The Presence of Music in Global Media 

By Kieri Keys ‘24, Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer

Shreya Goshal, India’s top playback singer, singing “Saibo” 

(Sanjith Sidhardhan)

When Birds of Prey, a DC superhero film about Harley Quinn, first premiered, the original soundtrack triggered a large discussion. This soundtrack included singles from Doja Cat, Normani, Meghan thee Stallion, and more. It blew up, debuting at 23 on Billboard 200 and spreading like wildfire to younger audiences due to its powerful, high-quality, all-female album.

A soundtrack is different from a background score: it’s a collection of individual songs as opposed to a composed set of music meant to set the mood. While it’s not rare to hear a popular artist make a song specifically for an American film, many people were shocked to see an entire original album filled with number one hits by popular artists.

While Birds of Prey is a great example of film creators dedicating time and money to cultivate a diverse and strong original album, other countries have different variations of the soundtrack experience. In Korea, the typical one-season shows that dominate cable, known as dramas or Kdramas, dedicate a lot of attention to their OSTs(original soundtracks). Series albums usually contain one track per episode, including songs by idols, debuting artists, and even actors from the shows themselves. As the series progresses, the songs debut individually, with audiences waiting with bated breath to see how the new music will appear in the episode. 

In India, the culture around music is even more intense. For context, mainstream Indian movies are usually musicals, meaning they’re sprinkled with songs to maintain energy through the typical running length of 2.5-3 hours. In American musical movies, actors usually sing for themselves; however, this sometimes causes controversy when the actors aren’t musically inclined (e.g. Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast or Russell Crowe in Les Miserables). Nevertheless, Bollywood has found a solution for that problem. In addition to original soundtracks created for each film, there are playback singers– singers who make a career singing musical numbers that actors lip-sync on screen. Shreya Ghoshal, a famous Bollywood playback singer, has sung almost 3000 songs for films in more than 20 languages since her debut at 18 for the 2002 film Devdas. Like a lot of playback singers, she’s rarely shown her face in films. You recognize an actor by their face, but you recognize a singer by their voice.

The new release, Dune, starring Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet, has been praised for the artistry and quality of its music, using unique instruments like the bagpipe to achieve beauty in an unfamiliar sound. A fan of the movie commented, “My favorite soundtrack is Hans Zimmer’s Dune soundtrack. I thought nothing could beat Lord of the Rings, but here we are. I love to hear instruments and techniques that sound like [they] come straight out of the fantasy world. Soundtracks have huge potential to not only reflect the mood of a setting but reflect the culture and history of a far-off world. I get to relive and remember the experience better and recognize the soundtrack the next time I watch the movie- it makes rewatching way more interesting.” American movie soundtracks like the Birds of Prey album use big names in the music industry to increase the celebrity draw of a film, while foreign soundtracks are often used to enhance the experience of the viewer and enhance the current mood. The Oscar award-winning movie, Parasite, was praised for its stunning piano score with swells and lulls that perfectly captured the tension and danger of every scene. Whether building anticipation for the release of an episode, providing the subculture of playback singers, or extending the viewership experience long after the movie has ended, soundtracks and scores are elevating media across the world.