he didn't quite point this out... but when kilmonger reveals his identity, each layer of music is representative of the name that gets revealed. the 808s come in when shuri states his American name, and the African instrumentation comes in when he reveals his wakandan name. brilliant.
Yep totally genius but I think the 808s are light in Tchala Leitmotif because he´s "African" and has less american side but Killmongor has more American side that is why he has a hip hop beat and the flute that is african because he´s from Wakanda too
Couldn't describe it better. It's got that cool swagger with the drum beats, but then the flute comes in which brings that ancient, sorta traditional african feel, and then finally the big horns rain down some majesty to top if off. It's really something special.
I kind of thought about the Bach piano, Killmonger is from US who is European based society. And we never met his mother (a mistake in my opinion) so maybe she could have had European ancestry, about 30% of African Americans do.
I wonder if the Dora Milaje's motif is meant to evoke the sound of hyenas. Since hyenas are a notoriously vicious type of pack animal where the female of the species is larger and more aggressive than the males. It would be an interesting connection if that's what Göransson was going for. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.
Just another point of interest that I noticed, 808s show up permanently and one other place: Shuri's Lab. This is awesome, because it musically represents and connects all three of the Wakandan Royal children - Erik, T'Challa, and Shuri herself. But also, as you pointed out, 808s served a massive role in revolutionizing modern American music. And Shuri herself, represents this, being the character most open to American pop culture and modernity. She "scoffs at tradition," bases her inventions off of Back To The Future, she knows the technology of American style fighter jets, wears American style clothing in her introductory scene, indulges in a "what are those?" meme and likes Disney and Coachella. It's a really subtle touch that speaks loads about her personality.
The "what are those?" part was the worst part of the whole movie, and there weren't many bad parts. I physically cringed so hard in my seat I almost walked out out the theater
I thought it was hilarious, but only because literally minutes before it happened I asked my friend if she thought Wakanda participated in online meme culture.
Shankspeare I can see how that would be funny, but the whole "what are those?" Thing was already embarrassing when it was fresh and got old after a week. This movie came out like 3 years after the fact. Don't put bad memes in your movies people, it will date them like nothing else
Awsamazing Eden She also represents a revolution in her own culture as her heading the technologic development of the country has brought many advancements to her people and the black panther.
Every time you played a clip it zapped me back into the emotion of that moment in the film. The music is so great. I can't help myself from pumping my fist when T'Challa's theme is playing. Thanks for the breakdown!
It’s almost like actually caring about your villains and giving them a back story and motive that your audience can connect to makes the overall character interactions and plot better. WOW
The chorus was singing "Kumkani, kumkani wethu!" ("King, our king!" in Xhosa) when T'Challa was climbing over the wreckage, reinforcing Göransson's reading of the scene as T'Challa fully coming into his own as King.
It’s almost like the cast and crew did exactly what T’challa did and surrounded themselves with people from different areas of expertise that they personally knew and could trust to do their best.
At the risk of sounding a bit tinfoil-esq, or even redundant, couldn't the presence of the European influence being mixed with traditional African music and the hip hop 808 is to further explore how the races and ideas are interconnected. Killmonger talks a lot about how white people came in and stole from Africa, but even he isn't safe from their influence in his theme, borrowing from the biggest European musician. The 808 performs the same function, representing another, now also traditional part of their lives as Africans and African Americans. They retain part of their heritage, borrow from another race/group that greatly influenced them, and now have the 808 from hip hop which is usually an area black people dominate in. So its their personal idea, mixed with what has impacted them, and added on to what they have become now.
@The Nameless One You are right, but Africans never did slavery on an industrial scale like the Europeans did. And some African peoples colonized other peoples or wiped them out, but Europeans did it later on a much more huge scale.
Neanderthals did come from Europe, though... like the word "Neanderthal" comes from the Neander Valley in Germany where some of the first bones were found, so I'm not really sure what you're getting at here.
