This Week in Music features tracks from The Greatest Showman soundtrack, Au/Ra, The Wombats and MAX.
The Greatest Showman – Original Soundtrack
The Greatest Showman is a 2017 historical musical film starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya. The film is inspired by the story of P. T. Barnum's creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and the lives of its star attractions.
The Greatest Show and Come Alive are incredibly infectious and energetic, however, the slower numbers such as Tightrope create the biggest impression and are incredibly well-written.
For the song This Is Me, the film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 90th Academy Awards. The influential song boasts a catchy tune and inspiring message about accepting yourself for who you are despite not being accepted by others. With the powerful vocals sung by the talented Keala Settle, the track really hits home for many.
Au/Ra’s music contains her own unique style, which could be described as otherworldly. The singer is known for her singles, Kicks, Concrete Jungle, Outsiders, and now Panic Room. Au/Ra claims she gets a lot of her inspiration from the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, since it taught her to always be hopeful and that there is no limit to the imagination.?
Au/Ra’s bright and hypnotic voice fits the bold, electric, composition of the music. This song has a very dark yet relatable theme about the feeling of anxiety and self-doubt. It’s a difficult subject to bring up, yet so important to talk about with the growing number of people who suffer from this feeling. Panic Room is all about finding the strength to face our problems, escape from that headspace and find a way back to ourselves.
The Wombats – Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life
Formed in Liverpool in 2003, the rock band’s albums have sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
The album, like previous songs before it, revels in the absurd which can clearly be seen in Brought a Lemon to a Knife Fight. The opening song, Cheetah Tongue is closer to their rock music origins and would make you feel right at home at a festival. With their fan base steadily increasing alongside venue side, The Wombats prove they’ve still got more hidden up their sleeve.
MAX – Lights Down Low ft. Gnash
Maxwell George "MAX" Schneider is an American actor, model, dancer, songwriter, and singer. Garrett Charles Nash better known by his stage name Gnash, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ and record producer.
Lights Down Low is first and foremost a love song with gentle vocals, that MAX used when he proposed to his wife. With the added input of Gnash, the ballad is brought to a whole new level without losing the intent or feeling behind it. The song reflects how love is love no matter who you are, and in that way, it becomes something that everyone can relate to.