The Color Purple is the 2023 film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, which in turn was based on Alice Walker's 1982 novel. Three soundtrack albums were released for the film.
The first album, The Color Purple (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), was released on December 15, 2023, and feature the film's musical numbers performed by the cast. The second album, The Color Purple (Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture) was released on December 22, and also feature the musical numbers alongside songs that are not used as musical numbers in the film and performed by popular artists. Both albums were published by WaterTower in collaboration with Gamma.
The third album, The Color Purple (Original Motion Picture Score), was released on December 25 by WaterTower, and feature the film's original score composed by Kris Bowers
The Color Purple featured musical performances from the Broadway production and the original 1985 film. Bazawule described the challenging aspect is being "how to make Broadway music more cinematic", hence he took the influences of African-American music and transitioned it to gospel, blues and jazz to achieve the same. [1] 13 songs from the musical were not included in the film, whereas the song "She Be Mine", which was cut from the musical had been reinstated in the film. [2] [3]
Kris Bowers met Bazawule in late-2021, six months before the film began production. They discussed on whether the score needed to glue with the songs, for which he replied "Even if the score was going to have its own identity, it was important that we had some sort of tangential connection between the songs and whatever I was writing". [4] His early involvement was mostly on the process of pre-recording and arranging the songs. [5] Bazawule showed Bowers, several storyboards for the two-hour version of the film so that he could underly the emotional and character-based themes for the film. [6]
For Mister's (Domingo) theme, he incorporated a banjo which has "an underlying, eerie texture that represents the twisted internal world for him". For other characters, most of the score carried their "internal feelings" throughout their journey, but in a way that is different from the songs. [7] For Celie's (Fantasia) theme, it had a sense of simplicity and a bit of loneliness in the beginning. The score begins with a sparse note, but as her story grows and she steps into power, it grows into a full blown orchestral sound. He wanted the theme to have the brightness and joy as well as scope and scale to it, especially during the emotional moments. [4] A 22-feet gramaphone has been used as an integral part of the film score. [8]
At sequences, where Celie and Shug Avery (Henson) celebrated the color purple, the score had to compliment the scene and not to overpower. Hence, he recorded the sequence with close microphones and a smaller ensemble to give an intimate feeling. [9]
On November 10, 2023, Warner Bros. submitted two original songs from the film for award submission as a part of their For Your Consideration campaign; the titles were revealed to be "Keep It Movin'" and "Superpower (I)". [10] [11] The former was released as a single on November 11, 2023. The song was composed by the record production and songwriting duo Nova Wav, which involeves Denisia Andrews and Brittany Coney, and is produced by Nick Baxter, Stephen Bray, Morten Ristorp and the director himself under the pseudonym "Blitz the Ambassador". [12] Halle Bailey and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi performed the song. [13] [14]
The second single "Lifeline" was released on November 27; the same day the soundtrack being announced. Alicia Keys co-wrote and co-produced the song, with Marshmello, Tricky Stewart and production team TMS. [15] [16] It was described by Keys as a "heartfelt ode to the unequivocal comfort emanating from friends, family, and community that holds us up as we face life's challenging moments." [17]
The Color Purple (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
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Soundtrack album by various artists | |
Released | December 15, 2023 |
Genre | |
Length | 52:14 |
Label | |
Producer |
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Singles from The Color Purple (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
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On November 27, WaterTower Music, Warner Records and Gamma Records announced the release of the soundtrack featuring performances from the cast members—Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, and Fantasia Barrino. [18] [16] The album featured numbers from both the musical as well as the 1985 film. [15] The album was released on December 15. [19] [20]
No. | Title | Artist(s)/Performer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Huckleberry Pie" | 1:07 | |
2. | "Mysterious Ways" |
| 3:47 |
3. | "She Be Mine" |
| 3:39 |
4. | "Keep It Movin'" |
| 3:53 |
5. | "Workin'" |
| 1:16 |
6. | "Hell No!" |
| 3:10 |
7. | "Shug Avery" |
| 3:16 |
8. | "Dear God – Shug" | Fantasia | 1:19 |
