The Twilight saga’s third installment, Eclipse, has been one of the most anticipated blockbuster movies of the summer. It opened June 30 with a record-breaking release, topping the series’ own records for highest grossing midnight show, biggest Wednesday opening and widest independent release. The film series, based on the novels by Stephenie Meyer, left die hard fans, or or “Twi-hard” as they are jokingly dubbed, eagerly awaiting the continuation of the complicated love triangle between a human, a vampire, and a werewolf. While they were waiting, fans got a taste of the drama in the form of the film’s official soundtrack.
Released June 8, three weeks prior to the film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. Loaded with ASCAP artists including Metric, Muse, Beck, Band of Horses and Vampire Weekend among others, the mostly indie rock compilation sports the critical stamp of approval on top of its commercial success.
Twilight soundtrack veterans Muse provided the album’s first single, “Neuron Star Collision (Love is Forever).” The resident rock band has appeared on the previous two installments’ soundtracks and is credited by the author for inspiring much of the series.
Canadian band Metric provides the title song for the film, “Eclipse (All Yours),” co-written with the film’s composer, Academy Award winner Howard Shore. Known for his orchestrations on films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Doubt, and The Aviator, Shore provided the full score for Eclipse, serving as orchestrator and conductor.
Australian chanteuse Sia, who just released her album We Are Born, sings the ballad “My Love.” Beck collaborates with British artist Bat for Lashes on the duet “Let’s Get Lost,” while the aptly named indie darlings of Vampire Weekend make an appearance with the song, “Jonathan Low.” Trip-hop producers UNKLE introduce an electronic sound on “With You in My Head,” featuring The Black Angels. Newcomers Eastern Conference Champions, whose album SPEAK-AHH is set to release this fall, introduce themselves with the track “A Million Miles an Hour” and Band of Horses add their folk sensibility with the song “Life on Earth.” The soundtrack is a sophisticated and eclectic blend of rock, indie, and electronic genres coloring the film while also succeeding as its own entity among Twilight fanatics and music enthusiasts alike.