We've got all this talk about neanderthals without realizing that neanderthals were exceptionally similar to humans. So much so that modern humans, when coming into contact with neanderthals, recognized them as human enough to interbreed with. There is more than enough evidence to suggest neanderthals were practically on equal grounds both socially and intellectually with humans.
@@sophiatalksmusic3588 Neanderthals originated in africa just like humans, they even have a common ancestor to us humans, Homo antecessor, about 800,000 years back that also originated in africa. They left africa and populated europe roughly about 350,000 years earlier than humans.
I loved the score and it's I think the first one that I actually noticed (other than the Avenger theme). The score that plays during Killmonger's death is so amazing and heartbreaking ...the chills Also when T'challa makes his return!! (end battle)
The beginning is Killmonger taking to his father. The leitmotif with the stringed instrument is one associated with memory, not necessary just T'Challa remembering his father. Just a thought.
I find this so interesting because idk enough about music to appreciate it while watching the film itself, except for the fact that I’m like “wow this sounds good”
the throne scene have even another story telling side (i also can wear the tin foil hat !) at the beginning when n'dajaka talks about the world, about colonization, about imperialism, while being scored by the european bach, it is possibly representing the scar of his living in the military had on him, he became more like the colonizers then shuri confronts him with his american identity and we hear the 808, the hip hop element of his theme, he truly is american, shuri is not telling any lies, but . . . then starts he is asked about his identity, and he reveals his real name while the flute overwhelm the other elements of the score, because he truly believes he is from wakanda first, that is his true origin and he get to be claim that african origin with pride black panther was breath taking, i still have issues with when t'challa reapers with the suit over the destroyed airship he didn't stroke a pose, but that was also my favorite musical moment, the voiced king theme transition was awesome
I loved the “king” motif as you called it! It was a reminder for me that this was a very Shakespearean story about a family drama and the composer captured that so well
This just decided to pop back into my recommended on the day I needed it, trying to reconcile with yet another thing 2020 has taken from us. RIP Chadwick Boseman.
The strings that play when Tchalla is speaking with his father, I cried like a lil baby, man. The whole score of the movie is gorgeous. If one cares to listen just a bit past face value, you can tell the quality and effect that comes from time and love and true artistry. Loved it.
This is my favorite Black Panther vid and I wanted to come back and watch it again after the tragic news that came out today..Rest in Peace Chadwick Boseman
I've been thinking about the "father theme" as the "ancestor theme". The name of the track is Ancestral Plane, and every time it appears in the soundtrack it's as if it conjures up the relationship between past and present in Wakanda. This is to a large extent what the father character represents in the movie, so it comes to much the same thing.
I watched this in the afternoon today and was so amazed by the meaning of the music of black panther. Today Chadwick Boseman died ... and I’m at a loss. I can’t stop thinking about piece of the man lamenting the dying elephant, the loss of an African king
I'm with you there! I also kinda want a breakdown of Michael Giacchino's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" score (my favorite MCU score of 2017... sorry Mark Mothersbaugh lol).
yes to both of these! the music of Thor Ragnarok played such a key part in the reboot of the Thor franchise. I think he touched on the Homecoming theme briefly in another video, how it goes with the cultural place of spider-man rather than expressing the values from the other films (?), but I'd love to see a fuller breakdown
I think the point he's addressing right around 6:30, where there's a cross between the African and European themes is specific to american culture and more specifically, subconscious familiarizations and associations we have as a country. Most people associate the horn section featured in T'Challa's musical theme with European royalty, but there's a more specific reason for this. The piece being played by the horn section for his repeated musical character profile sounds incredibly similar specifically to the typical horn pattern played at the introduction of royalty or a character of royal descent in movies and cartoons. The subconscious association is still relatively engrained in most people who've had repeated exposure to this particular musical association, which in turn signals our brains to recognize the aspect of royalty that's being presented on screen. The african elements maintained through his theme keep the heart of the musical piece central to the overall setting of the movie and it's subject matter: Wakanda. The overall concept of using familiar musical motifs and samples from different movies or tv in combination with the artist's own overlay created by instruments specific to the setting of the story allow us to make a subconscious connection to a familiarized, preexisting meaning for a specific sound while maintaining relevancy to the storyline taking place on screen.