9. | "Push Da Button" | Taraji P. Henson | 4:22 |
10. | "What About Love?" |
| 2:31 |
11. | "Agoo" | The Color Purple ensemble | 1:23 |
12. | "Hell No!" (Reprise) | Fantasia | 1:47 |
13. | "Miss Celie's Blues" (Sister) | Taraji P. Henson | 2:27 |
14. | "Miss Celie's Pants" |
| 2:58 |
15. | "I'm Here" | Fantasia | 4:51 |
16. | "Maybe God Is Tryin' To Tell You Somethin'" |
| 2:10 |
17. | "The Color Purple" |
| 3:55 |
18. | "Superpower" (I) | Fantasia | 4:30 |
Total length: | 52:21 |
The Color Purple (Music from and Inspired By) [21] | |
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Soundtrack album by various artists | |
Released | December 15, 2023 |
Genre | Film soundtrack |
Length | 120:14 |
Label |
|
Producer |
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Singles from The Color Purple (Music from and Inspired By) | |
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Besides the original soundtrack, an "Inspired by" album was unveiled by the producers featuring contributions from popular artists such as Alicia Keys, Usher, Mörda, Mary J. Blige, Megan Thee Stallion, Jennifer Hudson, Keyshia Cole, Ludmilla, Jorja Smith, Coco Jones, Mary Mary, and Missy Elliott. [16] [18] The album also featured tracks from the first album (1–18) along with the new additions, consisting of around 37 tracks in total. [15]
No. | Title | Artist(s)/Performer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
19. | "Risk It All" | 3:21 | |
20. | "No Love Lost" | Keyshia Cole | 4:45 |
21. | "Lifeline" | Alicia Keys | 3:47 |
22. | "Finally" | Jorja Smith | 4:09 |
23. | "Keep Pushin'" (Missy Elliott remix) | Halle Bailey | 2:28 |
24. | "When I Can't Do Better" | Mary J. Blige | 3:40 |
25. | "There Will Come a Day" | Celeste | 3:44 |
26. | "Any Worse" (Squeak's Song) | H.E.R. | 4:26 |
27. | "Hell No!" (reprise) (Missy Elliott remix) | 2:12 | |
28. | "You See Me" | Coco Jones | 3:11 |
29. | "Workin'" (Timbaland remix) |
| 2:30 |
30. | "Mysterious Ways" (Mörda remix) | Tamela Mann | 4:11 |
31. | "All I Need" | Jennifer Hudson | 5:04 |
32. | "Hell No!" (Timbaland remix) |
| 2:58 |
33. | "100" | Jane Handcock | 3:05 |
34. | "Eternity" | October London | 3:38 |
35. | "No Time" |
| 3:55 |
36. | "Girls" | 2:26 | |
37. | "Maybe God Is Tryin' To Tell You Somethin'" |
| 4:23 |
Total length: | 120:14 |
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
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UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC) [22] | 8 |
The Color Purple (Original Motion Picture Score) | ||||
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Film score by | ||||
Released | December 25, 2023 | |||
Recorded | 2022–2023 | |||
Genre | Film score | |||
Label | WaterTower | |||
Producer | Kris Bowers | |||
Kris Bowers chronology | ||||
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The score album to the film composed by Kris Bowers was released by WaterTower Music on December 25, 2023. [17]
Writing for Soul Bounce , D-Money reviewed the soundtrack, saying "It might all seem a bit overstuffed — and with a runtime nearly as long as the film itself, one could argue that it is — but the hodgepodge approach works in its own way as it offers a little something for everyone to enjoy." [23]
Fred Topel of United Press International said that the songs are "rousing" and the choreography being "energetic" even in serious numbers. [24]
Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood wrote "Kris Bowers has provided an underscore that perfectly suits the action but respects the sound legions of fans of the live show will be expecting." [25]
Carla Renate of TheWrap said that Kris Bowers "does a wonderful job of marrying a new score with selections from the Broadway production". [26]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
African-American Film Critics Association Awards | 2024 | Best Music | Kris Bowers | Won | [27] |
Black Reel Awards | January 16, 2024 | Outstanding Original Score | Won | [28] | |
Outstanding Original Song | "Keep It Movin'" [lower-alpha 1] | Won | |||
Outstanding Original Soundtrack | The Color Purple | Won | |||
Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 15, 2023 | Original Song — Feature Film | "Keep It Movin'" [lower-alpha 1] | Nominated | [29] [30] |
Song — Onscreen Performance (Film) | "Keep It Movin'" [lower-alpha 2] | Nominated | |||
MTV Video Music Awards | September 10, 2024 | Best R&B | "Lifeline" [lower-alpha 3] | Pending | [31] |
NAACP Image Awards | March 16, 2024 | Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film | Kris Bowers | Nominated | [32] |
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album | The Color Purple (2023 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Won | |||
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 10, 2023 | Best Original Score | Kris Bowers | Nominated | [33] |
In December 2023, the score was shortlisted for Best Original Score at the 96th Academy Awards, as well as Best Original Song for "Keep It Movin'" and "Superpower (I)". [11]
The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker that won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.
Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor, known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence in 2004 for her performance of the Porgy and Bess standard "Summertime" during the third season of American Idol, and eventually became that season's winner. Following her victory, Barrino became the second woman to have her first single debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, following Lauryn Hill, when her debut single "I Believe", launched atop the chart. Her accolades include two Billboard Music Awards and a Grammy Award, along with nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award. In 2024, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people.
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the soundtrack to the film of the same name, in 1938. The first soundtrack album of a film's orchestral score was that for Alexander Korda's 1942 film Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, composed by Miklós Rózsa.
The Color Purple is a 1985 American epic coming-of-age period drama film that was directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes. It is based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker and was Spielberg's eighth film as a director, marking a turning point in his career as it was a departure from the summer blockbusters for which he had become known. It was also the first feature film directed by Spielberg for which John Williams did not compose the music, instead featuring a score by Quincy Jones, who also produced. The film stars Whoopi Goldberg in her breakthrough role, with Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, and Adolph Caesar.
David Norman Yazbek is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty (2000), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010), The Band's Visit (2017), and Tootsie (2019). His most recent projects include the musicals Dead Outlaw and Buena Vista Social Club.
LaChanze Sapp-Gooding, known professionally as LaChanze, is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical in 2006 for her role as Celie Harris Johnson in The Color Purple. In 2023, LaChanze received two more Tony Awards, this time as a producer. She served as co-producer on Kimberly Akimbo, which won the Tony for Best New Musical and Topdog/Underdog, which won for Best Revival of a Play.
The Color Purple is a musical with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, based on the 1982 novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker and its 1985 film adaptation. The musical follows the journey of Celie, an African American woman in the American South from the early to mid-20th century.
Kristopher Bowers is an American composer, pianist and documentary director. He has composed scores for films, including Green Book, King Richard, and The Color Purple, and television series, among them Bridgerton, Mrs. America, Dear White People, and When They See Us.
Cynthia Erivo is an English actress and singer. She gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Erivo ventured into films in 2018, playing roles in the heist film Widows and the thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. For her portrayal of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet (2019), Erivo received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress; she also wrote and performed the song "Stand Up" on its soundtrack, which garnered her a nomination in the Best Original Song category.
Halle Lynn Bailey, also known mononymously as Halle, is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She first became known as one half of the musical duo Chloe x Halle with her sister Chloe Bailey. They have released the albums The Kids Are Alright (2018) and Ungodly Hour (2020), and have together earned five Grammy Award nominations. In 2023, Bailey released her debut solo single "Angel", which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, known professionally as H.E.R., is an American R&B singer. She has won an Academy Award, a Children's and Family Emmy Award, and five Grammy Awards, along with nominations for a Golden Globe Award, three American Music Awards, and four Billboard Music Awards.
The Color Purple is a 2023 American musical period drama film directed by Blitz Bazawule. Marcus Gardley's screenplay is based on the stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It is the second film adaptation of the novel, following the 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Spielberg and Quincy Jones. Spielberg and Jones return as producers for the 2023 film, along with its Broadway producers Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, the latter of whom also starred in the 1985 film.
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"Lifeline" was released on November 27, 2023 through Gamma Records as the second single from the soundtrack album of the 2023 film The Color Purple. The song is performed by american singer-songwriter Alicia Keys.
"Keep It Movin'" was released on November 11, 2023 through Gamma Records as the first promotional single from the soundtrack album of the 2023 film The Color Purple. The song is performed by the film actresses Halle Bailey and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi as the younger versions of Nettie and Celie.
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi is an American actress and writer. She began her career by performing in the broadway production of The Lion King. Mpasi made her film debut as Celie Harris-Johnson in the 2023 version of The Color Purple, being recognized with a NAACP Image Awards for her performance and being nominated with the cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
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