Since the runaway success of 2016's
Suicide Squad: The Album
, the definition of a soundtrack has warped: no longer simply content with scoring the blockbuster flicks of the era, soundtrack albums have become products in their own right, commissioned works of art with tenuous links to the flicks from which they take their name. For the most part, this new breed lacks focus -- caught between hit-chasing ("King's Dead") and tributes to their respective films -- but with
Shang-Chi
's "soundtrack" being handled by the crew at
88rising
, things were bound to be different.
Swerving far from the expected barrage of "kick it like Jackie Chan" struggle bars,
built the album around the Asian-American stories of the film's San Francisco setting -- as well as the familial themes at the heart of the movie itself. But instead of applying strict rule sets in the name of cohesion,
trusted their collaborators to curate back-to-back thematic bangers -- and the results speak for themselves. The core here is, of course, in hip-hop:
88
veteran
Rich Brian
forms a versatile backbone from the cinematic "Always Rising" to the ignorant "Foolish," while
Higher Brothers
'
Masiwei
and newer signee
Warren Hue
offer blistering verses across their respective cuts. Early highlight "Lazy Susan" lives up to its title with a platter of fiery beats and verses, while
Audrey Nuna
and
NIKI
's "Clocked Out" teleports between scenes of gloomy brilliance.
Though the label's roster originally focused on alternative rap talents,
88Rising
's second core sound -- the woozy pop fusions popularized by
-- proves just as potent. Veteran singer/songwriter
JJ Lin
has the most obvious "wow" moment with the irresistible "Lose Control," but newer prospects like
DPR
,
keshi
, and
Shayiting EL
soon state their case with slick tracks of their own. If
forms the album's rap oversight, then
proves his pop equivalent; she dominates the album's second half with the head-over-heels "Every Summertime," moody "Clocked Out!," and horn-blasting "Swan Song." Yet the most unexpected highlight of all comes from Shang-Chi himself -- "Hot Soup" is
Simu Liu
's touching tribute to his family, a blossoming ballad that weaves personal tales with vast, emotive statements.
It's only right that such an exceptional Marvel film has an exceptional soundtrack to match.
is not only a strong companion to the film itself, but one of the first "inspired by the movie" albums to transcend its bizarre origin. ~ David Crone