I love your enthusiasm and technicality about everything. I watch the film with my parents and sis and we marvelled at the score. Thanks for your analysis. On the “victory” bars playing, I feel that it was more representative of the victory the father’s wanted for their sons. T’challa becoming king. And Killmonger seeing the most beautiful sunset in the world, finally recognized as royalty on home soil.
I hope this video trends on youtube. Blew my mind. I didn't even recognize all the subtle pieces to this movie's score, when I watched Black Panther. Really makes you appreciate the craftsmanship! Love your videos, please keep them up! :D
Now I am no musical expert, but when I listened to Killmonger's theme, the thought that came to my mind is how this is a mix of tribal african sounds, and modern hiphop sounds. Like it's supposed to symbolize Killmongers wider worldview. He has the African heritage, but he grew up in american cities, thus he gets a combination of tribal and hip hop as his theme. I honestly felt like this is what his theme was trying to tell me.
10:39 When he crawls through the fire and stands, does the Pimp lean then clenches his fists... I knew in spite of my lifelong adoration of Spiderman, Superman and finally Batman... a new Hero was challenging the throne of my adoration. This one shot hits so many marks it almost tells the whole story of the film cinematically, performative, and musically. A resurrection, King through trial by fire, and the pimp lean... a distinctly black cultural body movement foreign to a hero of this magnitude in costume. Brilliant analysis Sideways!!
To me, watching for the first time in the theater, the scene with Tchalla's father reminded me of the Lion King, where Simba sees Mufasa's ghost in the clouds. And with the "Father Theme" being so prominent there, it sounded very similar to the "Remember Who You Are" theme from the Lion King. Now, trying to compare the two themes (without looking at the score), it is hard to quantify what the similarity is, but they still strike me as similar. Maybe it is context related (similar scenes of sons speaking to spirit fathers), but anyone able to help quantify that for me, or comment on it, would be welcome. Also one of my favorite musical moments of the movie, btw. Great video, Sideways.
I just listened to them back to back; they might as well be from the same film. I think when we're just talking music, they're scored very similarly, possibly in the same key (although "Ancestral Pane" is mostly in a minor key while "Kings of the Past" is major so they might be parallel, i.e. they have the same tonic), and have similar overall structures and major features, including an African harp-type of instrument at the beginning leading into a cello lead melody. Both are beautiful, regardless.
you know the leitmotif stuck when in infinity war, they're trying to find a place to investigate the removal of the mind stone from Vision, and the camera zooms in on Cap, and t'challa's talking drum plays before he even speaks. Cap goes: I know a place. HORNS! the theater goes wild.
i honestly think this is the reason why i love this movie so much. when you're a musician and/or lover of music, sometimes things like this movie just subconsciously connect to you and you don't know why. this video just brings that to light even more. not to mention the amazing cultural aspect of it. people will say it is overrated and was hyped up too much but in the end it was just cool to see our (african and african-american) culture be represented as correctly and proudly as it was. and the fact that the score almost showed a more traditional side of music while the black panther album showed a more urban side just shows how planned and thoughtful each person who played a role in making a film was.
I would disagree with you on that one. Just about every Marvel movie has something noteworthy in the music... be it the tortured screams of the Winter Soldier theme, the militaristic slapping of the Avengers march, or the myriad brilliant ways Danny Elfman took apart and manipulated Silvestri's themes in his Age of Ultron score. I'm not really sure where the whole "Marvel has bad music" thing came from. Maybe that "Every Frame a Painting" video?
