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Challengers (soundtrack)

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Challengers (Original Score)
Film score by
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
ReleasedApril 26, 2024 (2024-04-26)
GenreElectronic
Length40:50
LabelMilan
Producer
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross film score chronology
The Killer (Original Score)
(2023) 		Challengers (Original Score)
(2024) 		Queer (Original Score)
(2024)
Luca Guadagnino film score chronology
Bones and All (Original Score)
(2022) 		Challengers (Original Score)
(2024) 		Queer (Original Score)
(2024)

Challengers (Original Score) is the soundtrack album composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the 2024 film Challengers by Luca Guadagnino. It was digitally released by Milan Records on April 26, 2024, the same day as the film's theatrical release in the United States.

Production

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Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross had previously worked with director Luca Guadagnino, scoring Guadagnino's 2022 film Bones and All.[1] Guadagnino approached the pair to score Challengers by sending them an email that read, "Do you want to be on my next film? It's going to be super sexy."[2] Guadagnino wanted "very loud techno music" for the film,[3] taking inspiration from Berlin techno and '90s rave music.[2] The end result was intended to amplify the pace and high-stakes nature of the film.[4]

Critical reception

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The score received widespread acclaim from critics. Ty Burr of The Washington Post called the soundtrack "one of [Reznor and Ross's] best to date."[5] Mireia Mullor of Digital Spy called the score "phenomenal,"[6] while Robbie Collin of The Telegraph called it "counterintuitively perfect."[7] Max Weiss of Baltimore called the score a "standout," writing, "It's mostly fast-paced electronica, which disrupts and propels the action at unexpected moments. It has a freneticism with fuels the film."[8] The track "Challengers: Match Point" was featured on NPR's list of the 124 Best Songs of 2024, with critic Jacob Ganz calling it a "200 proof shot of adrenaline".[9]

Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast wrote, "Such euphoric filmmaking is enhanced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' intoxicating, synth-heavy score, which asserts itself as an indispensable part of the film. In Challengers, the music acts as punctuation, both periods and ellipses."[10] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that the score "[captures] the electric heartbeat of the movie."[11] Tim Grierson of Screen Daily wrote that "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross [concocted] a techno-heavy score that lends the matches a dance-party urgency that is both witty and invigorating."[12]

Maureen Lee Lenker of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "[Reznor and Ross] craft a pulsating, synth-filled composition that ratchets up the tension until it's taut as the strings of a racquet. It's as if the U.S. Open decided to use sonic riffs from Miami Vice as a theme song. The electronic, staccato rhythm mimics the rapid back-and-forth of tennis while also catapulting us into a sound that is inherently sexy in the ways it evokes the hypnotic trance of a dance club."[13]

Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence wrote, "Propelling the on-court action is Reznor and Ross's score, bringing a level of bombast to the sports action that at times threatens to overwhelm the action, without ever actually proving distracting."[14] Angelica Jade Bastién of Vulture wrote that the score "lends the film a tense propulsion that the storytelling itself desperately lacks."[15] Caryn James of BBC wrote, "One of the best surprises turns out to be the soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, a propulsive techno score that does a lot of the work to keep the tennis scenes moving."[16]

Valerie Complex of Deadline wrote, "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score, typically a highlight, feels oddly juxtaposed against the film's visual and emotional landscape with its '80s synth-pop elements. At times, it enhances the scenes' emotional depth, but more often it distracts, undermining the subtlety of the performances and the intimacy of certain moments."[17]

Select year-end rankings for Challengers
Publication List Rank Ref.
Paste The 100 Best Albums of 2024 74 [18]

Accolades

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Challengers (Original Score) awards and nominations
Award Year[a] Category Recipients Result Ref.
Astra Creative Arts Awards 2024 Best Original Score Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Nominated [19]
Best Original Song "Compress / Repress" Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2025 Best Score Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Pending [20]
Best Song "Compress / Repress" Pending
Golden Globe Awards 2025 Best Original Score Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Pending [21]
Best Original Song "Compress / Repress" Pending
Grammy Awards 2025 Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Pending [22]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2024 Best Original Score in a Feature Film Nominated [23]
Best Original Song in a Feature Film "Compress / Repress" Nominated

Track listing

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All music is composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, except as noted.

Challengers (Original Score) track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Challengers"1:25
2.""I Know""2:18
3."Yeah X10"2:38
4."L'Œuf"3:59
5."The Signal"3:11
6."Brutalizer"3:01
7."Stopper"1:42
8."Brutalizer 2"1:58
9."The Points That Matter"1:49
10."Lullaby"0:38
11."Final Set"3:06
12."Pull Over"2:48
13."Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: A New Year Carol" (composed by Benjamin Britten; performed by Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard, and Britten)2:06
14."Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: A New Year Carol (Part 2)" (composed by Britten)1:14
15."Challengers: Match Point"5:02
16."Compress / Repress" (written by Reznor, Ross, and Luca Guadagnino)3:49
Total length:40:50

Personnel

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  • Trent Reznor – composer (tracks 1–12, 15–16), producer (tracks 1–12, 14–16), performer (tracks 1–12, 14–16)
  • Atticus Ross – composer (tracks 1–12, 15–16), producer (tracks 1–12, 14–16), performer (tracks 1–12, 14–16)
  • Benjamin Britten – composer (tracks 13–14), conductor (track 13)
  • Jacob Moreno – engineer (tracks 1–12, 14–16)
  • Randy Merrill – mastering (tracks 1–12, 14–16)
  • Mariqueen Maandig-Reznor – performer (track 16)

Charts

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Chart performance for Challengers (Original Score)
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24] 57
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[25] 6
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[26] 1
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[27] 8
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[28] 17
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[29] 4

