Her (score)
{{short description|2021 film score by Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Her (Original Score)
| type = Film score
| artist = Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett
| cover = Her (Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett).png
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2021|03|19}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 39:59
| label = Milan
| producer = {{hlist|Arcade Fire{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2020 |title=Credits / Her (Original Score) / Arcade Fire |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/173110614/credits |access-date=March 20, 2021 |website=Tidal}}|Owen Pallett}}
| chronology = Arcade Fire
| prev_title = Everything Now
| prev_year = 2017
| next_title = We
| next_year = 2022
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Owen Pallett
| type = Film score
| prev_title = Island
| prev_year = 2020
| title = Her (Original Score)
| year = 2021
| next_title = Dream Scenario (Original Motion Picture Score)
| next_year = 2023
}}
}}
Her (Original Score) is the film score composed by Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett for the 2013 film Her, directed by Spike Jonze and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson. The score was not officially released to the public until March 2021.
It was nominated for Best Original Score at the 86th Academy Awards.
Background
The score for the film was credited to Arcade Fire, with additional music by Owen Pallett. Arcade Fire's Will Butler and Pallett were the major contributors.{{Cite web |last=Battan |first=Carrie |date=February 20, 2014 |title=Watch: Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett's Her Score, Behind the Scenes |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/54060-watch-arcade-fire-and-owen-palletts-her-score-behind-the-scenes |access-date=October 12, 2015 |website=Pitchfork}} At the 86th Academy Awards, the score was nominated for Best Original Score. In addition to the score, Arcade Fire also wrote the song "Supersymmetry" for the film, which also appears on their album Reflektor. The melody for the song from the same album, called "Porno", can also be heard during the soundtrack.{{Cite web |last=Eggertsen |first=Chris |date=November 14, 2013 |title='Her' Q&A: Spike Jonze on why he replaced Samantha Morton with Scarlett Johansson |url=http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/her-qa-spike-jonze-on-why-he-replaced-samantha-morton-with-scarlett-johansson |access-date=September 18, 2015 |website=Hitfix |archive-date=February 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223235159/http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/her-qa-spike-jonze-on-why-he-replaced-samantha-morton-with-scarlett-johansson |url-status=dead }} Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O recorded the song "The Moon Song", a duet with Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.{{Cite magazine |last=Muller |first=Marissa G. |date=February 10, 2014 |title=Karen O and Ezra Koenig Team for Dreamy 'Moon Song' – Song Premiere |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/karen-o-and-ezra-koenig-team-for-dreamy-moon-song-song-premiere-20140210 |access-date=February 8, 2018 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}
Release
Initially, the soundtrack had not been released to the general public in either digital or physical form.{{Cite magazine |last=Anderson |first=Kyle |date=January 23, 2014 |title=Want to buy the Oscar-nominated music from the 'Her' soundtrack? You can't |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2014/01/23/her-soundtrack-score-arcade-fire-oscars |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204020613/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/01/23/her-soundtrack-score-arcade-fire-oscars |archive-date=February 4, 2015 |access-date=February 19, 2021 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} A 13-track score appeared for streaming on the website 8tracks.com in January 2014, before being taken down. Warner Bros. Pictures, the film's distributor, provided no official statement on the absence of an official release of the score.{{Cite web |last=Jagernauth |first=Kevin |date=January 21, 2014 |title=Listen: Arcade Fire's Complete Score For Spike Jonze's 'Her' |url=http://www.indiewire.com/2014/01/listen-arcade-fires-complete-score-for-spike-jonzes-her-89952/ |access-date=February 8, 2018 |website=IndieWire}} Earlier in 2013, Warner Bros. sent promotional CDs of the score and "The Moon Song" to critics for review. Copies of the promotional CDs later ended up on online auction websites. The score was ultimately made available through unofficial YouTube streams and illegal downloads.{{Cite web |date=May 15, 2014 |title=Please Press: Arcade Fire/Owen Pallett — Her OST ‹ Modern Vinyl |url=http://modern-vinyl.com/2014/05/15/please-press-arcade-fireowen-pallett-her-ost/ |access-date=February 19, 2021 |website=modern-vinyl.com}}
During an "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) on Reddit on June 17, 2016, Will Butler mentioned the possibility of a future vinyl release.{{Cite web |date=June 17, 2016 |title=I'm Will Butler, AMA! |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/4okhx2/im_will_butler_ama/d4dc9sd/ |access-date=September 27, 2017 |website=Reddit}} Finally, on February 10, 2021, Arcade Fire announced that the score would be available for the first time digitally, on white-colored vinyl, and on cassette on March 19, 2021, by Milan Records.{{Cite web |last=Torres |first=Eric |date=February 10, 2021 |title=Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett Releasing Her Score for the First Time |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/arcade-fire-and-owen-pallett-releasing-her-score-for-the-first-time/ |access-date=February 11, 2021 |website=Pitchfork |publisher=Condé Nast}}
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = Consequence of Sound
| rev1score = A{{Cite web |last=Roffman |first=Michael |date=February 28, 2014 |title=Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett – Her Original Motion Picture Score |url=https://consequence.net/2014/02/album-review-arcade-fire-and-owen-pallett-her-original-motion-picture-score/ |access-date=February 19, 2021 |website=Consequence of Sound}}
| rev2 = Exclaim!
