Begin Again (soundtrack)
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| Begin Again (Music from and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
| Released | July 1, 2014 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 42:36 55:00 (deluxe edition) |
| Label |
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| Producer |
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Begin Again (Music from and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album accompanying the 2014 film of the same name, released on July 1, 2014, by ALXNDR, 222 Records, Polydor Records and Interscope Records.[1] The album consisted original songs written and composed by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley, Rick Nowels, and Nick Southwood, with Keira Knightley and Adam Levine performing most of the tracks, and other artists associated with the film, included Alexander's Cessyl Orchestra, CeeLo Green and Hailee Steinfeld.[2] The track "Drowning Pool" by The Walls, which played over the opening credit sequence, is not included on the soundtrack album.[3] The song "Lost Stars" was nominated for numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Song.[4][5]
Background
Begin Again marked Knightley's first singing role. Although she had never sung professionally before, she trained with a vocal coach to prepare for her role and also learnt to play a guitar.[6][7] Speaking to Daily Mirror, Knightley said "I don’t listen to a lot of music and one of the reasons I wanted to do the film was because it was a challenge and something completely different for me. The whole thing was out of my comfort zone... I’m not a singer and I didn’t know how to do it."[7] She had also contributed vocals for most of her songs in the soundtrack.[8]
‘Lost Stars,’ more than any other song in the film, was the one where you wanted to get out a philosophy that Keira’s character would sing but Adam would relate to and something that would also touch a contemporary audience. At the end of the film, it’s a young audience watching this song that really has a lot of pathos and pain in it, but yet people are doing this
— Gregg Alexander[7]
Being a fan of Carney's work, Alexander sent some of his compositions to Carney through email and MP3 until they officially met in London and discussed about the music. The script undergone multiple re-writes as the original songs had to be altered in order to seamlessly woven into the narrative.[9] Alexander said it as "The way that the songs began didn’t seem like there was a count off –one, two, three, four– there was no false sense of expectation because there was a big build up. It was like a car that just got started up and the next thing you know it’s driving down the street at one hundred miles per hour."[9]
Alexander was initially intended to write the original song, but instead after reading the screenplay, he felt so compelling, which resulted him to contribute to a body of work instead of an original song.[10][11] While writing the track, "Lost Stars" with Danielle Brisebois he felt that, "I was under the impression — or illusion — that the spirit of the characters were in me, hopefully to the point where I could write something they could sing without self-editing".[11] His collaboration with other fellow songwriters, Nick Lashley and Nick Southwood helped him to complete the recordings of the soundtrack by 50 days, even before the film's shooting was set to begin in July 2012.[11]
Track list
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lost Stars (Male version)" | Adam Levine | 4:27 | |
| 2. | "Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home" |
| Keira Knightley | 3:39 |
| 3. | "No One Else Like You" |
| Levine | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Horny" |
| CeeLo Green | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Lost Stars (Female version)" |
| Knightley | 4:00 |
| 6. | "A Higher Place" |
| Adam Levine | 3:12 |
| 7. | "Like a Fool" | John Carney | Knightley | 2:27 |
| 8. | "Did It Ever Cross Your Mind (Demo Version)" | Alexander | Cessyl Orchestra | 3:38 |
| 9. | "Women of the World (Go on Strike!)" |
| Green | 3:15 |
| 10. | "Coming Up Roses" |
| Knightley | 3:13 |
| 11. | "Into the Trance" | Alexander | Cessyl | 4:05 |
| 12. | "A Step You Can't Take Back" |
| Knightley | 3:25 |
| Total length: | 42:36 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Lost Stars (Into the Night Mix)" |
| Levine | 3:38 |
| 14. | "The Roof Is Broke (Demo Mix)" | Alexander | Cessyl | 3:00 |
| 15. | "Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home (Roof Top Mix)" |
|
| 3:27 |
| 16. | "Intimidated by You" | Alexander | Cessyl | 2:28 |
| Total length: | 55:00 | |||
Reception
Writing for Renowned for Sound, Helena Ho called it as "a great soundtrack that depicts the mood and premise of the film completely. Most of the songs on the album are easy listening, chiller tracks. The input of Cessyl Orchestra is a welcome change, as they bring a fuse of alternative rock with their electric guitar solos and dreamy harmonies. The soundtrack shows variety without straying too far from the heart of the films’ message. Each song is performed with soul, proving that music isn’t just about feeding a market; but really, it’s an art form that can truly express one’s emotions."[12]
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- ^ Gallo, Phil (June 9, 2014). "Adam Levine's Label To Release Soundtrack To His Film Debut 'Begin Again'". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "Adam Levine's Label to Release "Begin Again" Soundtrack - Music News - ABC News Radio". abcnewsradioonline.com. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ Bodey, Michael (August 6, 2014). "John Carney makes fruitful return to musical well with Begin Again". The Australian. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ Ayers, Mike (January 15, 2015). "Oscar Nominations: Listen to the 5 Best Original Songs". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- ^ "Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2015: The complete list". Los Angeles Times. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- ^ Black, Claire (July 6, 2014). "Interview: Keira Knightley, star of Begin Again". The Scotsman. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c Hiscock, John (July 11, 2014). "Keira Knightley: Singing in Begin Again left me way out of my comfort zone". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ Buchanan, Kyle. "Would You Like to Hear How Well Keira Knightley Can Sing?". Vulture. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Lattanzio, Ryan (November 24, 2014). "Gregg Alexander, Former New Radicals Frontman Turned Oscar Contender, Talks 'Begin Again'". IndieWire. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ Gallo, Phil (November 3, 2014). "Ex-New Radicals Frontman Gregg Alexander on Return to the Limelight With 'Begin Again': 'I'm In'". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c Feinberg, Scott (October 14, 2014). "Found Star: New Radicals' Gregg Alexander Grants First Interview in 15 Years (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ "Album Review: Begin Again – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Renowned for Sound. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Begin Again". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack – Begin Again" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack – Begin Again" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Soundtrack – Begin Again". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Soundtrack – Begin Again". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "South Korea Circle Album Chart". On the page, select "2014.08.31~2014.09.06" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ^ "South Korea Circle International Album Chart". On the page, select "2014.08.10~2014.08.16" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Soundtrack – Begin Again". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Soundtrack – Begin Again". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ^ "Official Compilations Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ "Soundtrack Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ "Soundtracks – Year-End 2014". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ "Soundtracks – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2021.