Aida, your rigth but he meant both noteworthy and memorable within the whole score, and while i think many of your examples are subjectively memorable, most people forget them and remember only the themes (as seen in the theme video)
hmmm, I'd say there are many Marvel scores that remain praiseworthy throughout the entire score. For example, the brilliant, layered score to the incredible hulk. I'd love to see sideways break that one down
I recently watched all the MCU films, and I have to say that _Black Panther_ was the only one where I could identify and remember most of the main themes on my first viewing. (Granted, maybe there's just a _bit_ of bias in being so hyped for that movie.) Most of the other films have their distinct elements, motifs or general styles (rock music for Iron Man films) that I remember liking in the moment, but aside from the main Avengers theme, the first Captain America film, _Spider-Man: Homecoming,_ and the _Thor_ movies (surprisingly), I couldn't hum a single bit back to you from any of those other films' scores. (Seriously though, the only music I distinctly remember from any of the _Iron Man_ movies are the Christmas songs from the third one.)
Amazing breakdown! You're one of the few that does not include that father motif (well, I prefer to call it The Royal theme) in Killmonger's theme. It plays a lot of times with his theme but I think that's a way of telling us that he is part of the royal family. This is my favourite score of the whole MCU, and I would even say that from a superhero movie in general. I hope Gorannsson gets to do more scores of this kind because he is amazing with leitmotifs and themes. Great job!
I love the layers in the score so much, the intricacy. Though my favourite is whenever T’challa’s theme is played legato rather than staccato and it’s like C, D# F...C G G# and it’s beautiful with the chords going F major, E flat major and C sharp. Ughhh it’s so good man, so simplistic and heroic. You hear it when he emerges from the crashed ship, at the end of the United Nations scene, before M’baku interrupts at his mountain hideout, during the opening jungle fight and during the Oklahoma scene riiiight at the end. It’s amazing, hats off to Ludwig Gorranson.
About the "closure" motif at the end - couldn't it also signify a transition of power? It plays the first time when T'Challa becomes king (therefore the mantle is passed from T'Chaka to T'Challa), then again when Killmonger/N'Jadaka takes the throne from T'Challa, and the last time when Killmonger dies, and the mantle returns to T'Challa.
I’m here after watching the Avatar film score critique you posted a few hours ago. Really helps to reinforce what really went wrong with the score in that project and what it could have been had the composers had the same level of creative input/collaboration as Göransson. Also, on a personal note: I love nothing more than a score that can potentially spoil the story. Because it just means it is that much tighter and as integral to the storytelling process!
When I went to go see Black Panther the second time in theaters, I actively paid attention to the music and leitmotifs because of this channel. It's changed how I listen to movies.
This video let me recognise so many little points in wakanda forever, how purposefully the black panther drum was used, Killmongers theme. I appreciated the movie so much more because I knew this stuff.
The entire starting bit made me think of the anime movie "Your Name" where the composers, an actual band named Radwimps, worked together with the director every step of the production. So they actually changed some themes to fit specific scenes better and changed/cut scenes to fit the music better.
hey, just want to say that I;m doing an exam in my HSC music class and my topic is superhero theme music and I just want to say that this video literally couldn't have come at a better time and it helped me a lot, so i thank you you're the greatest
I love this analysis. It goes to show how much depth that Görannson went to to get this music down. The music still gives me chills in a lot of moments! While Wakanda is based in South & East Africa (at least in the MCU & recent comic iterations), a lot of the instrumentation was done with West African instruments and vocals (specifically Senegal and Ghana). It’s a subtle nod to the OG Wakanda as well as a hint to the whole concept of Wakanda which is that the nation is a Panafrican one. You’re not supposed to be able to pin down a place; Wakanda is the whole of Africa and - with Killmonger’s philosophical reforms in T’Challa - the diaspora all around the world. It’s bigger than what it appears. A metaphorical iceberg if you will. I’m coming back to this video because of my positive memories of the movie and grieving the loss of Chadwick Boseman. May he rest in power and with the ancestors. ❤️ Wakanda Forever.