| rev2score = 8/10{{Cite web |last=Hudson |first=Alex |date=March 23, 2021 |title=Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett's 'Her' Score Mixes Quiet Minimalism with Big Emotional Payoffs |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/arcade_fire_owen_pallett_her_original_score_album_review |access-date=March 25, 2021 |website=Exclaim!}}
}}
Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound gave the score an "A" rating, calling it "a strikingly human and organic collection of music that keeps the film grounded in reality." Alex Hudson of Exclaim! called the score "proof that [Arcade Fire] can craft an emotional payoff with minimalism rather than the usual pomp."
=Accolades=
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Her (Original Score) track listing{{Cite web |title=Her (Original Score) by Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/her-original-score/1553022037 |access-date=February 19, 2021 |website=Apple Music}}
| all_writing = Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett
| title1 = Sleepwalker
| length1 = 3:14
| title2 = Milk & Honey #1
| length2 = 1:27
| title3 = Loneliness #3 (Night Talking)
| length3 = 3:25
| title4 = Divorce Papers
| length4 = 3:14
| title5 = Morning Talk / Supersymmetry
| length5 = 4:13
| title6 = Some Other Place
| length6 = 3:38
| title7 = Song on the Beach
| length7 = 3:35
| title8 = Loneliness #4 (Other People's Letters)
| length8 = 0:59
| title9 = Owl
| length9 = 2:20
| title10 = Photograph
| length10 = 2:25
| title11 = Milk & Honey #2
| length11 = 3:19
| title12 = We're All Leaving
| length12 = 2:31
| title13 = Dimensions
| length13 = 5:39
| total_length = 39:59
}}
Notes
- "Milk & Honey #1" was titled "Milk & Honey" on the promotional release.
- "Milk & Honey #2" was titled "Milk & Honey (Alan Watts & 641)" on the promotional release.
Charts
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Chart performance for Her ! scope="col"| Chart (2021) ! scope="col"| Peak |
{{album chart|Austria|72|artist=Soundtrack / Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett|album=Her|rowheader=true|access-date=April 4, 2021}} |
{{album chart|Flanders|130|artist=Soundtrack / Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett|album=Her|rowheader=true|access-date=March 26, 2021}} |
{{album chart|Wallonia|54|artist=Soundtrack / Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett|album=Her|rowheader=true|access-date=March 26, 2021}} |
{{album chart|Germany4|14|id=474732|artist=Soundtrack / Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett|album=Her|rowheader=true|access-date=March 26, 2021}} |
{{album chart|Portugal|23|artist=Soundtrack / Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett|album=Her|rowheader=true|access-date=April 2, 2021}} |
{{album chart|Scotland|12|date=20210326|rowheader=true|access-date=March 27, 2021}} |
{{album chart|UK2|95|date=20210326|rowheader=true|access-date=March 27, 2021}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Arcade Fire}}
{{Owen Pallett}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2021 collaborative albums
Category:2021 soundtrack albums
Category:Milan Records soundtracks
Category:Instrumental soundtracks
Category:Drama film soundtracks
Category:Science fiction film soundtracks