The Fifty Shades of Grey Soundtrack May Be Hotter Than the Actual Movie
Although you may have been too absorbed in the erotic scenes to notice the music playing in the background, the Fifty Shades of Grey movie soundtrack is fire. Universal Studios and Republic Records came together and created a soundtrack that not only fits the steamy, intense story of Christain Grey and Ana Steele, it may even make it better. As I always say, the music makes the mood, so here are some of my favorite songs from the soundtrack.
1. “I Put A Spell On You” by Annie Lennox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TrSMaOZm3Y
This song has been around for decades and our generation probably remembers it mostly from Hocus Pocus. It's back once more and Annie Lennox kills it. You may have first heard her performance of this song at the Grammys with Hozier, after they sang his single “Take Me To Church.” In my opinion, their performance was the best of the night. “I Put A Spell On You” is very jazzy which makes it sultry, but it’s Annie Lennox’s powerful voice that is guaranteed to give you chills.
2. “Earned It” by The Weeknd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waU75jdUnYw
The Weeknd’s smooth, flawless R&B voice, plus romantic, sensitive lyrics like, “Cause girl you’re perfect, you’re always worth it,” have turned this song into one of the biggest hits on the soundtrack. The Weeknd’s voice is sexy enough as is, but with a sort-of jazzy orchestra added behind him, the song sounds like a great song to have sex to, which is why it’s perfect for the movie.
3. “Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJtDXIazrMo
It’s really the lyrics that make this song so great for the movie. It sounds like a personal serenade from Ana Steele to Christian Grey with the lyrics, “You’re the fear, I don’t care, I’ve never been so high” and “Touch me like you do.” Ellie Goulding also has an incredibly beautiful voice, which comes across sounding fairly innocent, so hearing her say these sort-of horny lyrics makes listeners naturally love the song even more. It’s the contradiction between innocence and lust that compels listeners, and it is a perfection representation of our dear Ana.
4. “Salted Wound” by Sia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJov8G_14-s
This song is so simple and delicate. It’s unbelievably gorgeous and makes you feel like you're in a fairy-tale. The song starts off with a very simple, light harp pattern, which continues throughout the rest of the song, but builds with more instruments. When Sia’s vocals begin she sounds super airy and dreamy, and she slurs her words to the point where it’s hard to decipher what she’s saying. But like the instrumentals, her voice grows with the song and becomes powerful at the end. One doesn’t even have to understand what Sia is saying to love this song — she has a voice that makes beautiful music no matter what.
5. “Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tRdBsnX4N4
This song is a classic, and I grew up listening to it. The Stones were constantly playing in my house as a kid, so I was sort of skeptical when I saw it was going to be on the Fifty Shades soundtrack. I was scared as to how they were going to change it, and I obviously did not want them to the ruin the song for me. However, I think they did an ah-mazing job. The main difference between the old version and the new version is the tempo. They picked up the speed for the film, but it makes it more fun. This song just really makes you want to dance and groove.
6. “I’m On Fire” by AWOLNATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-E2sq2Ezy8
We all know AWOLNATION for the hit song, “Sail” but now they’re back with another track that I think is going to be just as big. “I’m On Fire,” sounds like it’s going to be this super epic track from the title, but it really is a pretty low-key folky sounding tune, with suggestive lyrics like “I got a bad desire,” and “I can take you higher.” It’s once again the paradox of the innocent sound and the naughty lyrics that makes this song so intriguing.
7. “Crazy in Love (2014 Remix)" by Beyoncé
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtODgu7fCYE
The Beyhive may get pissed at me after I say this, but I think Beyoncé's voice sounds a little awkward throughout this whole song. She definitely is not in her normal element of belting amazing runs and sort of sounds like a mixture of Adele, Rihanna, with a little bit of Nicki Minaj in there too. Even with this, I love what Queen Bey did with the song. She slows it down almost painfully, but it’s this uncomfort that makes it so good. Plus, she adds an orchestra and a guitar solo, and there’s one verse where she even raps a little bit. With all of these things put together, I get chills every time the Fifty Shades trailer comes on... and not because of Christian Grey.
8. “One Last Night” by Vaults
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfrS-uvI0Q
The first time I actually heard of this artist was on this album, but it’s just one more super powerful, beautiful female voice. The song starts off with a sort of funky tune, but then the woman begins to sing and you get hooked to her very Florence & The Machine-esque voice. Like many songs on this album, Vaults has an orchestra playing behind her, which seems to be a theme of the album, but a theme that I’m really liking as it gives the album a bit of authority.
9. “I Know You” by Skylar Grey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECRRRcXycjI
Skylar Grey – maybe a relative of Christian? – is known for mashing up with rappers like Eminem, with her most well-known song being “I Need A Doctor.” But on this soundtrack she’s all by herself and she slays. Her voice is just absolutely beuatiful and has no flaws. The way she holds out the word “please” in each chorus is so beautiful but at the same time so eerie that is guaranteed to leave you with goose-bumps.
10. “Witchcraft (Remastered)” by Frank Sinatra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29gIJUa434o
When I saw that Frank Sinatra was going to be on the album, I thought that it was going to feel very out of place. But listening to this remastered classic, it all made sense. The lyrics relate to Annie Lennox’s “I Put A Spell On You” but also just go along with the entire sexual theme: “When you arouse the need in me, my heart says ‘indeed.’” Plus it goes along with the jazzy theme that the soundtrack is following. When you hear this song on-screen you’ll realize that there is really no better song to replace it.
Art by Shawna Rabbas