Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack) is the compilation soundtrack album for the 2023 film Asteroid City, by Wes Anderson. It was digitally published by ABKCO Records on June 23, 2023,[1][2] the same day as the film's theatrical release in the United States.
| Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Soundtrack album by various artists | ||||
| Released | June 23, 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 69:39 | |||
| Label | ABKCO | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Wes Anderson film soundtrack chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack) | ||||
| ||||
Composition
Asteroid City takes place in an Arizona desert town in 1955, and its soundtrack contains 17 country and western songs that were originally recorded and released during that time period.[3] Music supervisor Randall Poster stated that "Wes [Anderson] and I had so much fun putting the film's music together... For Asteroid City, we had been 'hunting and gathering' for a year before shooting began."[4][5]
The soundtrack also includes six original songs by Alexandre Desplat and two original songs by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker—both of whom had previously been featured on the soundtrack of Anderson's The French Dispatch[6]—and Richard Hawley.[4][5]
Release
On June 20, 2023, three days before the soundtrack's release, Cocker released his original song for the film, "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)",[7] which was co-written with Hawley and Anderson.[8][9] On June 22, Cocker and Hawley performed at an Asteroid City immersive exhibition in London, playing "Dear Alien" and a second song they wrote for the film, "You Can't Wake Up If You Don't Fall Asleep".[10][11] A special vinyl edition of the soundtrack was made available exclusively at the exhibition, limited to 1,000 copies.[12]
A two-disc vinyl edition of the soundtrack was released on November 24, 2023.[13][14]
Accolades
| Award | Year[a] | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 2023 | Best Original Score in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film | Nominated | [15] |
In December 2023, the song "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)" was shortlisted for Best Original Song at the 96th Academy Awards.[16][17]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "WXYZ-TV Channel 8" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 2:36 |
| 2. | "Last Train to San Fernando" |
| Johnny Duncan and the Blue Grass Boys | 2:27 |
| 3. | "Island of Dreams" | Tom Springfield | The Springfields | 2:29 |
| 4. | "April in Portugal" |
| Les Baxter | 2:43 |
| 5. | "Ida Red" | Bob Wills | Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | 2:38 |
| 6. | "Pachelbel: Canon and Gigue in D Major – I.Canon" | Johann Pachelbel | 3:09 | |
| 7. | "Opening Ceremony with Awards Presentation (Keynote Speaker: General Grif Gibson)" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 2:36 |
| 8. | "Jingle Jangle Jingle" | Tex Ritter | 2:48 | |
| 9. | "Orange Blossom Special" | Ervin T. Rouse |
| 2:33 |
| 10. | "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)" | Tex Ritter | 3:01 | |
| 11. | "Cowboy's Lament" | Traditional | Burl Ives | 2:38 |
| 12. | "Viewing of the Astronomical Ellipses (Opening Comments: Dr. Hickenlooper)" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 3:48 |
| 13. | "Rose Marie" |
| Slim Whitman | 2:21 |
| 14. | "Indian Love Call – 1944 Version" |
| Slim Whitman | 3:08 |
| 15. | "Sixteen Tons" | Merle Travis | Tennessee Ernie Ford | 2:38 |
| 16. | "The Cattle Call" | Tex Owens | Eddy Arnold | 2:32 |
| 17. | "Special Seminar at the Playwright's Request (Saltzburg Keitel's Classroom)" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 3:09 |
| 18. | "Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)" |
| 1:20 | |
| 19. | "Kaw-Liga" | Johnny Duncan and the Blue Grass Boys | 2:54 | |
| 20. | "Emergency Assembly" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 1:05 |
| 21. | "A Bewildering and Bedazzling Celestial Mystery" | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat | 5:41 |
| 22. | "How High the Moon" | Les Paul and Mary Ford | 2:05 | |
| 23. | "The Streets of Laredo" | Traditional | Bing Crosby | 2:52 |
| 24. | "Freight Train" | Elizabeth Cotten | 2:59 | |
| 25. | "You Can't Wake Up If You Don't Fall Asleep" |
| Jarvis Cocker | 3:29 |
| Total length: | 69:39 | |||
- Notes
- Initially, both Apple Music[1] and Spotify[2] mistakenly named track 3 as "Indian Love Call". The song that actually plays is "Island of Dreams", as listed in the Focus Features press release.[4]
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 23, 2023 | ABKCO Records | [4] | |
| United States | November 24, 2023 | Vinyl | [13][14] |
