Music Review: Fifty Shades of Grey Official Soundtrack

Fifty Shades of Grey, the controversial and best-selling book-turned-movie, is accompanied by several different shades of music. The soundtrack features original tracks from The Weeknd, Sia, Ellie Goulding and Skylar Grey, as well as covers by Beyoncé and electronic rock band AWLONATION.

Overall, the artists bring quieter tones to contribute to an introspective album. Sia and Skylar Grey, with their pure and unique tones, work towards creating a sense of heightened vulnerability through breathy styles. Grey’s “I Know You,” while entrancing, fails to cross over to “beauty through vulnerability” as many of her previous ballads have. The song goes further than necessary to demonstrate human insecurity, and, through her timid vocals, the song is haunting until the last sound byte. “Salted Wounds”, Sia’s contribution, provides more grounding than Grey’s, and, although I wished the song could have lived up to its potential, as a loyal Sia fan, I appreciated the musical complexity and held no deep critiques of the track.

Breaking from the depressing ballads of Sia and Grey, The Weeknd greatly impresses with the sultry track “Earned It”. Slower than the average bump and grind song yet still dripping with sexual innuendo, the smooth bass, brass, strings and vocals fall closer to Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On” than any track you’d hear at Shooters II. Additionally, Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” provides energy that the other vocal artists failed to give, but the song has very little substance.

Regarding the covers, AWOLNATION effectively drives Springsteen’s classic, "I'm on Fire", in a new, postmodern direction; the song gains a darker overtone in exchange for a more direct musical message. In contrast, Beyoncé’s new rendition of “Crazy in Love” is worthy of a horror movie theme song or accompaniment for a nightmare where your Barbies come alive and watch you sleep.

Though the soundtrack can stand on its own apart from the movie, the dark, nuanced tones of the Fifty Shades soundtrack fit the complexities of the romantic and sexual relationships that the movie promises to tackle.