‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ soundtrack review
July 4, 2022
The highly anticipated ”Minions: The Rise of Gru” hit theaters this week, and the film’s hilarious jumble of fuzzy yellow sidekicks was not the only thing fans were looking forward to. The film’s soundtrack, produced by Jack Antonoff, which features big names like Diana Ross, Phoebe Bridgers and Thundercat, was released Friday alongside the movie. The album displays a wide array of genres ranging from hip-hop to classical, consisting mostly of covers with a few new original songs.
Among the covers, Phoebe Bridgers’ version of “Goodbye to Love” stood out the most, with her creepy vocals making this update of the soft-rock classic an instant hit. Weyes Blood’s modern interpretation of “You’re No Good” introduces a modern twist to its predecessor, making it appeal more to younger listeners. The contemporary production and freshly mastered vocals make the song an excellent cover of a timeless classic. “Goodbye to Love” and “You’re No Good” were the best on the soundtrack. Conversely, the soundtrack definitely features a few duds that even come across as irritating, such as the Minions’ recording of “Cecilia.” The high-pitched yodels by the Minions were not enjoyable.
The album contains two new covers of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang.” Caroline Polacheck and G.E.M. both recorded new renditions of the song. The album also includes a song from RZA, who contributed to the film’s score in the instrumental “Kung Fu Suite,” which makes for a nice addition to the soundtrack.
Though not on the film’s official soundtrack but released as part of the film promotion, Yeat’s “Rich Minion” makes for an unexpected hit, delivering the most impressive original song by far. Yeat delivers a quotable summer anthem that ties in nicely with the movie. Lyrical references to the “Despicable Me” films, such as “I don’t like Vector,” deliver a sense of nostalgia, making “Rich Minion” one of the feel-good songs of the year.
Despite the star-studded collaboration, Diana Ross and Tame Impala’s “Turn Up the Sunshine” only delivered a heavy disappointment. While many fans expected the collaboration to be a song of the year contender, “Turn Up the Sunshine” is far from that. While the song could have featured Ross’ soulful vocals or Tame Impala’s psychedelic sonic arrangements, the track ultimately falls short on both fronts, leaving out the gifts unique to the artists’ sounds that made them who they are today.
The “Minions: The Rise of Gru” soundtrack is more of a compilation than a cohesive collection of songs, which makes sense, considering it was released as a compilation album. However, the soundtrack includes a few bangers that could definitely make appearances in the rotation. While many of the anticipated covers disappoint, the collection definitely contains replay value and exceeds expectations when compared to other movie soundtracks.
2 ½ rich minions out of 5