Im so late to the party, but the fact that the exposition is done to the kora is symbolic of the kora’s place as the instrument of the griot oral history storytelling tradition. So cool
I just want to say that when I first watched Black Panter the music straight up made me cry. Like you said, the amount of effort put into this is astounding. At this moment it has the most beautiful instrumentals I have ever heard, my favorite being Ancestral Plain.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the strong similarities between Father's theme and the music from the scene in Lion King where Simba talks to his dad in their ancestral plane hahah...
The soundtracks are amazing. Both of them. The level of quality was so high up there it was almost jarring on my first watch at the movies. From the very first scene I was like "What is that? Is it music? Good music? Whaaaat?!". Now I just leave it on loop all day while working. Back to back to back.
I'm rewatching this video for the millionth time cuz I love it and I just realized: did Goransson use the Fula flute, a west african instrument, for Killmonger because his ancestors on his mother's side were likely west african? I saw some people get confused about Killmonger's last line before his death about "his ancestors that jumped from the ships" but he wasn't talking about his ancestors on his dad's side, but on his mom's side. cuz damn that would be a beautiful detail.
What's great about this analysis is that, because I started watching this channel a ton when I discovered it a few months back, when I saw this movie I picked up a lot of these musical arrangements in connection with character thematics solely based on what I've learned from this channel. So, thanks for that education : ) !
i only saw this film once in the cinema, and i didn't take to it much. im not a huge superhero movie person, but now i can see how i was just not paying attention. not only is the score fantastic, but even just the positive impact this film has on society, and the very overdue poc representation. i was so blind to how important this film is and i have an insane amount of respect for it now. im so excited to watch it properly.
7:00 I all ways thought of that theme as black panther being haunted by his and his fathers mistakes and how it affects the rest of the world but only in that scene
The music, regardless of country of origin, is very geared toward the black community. The dramatic sound of the music when T'Challa visits his father for the first time on the ancestral plane, is something you'll hear often in films that are oriented toward a black audience. We see it the most in emotional scenes that depict familial relationships. The hip hop beats are a bit more obvious, they have a classic feel but they do appeal to a younger generation. The West African instrumentation is a VERY smart and well educated choice. I'm not familiar with Fulani culture, but since I'm a 1/4 Igbo I can speak about the arguments over tradition between the Yoruba and Igbo tribes. Long story short, Igbo are mainly progressive, Yoruba stick to tradition quite intensely. Given the way Shuri "scoffs at tradition", and given that more women from the Igbo tribe play the djembe these days (including myself), it's great that they represent her musically and vocally through these hip hop focused beats. Black Panther really told the story so well in regard to the tension between the Yoruba and Igbo tribes, and it would be nice if we came together the way that the Jabari united with the royal family. That being said, you could go as far to say the Border Tribe somewhat represent the Igbo considering that they are fighting for a cause and going against the grain, although historically my ancestors fought for independence, not a tyrant king. Either way the inspiration is pretty obvious to me and I relate to this film more than any other I've ever seen.
He didn’t point this out. But I’m pretty sure when Killmonger and T’Challa start fighting you hear a mixture or fusion of T’Challa and Killmongers theme. I loved the scores in this movie they were clever. Even in infinity war when Cap went to Wakanda you hear the Avengers Theme and Black Panthers theme mixed. I liked when themes are mixed together, it really portrays what’s happening in that scene.
I loved the music too... It felt like a supporting character in the movie... It got me everytym.. The entry to wakanda, the warrior falls when TChalla hit the water, the death of killmonger, and the final scene when everything was back to normal... Those musical sections made me cry, smile so hard and felt proud... Goransson is a Genius
An interesting tibit that I just noticed. T'Chaka and Killmonger are literal polar opposites in their worldviews, Killmonger opting for violence and outwards support, and T'Chaka in his isolationism and diplomatic approach. In the same way, their instruments do the same thing. At 6:51, you can hear T'Chaka's theme with violins in the background, and in Killmongers, when he takes the throne room, you can hear the bass in the background. Violins and basses are about as far apart as you can get in the orchestra, soundwise
I was looking forward to this analysis, and you (Sideways) had the humility to direct us to the genius video while giving your personal insight on details : that shows "intellectual earnestness" so to speak. Well done !
he didn't quite point this out... but when kilmonger reveals his identity, each layer of music is representative of the name that gets revealed. the 808s come in when shuri states his American name, and the African instrumentation comes in when he reveals his wakandan name. brilliant.
