Nope (soundtrack)

Nope is the soundtrack to the 2022 film of the same name directed by Jordan Peele. The film is composed by Michael Abels, a regular collaborator of Peele, and was released by Back Lot Music on July 22, 2022. Most of the themes were written before the film's production and were developed with a 60-piece orchestra and 30-member vocal choir recorded for a year.

Development

In July 2021, it was announced that Michael Abels would be composing the score for Nope. Abels previously scored Peele's Get Out and Us. He described the score as having to meet the "threat level" described by Peele in the script and ideas inspired by the film's quote "What is a bad miracle?". The music is thereby carefully balanced to match the threat level in the script and storytelling and also compliment the visuals instead of overpowering them. Abels described the themes as a mixture of awe and terror, which signifies the bad miracle as discussed in the script. Describing the genre blend of the film's score, Abels opined that:

"The music needs to have both those senses together. Both a little bit of a sense of awe like we would have looking at the Grand Canyon, but then also the urge to run far away from the Grand Canyon because falling in would not be good. That’s the dichotomy that’s present in the film"

The tone of the film's music being established in the opening credits, which Abels did for Get Out and Us. Some of the themes were written even before the film's production, this included the OJ and Em's heroic theme, which was written as the audience could feel the thrills of the protagonist's risks, that felt realistic and the tonal shift from adventurous to horror music. Besides the action adventure themes, Abels also wrote a theme for the brother-sister relationship and a family love story. He added, "It's important to really start in all those places and kind of find where they all could join in a cohesive score."
He utilized eerie soundscapes to curate a layered and unsettling audio experience, especially in times of onscreen crisis. Some of the joyous and adventurous scenes which had been scored for the film were counterbalanced with eerie music for the unnerving sequences. Abels described that most of the music being aleatoric and improvised on paper, with specific instructions provided for the music team to denote the parameters of randomness and the method it has been played and the notations used throughout the score.
Abels utilized a 60-piece orchestra and a 30-member vocal choir to produce the score. The players used instruments such as strings, brass, woodwinds and percussions as a part of the orchestra. The strings were predominantly used to create anticipation and build tension through airy high-pitched notes and aggressive additions during pivotal moments, while percussions and woodwinds were utilized to heighten its intensity and provide a variety of sounds, textures and melodies in the score. Abels used the Wild West brass instrumentation in the climatic sequence to match the grandeur, a first for a Peele film. Further, he used snap pizzicato in the basses to curate percussive and unique sound textures.
Abels closely worked with the sound engineer Johnnie Burn, who mixed the soundtrack in Dolby Atmos. As silence being an integral part of the film, he admitted that:

"The tension between the negative space and the music is actually part of the music. Leaving room for the sound design, even when there’s a cue playing, was an important part of the way I approached it. A lot of times in the scariest parts, especially in the earlier parts of this film, you’re listening to what you hope you’re not going to hear or what you thought you might have heard. The stillness allows you to freak out in that way."

Release

Universal Pictures' in-house label Back Lot Music released the soundtrack day-and-date with the film on July 22, 2022. The 34-track album featured the songs "Walk On By" by Dionne Warwick, "Strange Animal" by Lawrence Gowan, "This Is the Lost Generation" by the Lost Generation, "Exuma, the Obeah Man" by Exuma, and a screwed version of Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night". The remainder of the album is accompanied by Abels' score. On August 12, Waxwork Records announced the vinyl edition of the soundtrack set for pre-order. The album is being packaged in a double LP 180-gram "Cloud and Pennant Banner" colored disc along with 12-inch booklet and an artwork designed by Ethan Mesa and liner notes from Tyree Boyd-Pates. The vinyl edition was eventually released on December 16.

Reception

Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Michael Abels' pulsating score help sustain the film right up through its transfixing end." Jimmy O. of JoBlo.com wrote "The score by Michael Abels adds a sense of mystery and fright." Phil de Semlyen of Time Out summarized that Abels' "terrific orchestral score" and the "magnificently loud and unearthly sound design" underlines the creepiness of the film. In contrast, critic based at Filmtracks.com wrote "The entirety of Abels' narrative arc for Nope is haphazard and unsatisfactory, leaving the score as one that relies on suspenseful execution from moment to moment to appeal." IndieWire ranked it as the second-best film scores of 2022.