Release history

[edit]
Release history and formats for Challengers (Original Score)
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various April 26, 2024
Milan [30]
Various November 1, 2024 LP [31]

Challengers [Mixed]

[edit]
Challengers [Mixed]
Remix album by
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Boys Noize
ReleasedApril 12, 2024 (2024-04-12)
GenreElectronic
Length28:13
LabelMilan
Producer

Before the film and soundtrack's release, Reznor and Ross approached German producer Boys Noize about creating a remix album for the film's score. Initially, Boys Noize was hesitant about changing Reznor and Ross's original work too much, only making minor edits, but the pair encouraged him to be more experimental.[32] He had not seen the film or a trailer until the remix album was completed.[33]

The remix album was released on April 12, 2024, two weeks before the official soundtrack album was released.[34][35] For Record Store Day, 2,100 copies of the album were released on November 29, 2024.[36]

Reception

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Paolo Ragusa of Consequence called the remix album "astounding" and wrote, "Dance music at its core is built from what came before; it is meant to be extracted and expanded, remixed and recontexualized. A film score is not usually the subject of such chopping and screwing, but if anyone was going to do it and absolutely nail it, it's Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Boys Noize."[37]

Track listing

[edit]

All music is composed by Boys Noize, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross, except as noted.

Challengers [Mixed] track listing
No.TitleLength
1.""I Know""3:05
2."Yeah X10"3:36
3."L'Œuf"2:15
4."Challengers"3:00
5."Pre Signal"0:55
6."The Signal"4:38
7."Brutalizer"5:11
8."Compress / Repress" (written by Reznor, Ross, and Luca Guadagnino; performed by Reznor, Ross, and Mariqueen Maandig Reznor)4:51
9."A New Year Carol" (written by Benjamin Britten)0:38
Total length:28:13
Notes
  • All tracks are subtitled as "Mixed" in square brackets.

Notes

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  1. ^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

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  1. ^ Strauss, Matthew (November 18, 2022). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Release Score for Luca Guadagnino's New Movie Bones and All". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Horowitz, Steven J. (April 19, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Discuss Scoring Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' in Featurette: 'It's About the Excitement' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Baron, Zach (April 3, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have a plan to soundtrack everything". British GQ. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  4. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (April 24, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' 'Challengers' Score Brings a Sizzling, Sensual Element to Zendaya's Love Triangle". IndieWire. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Burr, Ty (April 23, 2024). "In 'Challengers,' Zendaya's got major game". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Mullor, Mireia (April 26, 2024). "Challengers is a sweaty, horny tennis drama that serves hard". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Collin, Robbie (April 12, 2024). "Challengers: Zendaya's tennis love triangle serves up racquet-twanging steaminess". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  8. ^ Weiss, Max (April 26, 2024). "Movie Review: Challengers". Baltimore. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  9. ^ "124 Best Songs of 2024". NPR. December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  10. ^ Spilde, Coleman (April 12, 2024). "'Challengers' Is a Grand Slam of Sex and Sweat". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Roeper, Richard (April 24, 2024). "'Challengers' as sexy as a tennis movie can be". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Grierson, Tim (April 12, 2024). "'Challengers': Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  13. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (April 12, 2024). "'Challengers' serves up a grand slam of psychosexual passion and tension". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  14. ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (April 12, 2024). "Challengers Review: Zendaya Stuns In Luca Guadagnino Drama". Consequence. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  15. ^ Bastién, Angelica Jade (April 22, 2024). "Challengers Is Almost a Sexy Movie". Vulture. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  16. ^ James, Caryn (April 12, 2024). "Challengers review: 'A lot of sport, a lot of wigs and a lot of sexual tension' in Luca Guadagnino's menage à tennis". BBC. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  17. ^ Complex, Valerie (April 12, 2024). "'Challengers' Review: Luca Guadagnino's Zendaya-Led Dramedy About Love And Rivalry Across The Tennis Court". Deadline. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  18. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2024". Paste. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  19. ^ Pond, Steve (November 25, 2024). "'Wicked' Leads Nominations for Astra Film Awards". TheWrap. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Evans, Greg (December 12, 2024). "'Conclave' And 'Wicked' Lead Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  21. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (December 9, 2024). "Golden Globes Nominations Full List Revealed: 'Emilia Perez' Leads In Film & 'The Bear' Leads TV". Deadline. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  22. ^ Fekadu, Mesfin (November 8, 2024). "Grammy Nominations: Beyoncé Leads with 11; Kendrick Lamar, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish Earn 7 Each". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  23. ^ Grein, Paul (November 21, 2024). "'Emilia Pérez' and Hans Zimmer Are Top Winners at 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  24. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  25. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  27. ^ "Trent Reznor Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  28. ^ "Trent Reznor Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  29. ^ "Trent Reznor Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  30. ^ Pilley, Max (April 26, 2024). "'Challengers' soundtrack: artist info, tracklist and where to listen". NME. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  31. ^ Warner, Sam (September 9, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' 'Challengers' score to be released on vinyl". NME. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  32. ^ Taylor, Drew (April 24, 2024). "Boys Noize Shares the Inside Story of the Challengers Album". TheWrap. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  33. ^ Hess, Tobias (April 25, 2024). "Boys Noize Spins Techno Tennis Tracks for 'Challengers'". Paper. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  34. ^ Strauss, Matthew (April 12, 2024). "Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Boys Noize Connect for New Challengers [Mixed] Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  35. ^ Pilley, Max (April 12, 2024). "Listen to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' Boys Noize remix of 'Challengers' score". NME. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  36. ^ "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Boys Noize - Challengers [MIXED] by Boys Noize". Record Store Day. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  37. ^ Ragusa, Paolo (April 12, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' Challengers [Mixed]: Review". Consequence. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
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