Oooooh, that sounds fucking amazing
Shit, never noticed that.
Yep totally genius but I think the 808s are light in Tchala Leitmotif because he´s "African" and has less american side but Killmongor has more American side that is why he has a hip hop beat and the flute that is african because he´s from Wakanda too
Just shows what you can do when you have the musical elements to build with.
Ur a genius!
Killmonger's theme was so great.
Everytime You heard it, you feel like you are going to be kill by someone that will look cool while doing it.
Couldn't describe it better. It's got that cool swagger with the drum beats, but then the flute comes in which brings that ancient, sorta traditional african feel, and then finally the big horns rain down some majesty to top if off. It's really something special.
I kind of thought about the Bach piano, Killmonger is from US who is European based society. And we never met his mother (a mistake in my opinion) so maybe she could have had European ancestry, about 30% of African Americans do.
The best music always come as a mixture of different cultures. That`s why Brazilian music is so rich and diverse.
i need to see the 4 hour cut. the world needs the 4 hour cut, tbh
Nix Alexander yessssss
ME. FUCKING. TOO.
YES WE DO
Let's do it brah
YES
I wonder if the Dora Milaje's motif is meant to evoke the sound of hyenas. Since hyenas are a notoriously vicious type of pack animal where the female of the species is larger and more aggressive than the males. It would be an interesting connection if that's what Göransson was going for. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.
Never thought of that before. Could be a reach beyond what any of the original meanings are, but it still fits.
from what i've read it's the sound of a group of sengalese women.
That explains Shenzi bossing around Bonzai and Ed
There is no such thing as thinking too much into music
Just another point of interest that I noticed, 808s show up permanently and one other place: Shuri's Lab. This is awesome, because it musically represents and connects all three of the Wakandan Royal children - Erik, T'Challa, and Shuri herself. But also, as you pointed out, 808s served a massive role in revolutionizing modern American music. And Shuri herself, represents this, being the character most open to American pop culture and modernity. She "scoffs at tradition," bases her inventions off of Back To The Future, she knows the technology of American style fighter jets, wears American style clothing in her introductory scene, indulges in a "what are those?" meme and likes Disney and Coachella. It's a really subtle touch that speaks loads about her personality.
The "what are those?" part was the worst part of the whole movie, and there weren't many bad parts. I physically cringed so hard in my seat I almost walked out out the theater
I thought it was hilarious, but only because literally minutes before it happened I asked my friend if she thought Wakanda participated in online meme culture.
Shankspeare I can see how that would be funny, but the whole "what are those?" Thing was already embarrassing when it was fresh and got old after a week. This movie came out like 3 years after the fact.
Don't put bad memes in your movies people, it will date them like nothing else
I didn't realise what are those was a meme, I just thought it was her playing fashion police or something.
Awsamazing Eden She also represents a revolution in her own culture as her heading the technologic development of the country has brought many advancements to her people and the black panther.
Every time you played a clip it zapped me back into the emotion of that moment in the film. The music is so great. I can't help myself from pumping my fist when T'Challa's theme is playing. Thanks for the breakdown!
Just Write I know right!!! It’s SOO amazing!! 😄
IBAMBE!
Listening to “Wakanda” after hearing the news about Chadwick Boseman is emotionally wrenching.
It’s almost like actually caring about your villains and giving them a back story and motive that your audience can connect to makes the overall character interactions and plot better.
