a b "Soundtrack Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  25. ^ a b "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  26. ^ a b "Australiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Deadpool 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  27. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Soundtrack – Deadpool 2" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  28. ^ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack – Deadpool 2" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  29. ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  30. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 21.Týden 2018 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  31. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Soundtrack – Deadpool 2" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  32. ^ "GFK Chart-Track – Multi-Artist Compilation Albums: Week 21, 2018". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  33. ^ "Hot Albums". Billboard Japan. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  34. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2018-06-18" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  35. ^ 週間 洋楽アルバムランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  36. ^ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 28, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  37. ^ "South Korea Circle Album Chart". On the page, select "2018.05.13~2018.05.19" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  38. ^ "South Korea Circle International Album Chart". On the page, select "2018.05.13~2018.05.19" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  39. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Soundtrack – Deadpool 2". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  40. ^ "第21 週 統計時間:2018/5/18 - 2018/5/24" (in Chinese). Five Music. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  41. ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  42. ^ Broxton, Jonathan (May 22, 2018). "Deadpool 2 – Tyler Bates". Movie Music UK. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  43. ^ Mason, Mikey (May 22, 2018). "Deadpool 2 Soundtrack Review, A Wonderfully Unexpected Mix From a Variety of Artists". We Are Geeks of Color. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  44. ^ Campbell, Chuck (May 12, 2018). "'Deadpool 2' soundtrack swims in camp; Ray LaMontagne basks in bliss". Knoxnews.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  45. ^ "Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Score)". iTunes. May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  46. ^ "61st Annual Grammy Awards (2018)". grammy.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.