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Music – Michael Abels
Additional music – Cameron Moody, Miguel Bezanilla, Orlando Perez Rosso
Recording – Kevin Globerman, John Rodd
Mixing and mastering – John Rodd
Score editor – Dave Lawrence

Orchestra

Orchestration – Edward Trybek, Henri Wilkinson, Jonathan Beard
Additional orchestration – Benjamin Hoff, Jamie Thierman, Sean Barrett
Orchestra conductor – Anthony Parnther
Orchestra contractor – Zimmitti Music Group
Music preparation – Jordan Cox
Additional music preparation – Brandon Dalo, James Regan, Nikkia Cox, Seoyon MacDonald

Instruments

Bass – Abraham Gumroyan, Will Johnson, Ed Meares, Geoff Osika, Ian Walker, Michael Franz, Mike Valerio, Oscar Hidalgo
Bassoon – Damian Montano, Rose Corrigan
Cello – Caleb Vaughn Jones, Charlie Tyler, Christopher Ahn, Eric Byers, Giovanna Clayton, Jake Braun, Julie Jung, Ross Gasworth, Tim Loo, Trevor Handy, Trevor Jarvis, Vanessa Freebairn Smith
Clarinet – Jonathan Sacdalan, Stuart Clark
Music editor – Brett 'Snacky' Pierce
Flute – Ben Smolen, Dan Higgins, Jenni Olson
French horn – Danielle Ondarza, Dylan Hart, Katie Faraudo, Kaylet Torrez, Laura Brenes, Mark Adams, Mike McCoy, Teag Reaves
Guitar – Dean Parks
Oboe – Claire Brazeau, Lara Wickes
Percussion – Brian Kilgore, Sidney Hopson, Wade Culbreath
Timpani – Wade Culbreath
Trombone – Alex Iles, Ido Meshulam, Nick Daley, Phil Keen
Trumpet – Barry Perkins, Dan Rosenboom, David Washburn, Jon Lewis, Rob Schaer
Tuba – Doug Tornquist, Gabriel Sears
Viola – Aaron Oltman, Alma Fernandez, Andrew Duckles, Colleen Sugata, David Walther, Diana Wade, Erik Rynearson, Luke Maurer, Meredith Crawford, Nolan Livesay, Rob Brophy, Shawn Mann, Stefan Smith
Violin – Alyssa Park, Amy Hershberger, Ana Landauer, Ashoka Thiagarajan, Ben Jacobson, Camille Miller, Charlie Bisharat, Eun Mee Ahn, Grace Oh, Ina Veli, Jacqueline Brand, Jessica Guideri, Josefina Vergara, Julie Rogers, Kevin Kumar, Kyle Gilner, Leonard Chong, Luanne Homzy, Maia Jasper, Marisa Kuney, Mark Robertson, Natalie Leggett, Neel Hammond, Nina Evtuhov, Paul Cartwright, Roberto Cani, Roger Wilkie, Sara Parkins, Sarah Thornblade, Shalini Vijayan, Songa Lee, Stephanie Matthews, Stephanie Yu, Tammy Hatwan, Tereza Stanislav, Wynton Grant
Whistle – Greg Whipple

; Choir

Choir conductor and contractor – Edie Lehmann Boddicker
Alto – Aleta Braxton, Ann Sheridan, Ayo Awosika, Bobbi Page, Edie Lehmann Boddicker, Gaga Avakian, Gracie Laboy, Tehillah Alphonso
Baritone – Abdiel Gonzalez, Ben Lin, Dylan Gentile, John West, Kevin Dorsey, Marc Pritchett, Michael Geiger, Reid Bruton
Soprano – Baraka May, Charlean Carmon, Elissa Johnston, Holly Sedillos, Ivana Cespedes Jordan, Suzanne Waters, Valerie Tambaoan, Vangie Gunn Goodwin
Tenor – Arnold Geis, Caleb Curry, Charles Lane, Edmond Rodriguez, Fletcher Sheridan, Gregory Fletcher, Saunder Choi, Tim Davis