WOW
I want that 4 hour cut of the movie lol
It's not really a 4 hour cut, it's just like... a first edit.
The chorus was singing "Kumkani, kumkani wethu!" ("King, our king!" in Xhosa) when T'Challa was climbing over the wreckage, reinforcing Göransson's reading of the scene as T'Challa fully coming into his own as King.
It’s almost like the cast and crew did exactly what T’challa did and surrounded themselves with people from different areas of expertise that they personally knew and could trust to do their best.
At the risk of sounding a bit tinfoil-esq, or even redundant, couldn't the presence of the European influence being mixed with traditional African music and the hip hop 808 is to further explore how the races and ideas are interconnected. Killmonger talks a lot about how white people came in and stole from Africa, but even he isn't safe from their influence in his theme, borrowing from the biggest European musician. The 808 performs the same function, representing another, now also traditional part of their lives as Africans and African Americans. They retain part of their heritage, borrow from another race/group that greatly influenced them, and now have the 808 from hip hop which is usually an area black people dominate in. So its their personal idea, mixed with what has impacted them, and added on to what they have become now.
Very good point! I was thinking the same thing!
THATS WHAT I WAS THINKING!! Linking their African heritage, European colonization, and modern African American music
That’s a very good point! Definitely could be the reason
YES.
@The Nameless One You are right, but Africans never did slavery on an industrial scale like the Europeans did. And some African peoples colonized other peoples or wiped them out, but Europeans did it later on a much more huge scale.
R.I.P
King T'chala
Chadwick Bozeman
You are the true king of Wakanda.
This hits different after Boseman's death. Wakanda forever
When Africa was colonized, brass instruments were taught to Africans to encourage conformity in all facets, including Western music structure
DrMonkeyBoyJr but most technological advances came from the minds of half-neanderthals...
Very true...we had horns and flutes... Brass instruments came with the whites
Neanderthals did come from Europe, though... like the word "Neanderthal" comes from the Neander Valley in Germany where some of the first bones were found, so I'm not really sure what you're getting at here.
We've got all this talk about neanderthals without realizing that neanderthals were exceptionally similar to humans. So much so that modern humans, when coming into contact with neanderthals, recognized them as human enough to interbreed with. There is more than enough evidence to suggest neanderthals were practically on equal grounds both socially and intellectually with humans.
@@sophiatalksmusic3588 Neanderthals originated in africa just like humans, they even have a common ancestor to us humans, Homo antecessor, about 800,000 years back that also originated in africa. They left africa and populated europe roughly about 350,000 years earlier than humans.
I loved the score and it's I think the first one that I actually noticed (other than the Avenger theme). The score that plays during Killmonger's death is so amazing and heartbreaking ...the chills
Also when T'challa makes his return!! (end battle)
Ragnarok has a very solid score as well. Marvel seem to be stepping it up lately.
Captain America the Winter Soldier.
GraceKi00
I notice all the Marvel scores.
The moment when I heard killmonger’s theme when he got the throne and that shot of him walking is the moment I fell in love with the movie
The beginning is Killmonger taking to his father. The leitmotif with the stringed instrument is one associated with memory, not necessary just T'Challa remembering his father. Just a thought.
Wow interesting ! Thanks..
I find this so interesting because idk enough about music to appreciate it while watching the film itself, except for the fact that I’m like “wow this sounds good”
the throne scene have even another story telling side (i also can wear the tin foil hat !)
at the beginning when n'dajaka talks about the world, about colonization, about imperialism, while being scored by the european bach, it is possibly representing the scar of his living in the military had on him, he became more like the colonizers
then shuri confronts him with his american identity and we hear the 808, the hip hop element of his theme, he truly is american, shuri is not telling any lies, but . . .
then starts he is asked about his identity, and he reveals his real name while the flute overwhelm the other elements of the score, because he truly believes he is from wakanda first, that is his true origin and he get to be claim that african origin with pride
black panther was breath taking, i still have issues with when t'challa reapers with the suit over the destroyed airship he didn't stroke a pose, but that was also my favorite musical moment, the voiced king theme transition was awesome
I loved the “king” motif as you called it! It was a reminder for me that this was a very Shakespearean story about a family drama and the composer captured that so well
I love the Dora Milaje’s theme! It was such a badass theme
Deebo Molina especially with that yell chant in it!
