Have you listened to the music from the new The Great Gatsby reboot? Why the heck not?! It’s amazing. My go-to station on Pandora is the Lana Del Rey station. The eclectic mix on there keeps it fresh. So when I popped in the Gatsby CD, it was like listening to my favorite music already. Artists ranging from, of course, Lana Del Rey (whose track “Young and Beautiful” is the main theme song of the movie, and of Gatsby and Daisy), Florence and the Machine, The Xx, Gotye, Jack White, Beyonce, Andre 3000,Fergie and Jay-Z. And those are just the big names. The album starts with Jay-Z. Considering he is the Executive Producer of both the soundtrack and the film, I’m ok with it. Honestly though, the only redeeming factor about the song is the sampling of quotes taken from the movie.
The rest of the soundtrack is a mix of upbeat, flashy old-timey music that has been updated, but not overly so, for the dub-step era and somber slow songs that make one feel the weight of the world.
Beyonce and Andre 3000 cover Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” in a way that let’s me know they appreciate Amy. Nothing will be as good as the original, but I have never heard Beyonce’s voice sound so silky and sexy. Fergie’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” is sure to make anyone dance. It has the rhythm of the 20’s with hints of modern beats to make old and young feel good about life. Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful” has the same effect on me as most of her songs do, like a sweet sadness has enveloped me, but that it will all be okay. Basically like being a teenager on the verge of adulthood. Jack White’s “Love is Blindness” is so wrought with anger that you can’t help but feel Gatsby’s anger at his luckless situation with Daisy throughout the entire film.
The best song on the soundtrack is “Where the Wind Blows” by Coco O. I have never heard of Coco O. before, but believe me, I am glad I have now. This song brings out my inner hippie. It makes me want to dance barefoot in the morning dew. The song is just so dang happy-go-lucky, that you can’t help but sing along to it, and really for me, that is amazing music.
Below are some YouTube links for some the awesome songs. I won’t go through all the songs as that would be boring. Who wants to read about them when you can listen?! Go buy the CD, if you are “old-school” like me, OR go download it on iTunes!
Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful”
Bryan Ferry’s “Love is the Drug”
Florence and the Machine’s “Over the Love”
Coco O.’s “Where the Wind Blows”
The Xx’s “Together”
Gotye’s “Heart’s a Mess”
Jack White’s “Love is Blindness”
Sia’s “Kill and Run”
written by Adrian Puryear
Hush Comics 