Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ Composer Joined Forces With Travis Scott
Black Panther is one of the best films so far in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did it represent an important historical and cultural moment for representation in superhero movies, but it also had one of the most exciting premises. Whether you were rooting for T’challa and the people of Wakanda or secretly hoping that Killmonger would succeed in getting his way, even those who aren’t normally Marvel fans seemed to fall in love with Black Panther.
A big contributing factor to the success of Black Panther was an incredible score by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson, for which he won an Oscar. Before Black Panther, Göransson had previously worked on the movie Creed and TV shows like Atlanta and Community. Göransson’s next big film score collaboration is with rapper Travis Scott. So what is this collaboration and why are fans so excited about it?
Ludwig Göransson made the drama of ‘Black Panther’ come alive
If you’re not familiar with Black Panther, it follows a character named T’Challa who takes over the African kingdom of Wakanda after his father’s death. As King, he must also assume the role of Black Panther, a superhero whose power comes from a combination of a unique element called vibranium and Wakanda’s advanced technological prowess. The movie featured T’Challa’s journey protecting the throne from a challenger named Killmonger who wanted Wakanda to share their technologies with the world.
It’s a high-velocity story with a high-impact soundtrack that perfectly sets the tone. To get the right sound, Göransson went out of his way to research African music and make sure things sounded authentic, including taking research trips to Africa. He also invited African musicians like Baaba Maal to collaborate with him on the project to lend the sound greater authenticity.
Goränsson’s next big deal film score collaboration involves Travis Scott
After the success of Black Panther, Göransson managed to catch the eye (or is it ears?) of other Hollywood movers and shakers, including none other than renowned director Christopher Nolan. Göransson was consequently tapped to develop music for Nolan’s upcoming film, Tenet. In order to get the perfect song, Göransson decided he would make it a collaboration and called up Travis Scott.
The two were working on the beats for the track during the course of lockdown. When Scott accidentally gave GQ a little preview of the track when being interviewed for his September cover, they described it as “a brain-liquefying trip through time and space.” Considering that actually makes for a pretty good description of most of Nolan’s films, it would seem like Göransson and Scott are on the right path to creating a fire track for Tenet with their track, “The Plan.”
Christopher Nolan had some super flattering things to say about Travis Scott
When talking to GQ, Scott mentioned that he had never really worked on a film before Göransson called him up, so he was happy that the team-up seemed to be going so well. Luckily, being a bit new to the game didn’t keep Scott from getting a rave review from the person it’s most important to impress when working on a song for a film — the director.
Of Scott, Christopher Nolan told GQ, “His voice became the final piece of a yearlong puzzle … His insights into the musical and narrative mechanism Ludwig Göransson and I were building were immediate, insightful, and profound…” That’s a huge compliment coming from someone whose reputation is for being one of the best in the game!
Tenet is set to be released in early September 2020 after having been delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Given what Nolan has to say about Scott and the magic he made in the studio with Göransson on “The Plan,” the film is sure to have a score as impactful as that of Black Panther or anything else Göransson has ever touched.
