Hope is stronger than Fear
Catching Fire – the highly anticipated sequel to 2012’s ‘The Hunger Games’ that took the world by storm, is celebrating its worldwide release on Friday 22 November. Collecting over $691 million at the box office, The Hunger Games was one of the top 5 most successful movies of 2012. The first “Hunger Games” CD also became the top-selling soundtrack of last year – we take a look at this year’s distinctly different dark and mysterious sounds.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, just like the first part of the trilogy, features an eclectic mix of artists in its new soundtrack. Just as Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) hit stardom in the film’s 74th Hunger Games, the soundtrack also features some serious A-list big names like Coldplay, Christina Aguilera and Ellie Goulding pitching in.
The soundtrack itself is a mixed bag, with songs spanning several genres. Who would expect Coldplay, The Weeknd and Santigold to fit together? Or punker Patti Smith and the New Zealand pop phenomenon Lorde? Music Supervisor Alexandra Patsavas managed to connect all these artists forming a powerful-sounding anthem.
Speaking of Lorde, her down-tempo cover of ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ turns the original from Tears for Fears on its head, playing up the haunting elements for an almost unrecognizable, sinister cover.
Powerful, yet restrained ballads by Christina Aguilera (We Remain), Imagine Dragons and their dramatic percussion (Who We Are) and The National (Lean) are sure to appeal to the younger crowd that the movie is targeted at.
http://youtu.be/qwbmEKG163A
Romance is a large part of the story, and Sia steals the show with ‘Elastic Heart’. It may not be the strongest track on the album, but with lyrics like “Love is a battlefield” make the song a great fit for the Hunger Games.
The soundtrack does feature a ragtag crew of Indie bands, but chart hits are far more prevalent than in the first film. The Catching Fire soundtrack does away with the rural feel inspired by the first film, keeping in line with the advances in Suzanne Collin’s dystopian tale.
Full track list here:
1. Atlas – Coldplay
2. Silhuoettes – Of Monsters and Men
3. Elastic Heart (feat. The Weeknd and Diplo – Sia
4. Lean – The National
5. We Remain – Christina Aguilera
6. Devil May Cry – The Weeknd
7. Who We Are – Imagine Dragons
8. Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Lorde
9. Gale Song – The Lumineers
10. Mirror – Ellie Goulding
11. Capitol Letter – Patti Smith
12. Shooting Arrows at the Sky – Santigold
13. Place For Us – Mikky Ekko
14. Lights – Phantogram
15. Angel on Fire – Antony & The Johnsons
