Amsterdam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album for the 2022 film Amsterdam directed by David O. Russell and starring Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington. The soundtrack consists of 47 tracks, featuring an original score composed by Daniel Pemberton and a selection of classical and period songs. An original song "Time", performed by Drake and Giveon, was released as a single on September 23, 2022, while the soundtrack was released through Hollywood Records on October 7, the same day as the film's release.
Development Hildur Guðnadóttir was originally announced as the film's composer in November 2020, but was reportedly replaced by Daniel Pemberton in August 2022. As Pemberton joined the film late in production, the team had already experimented with some preliminary music, which Pemberton said did not work due to the film's complex narrative. He noted that his late entry ultimately helped him shape the final soundscape, as he was able to view the completed picture before composing.
After watching the film, Pemberton chose to use woodwinds to craft the score. As the film weaves together different stories of comedic elements, romance, friendship, suspense and mystery, he felt the use of woodwinds rather than a regular orchestral score worked, as it had a lightness and optimism that better suited the tone. He began writing the score in the
Pemberton collaborated with rappers Drake and Giveon for an original song, titled "Time". He recalled that Drake, one of the film's producers, was closely involved with his childhood friend Matt Budman. Inspired by a line of dialogue from Robbie that summarized the film's plot, Pemberton discussed the idea of writing an original song, and Budman recommended Giveon. The song was composed in a quick succession.
Release The original song "Time" was released as a single on September 23, 2022. The soundtrack was released by Hollywood Records on October 7, the same day as the film's release.
Reception James Southall of Movie Wave wrote "Daniel Pemberton is an exciting film composer", and called Amsterdam "one of his most impressive [works] so far". Ian Freer of Empire wrote "It is also a delight to listen to, with Daniel Pemberton’s score adding lightness and much-needed urgency, mainly through woodwind action."
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "a mercurial divide mirrored in Daniel Pemberton’s score, which veers between high intrigue and whimsy." James Mottram of NME wrote that "Daniel Pemberton’s score delicately [waltzes]" with the voiceover narration. Chris Bumbray of JoBlo.com wrote "the score by Daniel Pemberton is terrific." Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood wrote of "a wonderful, pitch-perfect score from Daniel Pemberton." Justin Chang of Los Angeles Times called it an "airily charming score." Mark Feeney of The Boston Globe called it an "excellent score".
Track listing
Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Hollywood Music in Media AwardsNovember 16, 2022Original Song – Feature Film"Time" – written by Aubrey Drake Graham, Daniel Pemberton, Giveon Evans, and Jahaan Akil Sweet; performed by Giveon International Film Music Critics Association February 23, 2023Best Original Score for a Drama FilmDaniel Pemberton World Soundtrack AwardsOctober 21, 2023Film Composer of the YearDaniel Pemberton
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