Original soundtrack
| Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Soundtrack album by various artists | |
| Released | April 18, 2025 |
| Recorded | 2024–2025 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 72:10 |
| Label | Sony Masterworks |
| Producer | Ludwig Göransson |
| Singles from Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
| |
Background
Coogler's regular collaborator Ludwig Göransson worked on the soundtrack of Sinners. [1] Göransson developed the soundscape from his experience with American blues music. His father was a blues aficionado, and they both listened to his recordings of blues musicians. His father also filmed concerts to share with his son. [1] Göransson was also obsessed with Metallica during his early stages, which developed his musical interest and passion for guitar. When he read the script, he was impressed with Coogler's integration of music into the narrative, which "felt organic and unforced" – it was evident that "they were all interconnected with great intentionality". [2]
For Sinners, Coogler and Göransson worked together on developing the music, with the former having played the guitar during the scriptwriting sessions while also being trained by Göransson on mastering the instruments. [1] They felt challenged in making the music authentic to the movie's 1930's setting, with Göransson saying "What did it really sound like back then? How do we make the audience today feel like they’re hearing something fresh, yet true to the time?" [2] The major problem was the fact that there are no great recordings of the 1930s, and film footages were lost. The remains of the music from that period are distorted in pitch, as well as hissing and scratching all over the records. [2] However, as those recordings were captured live on stage, "it was this energy and atmosphere of live musical performances that we wanted to capture in the juke joint setting." [2]
During the pre-production, Coogler sent Göransson several recordings from the 1930s and early 1940s, particularly the works of Robert Johnson and Tommy Johnson; much of the music had been integrated into the script, and consisted of music from various genres—blues, Irish folk, gospel, jazz and soul music—all of them were performed onscreen. [2]
Production
Coogler and Göransson insisted on Ludwig's wife Serena Göransson producing the songs. As Serena was skeptical that they would be able to record them in studio and be able to visit New Orleans during weekends, they instead rented a house there and stayed for three months, writing the music. Serena Göransson, a classically-trained violinist, said that the southern Black music had to be handled with care and expert consultation, adding "I feel like a steward with this project [...] especially with the music. I just feel that it has a life of its own and the right artists are coming in to collaborate with us at the right time." [1]
The couple worked with Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, a blues producer who owns Royal Studios, visiting the B.B. King Museum and local juke joints in Clarksdale and Indianola with him for inspiration. [3] They recorded the songs at Royal Studios for five days with Mitchell and musicians including Alvin Youngblood Hart and Cedric Burnside. [2] Mitchell also worked with other blues musicians including Brittany Howard (the lead singer and guitarist of Alabama Shakes), Raphael Saadiq, Bobby Rush and Buddy Guy (who also starred in the film). [2] [4]
They rented a studio converted from a church in New Orleans and worked with the supporting cast Jack O'Connell, Lola Kirke, Peter Dreimanis and Jayme Lawson, rehearsing their songs multiple times. Much of the film was recorded live on set, with the cast members performing alongside other blues musicians. [1] Hailee Steinfeld wrote and recorded the original song "Dangerous" for this film. [5]
Release
Both the soundtrack and score to Sinners (produced and distributed by Warner Bros.) were released on Sony Music labels. That is unlike most Warner Bros. films, which are released on their in-house label WaterTower Music or record labels owned by Warner Music Group. [6] The soundtrack was released through Sony Masterworks on April 18, 2025, the same day as the film, [7] featuring 22 tracks performed by an array of blues musicians, alongside the cast members. [8] [9] The title song, performed by Rod Wave, was released as a single two weeks before the soundtrack and the score albums. [6] [10] [11]
Reception
Brandon Zachary of Screen Rant wrote "Sinners boasts a very impressive soundtrack that matches the critical heights of the Ryan Coogler vampire film." [8] Kambole Campbell of Little White Lies described it as a "typically inventive soundtrack from Ludwig Göransson". [12] David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote:
This isn't the first time that a Ludwig Göransson score has been inextricable from the texture of a Ryan Coogler movie, but Sinners opens with someone talking about a kind of music 'so pure it can pierce the veil between life and death, past and future' (a heavy gauntlet to drop at your composer’s feet!), and then proceeds to show us exactly what that sounds like. Twangy bass lines thick enough to saw down a redwood tree are shredded with shivers of electric guitar to create a blues sound that cuts a hole straight through the decades." [13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Little Light of Mine" | Traditional [14] | Miles Caton, DC6 Singers Collective and Pleasant Valley Youth Choir of New Orleans | 2:25 |
| 2. | "Flames of Fortune" | Ludwig Göransson, Don Toliver | Ludwig Göransson and Don Toliver | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Wang Dang Doodle" | Willie Dixon | Cedric Burnside, Sharde Thomas-Mallory and Tierinii Jackson | 2:24 |
| 4. | "Travelin'" | Alvin Youngblood Hart | Miles Caton | 1:34 |
| 5. | "Juke" | Little Walter | Bobby Rush and Miles Caton | 1:11 |
| 6. | "Séance" | James Blake, Ludwig Göransson | James Blake and Ludwig Göransson | 4:08 |
| 7. | "Dangerous" | Hailee Steinfeld, Sarah Aarons | Hailee Steinfeld | 3:33 |
| 8. | "I Lied to You" | Ludwig Göransson, Raphael Saadiq | Miles Caton | 5:14 |
| 9. | "Pick Poor Robin Clean" | Geeshie Wiley | Jack O'Connell, Lola Kirke and Peter Dreimanis | 1:45 |
| 10. | "Can't Win for Losin'" | Cedric Burnside, Tierinii Jackson | Cedric Burnside and Tierinii Jackson | 2:16 |
| 11. | "Old Corn Liquor" | Joe Thompson | Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson | 3:37 |
| 12. | "Will Ye Go, Lassie Go?" | Francis McPeake | Lola Kirke, Peter Dreimanis, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden and Jack O'Connell | 4:19 |
| 13. | "Pale, Pale Moon" | Brittany Howard, Ludwig Göransson | Jayme Lawson | 4:45 |
| 14. | "Rocky Road to Dublin" | Traditional | Jack O'Connell, Brian Dunphy and Darren Holden | 3:38 |
| 15. | "In Moonlight" | Jerry Cantrell, Ludwig Göransson | Jerry Cantrell and Ludwig Göransson | 4:21 |
| 16. | "Travelin'" | Alvin Youngblood Hart | Buddy Guy | 1:09 |
| 17. | "Last Time (I Seen the Sun)" | Alice Smith, Ludwig Göransson, Miles Caton | Alice Smith and Miles Caton | 3:17 |
| 18. | "Sinners" | Rod Wave, Tarkan Kozluklu, Darius Poviliūnas, Kyris Mingo, Leonard Denisenko, Travis Harrington | Rod Wave | 3:08 |
| 19. | "Troubled Waters / Homesick" | Ludwig Göransson, Noah Coogler, Noah Gorelick | OG DAYV and Uncle James | 4:05 |
| 20. | "Pale, Pale Moon" | Brittany Howard, Ludwig Göransson | Brittany Howard | 5:01 |
| 21. | "I Lied to You" (Radio Edit) | Ludwig Göransson, Raphael Saadiq | Miles Caton | 2:54 |
| 22. | "Pick Poor Robin Clean" | Geeshie Wiley | Geeshie Wiley | 3:12 |
| Total length: | 72:10 | |||
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Compilation Albums (OCC) [15] | 13 |
| UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC) [16] | 12 |
| UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC) [17] | 9 |
| US Billboard 200 [18] | 133 |
| US Top Soundtracks ( Billboard ) [19] | 2 |
