Written by James Stone
In June of 2022, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic was released and took theaters by storm across the nation. Both loved and criticized by many, the movie received a 77% on rotten tomatoes and made $151 million at the box office. Luhrmann’s directing and Austin Butler’s acting joined in depicting the fantastical and abominable Presley, cutting and splicing his story to create a work that is undeniably doting of the “King of Rock and Roll”. Regardless of whether you found Luhrmann’s depiction of Elvis admirable or absurd, the soundtrack certainly was something to turn over in your mind a few times hours after watching the movie. Along with the expected original Elvis tunes in the soundtrack, a jumble of featured artists, many of which who’ve been made famous or gained a resurgence through Tik Tok, are strewn around the tracklisting. From the likes of Doja Cat and Eminem to Stevie Nicks and Kacey Musgraves. Baz Luhrmann called, he said to leave your expectations at the door.
Elvis, or more so his ghost, enters the building with a drowned-out clip of “Suspicious Minds”, which comes and goes throughout the movie. Just as the viewer is getting ready to travel back in time and immerse themselves in the era of Elvis, Doja Cat’s “Vegas” sounds off to remind you that nothing is safe from the Tik Tok effect; not the music industry, nor the film industry, and definitely not even you. I love “Vegas” just as much as the next guy, the song itself is catchy and dynamic, but the song is sloppily forced into the Beale Street scene.
Take Big Mama Thornton’s original “Hound Dog”, which starts off slow and sultry but quickly picks up, put it in “Vegas”’s place, and it makes for a much more fitting and cinematic scene. After all, a big portion of the movie is about the great blues and soul musicians that influenced Elvis, so including material written and performed by artists like Big Mama Thornton, BB King, Fats Domino, and Little Richard would seem to create a more authentic soundtrack to the storytelling of Elvis Presley’s life. However, while initially watching this movie and being slightly annoyed by the lack of relevant music, I had to remind myself that not every biopic can be the clean-cut period piece that I wish it would be.
Followed by Doja Cat’s “Vegas” is “The King and I” by Eminem and CeeLo Green, which was the exact moment that I went from slightly annoyed to just disappointed. The irony of including a white artist who benefited from black music and culture in a soundtrack dedicated to a white artist who from black music and culture singing about just that; benefiting from black music and culture. More than the irony of it all, I just didnt like the song, plain and simple.
I did, however, really like a lot of the remixed Elvis originals that followed in the movie like the “Dont Fly Away” PNAU remix, “Product of the Ghetto” which features Nardo Wick, “Summer Kisses/In My Body”, and the Tame Impala “Edge of Reality” remix, all of which contributed to the cinematography and were seamlessly inserted into the film. Though, I do stand by the fact that I found some modern touches unnecessary, like the remastering of “I Got a Feelin’ in My Body”, which is already a banger on its own. I enjoyed the haunting effect that the “Craw-Fever” mashup brought to the already stress-ridden and crazed scenes showing the rise of Elvis.
Kacey Musgraves’ rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is lovely yet somber, certainly bringing weight to the scenes depicting the trials and tribulations of Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s marriage which the original never could’ve. Being that Musgraves plays Priscilla Presley, it also adds perspective and further contextualizes the scene. Its a great touch and feels like a natural addition.
Lastly, I enjoyed the renditions of originals by Big Mama Thornton, Little Richard, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, performed by Shonka Dukurah, Les Greene, and Yola, respectively. I thought these reproductions maintained the authenticity of the roles they contributed to while providing great opportunities to modern talent.
There’s more to say both positive and negative, after all it is a movie with a playtime upwards of two and a half hours. I’d rather end this review off on that final high note though. Overall, I found that the soundtrack lent more to recent trends within the music industry rather than the influences of Elvis and the music relevant to his rise to fame. Sure, this could push the message of what a great mark Elvis left on the music industry. The movie wasnt about who his music would go on to influence, though, it was about his life and his rise to fame. The Elvis soundtrack wasnt the worst soundtrack Ive ever heard, but it definitely was all over the place and did not live up to the hype.