That theme was the MOST fire
Rest In Peace, Black Panther
This just decided to pop back into my recommended on the day I needed it, trying to reconcile with yet another thing 2020 has taken from us. RIP Chadwick Boseman.
And now it's won the Oscar for Best Original Score!
The strings that play when Tchalla is speaking with his father, I cried like a lil baby, man. The whole score of the movie is gorgeous. If one cares to listen just a bit past face value, you can tell the quality and effect that comes from time and love and true artistry. Loved it.
came back here about a month after Chadwick joined the ancestors
it's a very different, but still amazing, experience
rest in power, King
yo is anyone here in 2020 after.... all I can say is there will only ever be one Black Panther.. Rest in Paradise king 💔
it's absolutely heart-wrenching
rest in power
R.I.P Chadwick, you will be missed
I feel like you could also view the bach inclusion in Killmongers theme as a metaphor for European intrusion in African culture
This is my favorite Black Panther vid and I wanted to come back and watch it again after the tragic news that came out today..Rest in Peace Chadwick Boseman
R.I.P Chadwick boseman. You will never be forgotten, Wakanda Forever
I fully rate u for trying to educate your audience on African music! bless you🙏🏾
I've been thinking about the "father theme" as the "ancestor theme". The name of the track is Ancestral Plane, and every time it appears in the soundtrack it's as if it conjures up the relationship between past and present in Wakanda.
This is to a large extent what the father character represents in the movie, so it comes to much the same thing.
The soundtrack was honestly the best part of the movie. One of the few films where I actually remembered music after leaving the theater
Elijah Hollis it is so unique and more detailed than any score I’ve ever heard in my life. The composer really did incredible research
It's one of my favorite Kendrick Albums
I watched this in the afternoon today and was so amazed by the meaning of the music of black panther. Today Chadwick Boseman died ... and I’m at a loss. I can’t stop thinking about piece of the man lamenting the dying elephant, the loss of an African king
Can we talk about the music of Thor Ragnarok? I like how they use 80’s synthwave as the music of Sakaar.
I'm with you there! I also kinda want a breakdown of Michael Giacchino's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" score (my favorite MCU score of 2017... sorry Mark Mothersbaugh lol).
yes to both of these! the music of Thor Ragnarok played such a key part in the reboot of the Thor franchise. I think he touched on the Homecoming theme briefly in another video, how it goes with the cultural place of spider-man rather than expressing the values from the other films (?), but I'd love to see a fuller breakdown
More like Bore Ragnarok
ayy
DrMonkeyBoyJr
But it didn’t. Mark Mothersbaugh (yes the guy from Devo) composed a great score for Ragnarok.
Absolutely crazy how much better music is when the composer knows what it is about ahead of time can be!
RIP the biggest Chad(wick) of them all. You will be missed.
I think the point he's addressing right around 6:30, where there's a cross between the African and European themes is specific to american culture and more specifically, subconscious familiarizations and associations we have as a country. Most people associate the horn section featured in T'Challa's musical theme with European royalty, but there's a more specific reason for this. The piece being played by the horn section for his repeated musical character profile sounds incredibly similar specifically to the typical horn pattern played at the introduction of royalty or a character of royal descent in movies and cartoons. The subconscious association is still relatively engrained in most people who've had repeated exposure to this particular musical association, which in turn signals our brains to recognize the aspect of royalty that's being presented on screen. The african elements maintained through his theme keep the heart of the musical piece central to the overall setting of the movie and it's subject matter: Wakanda. The overall concept of using familiar musical motifs and samples from different movies or tv in combination with the artist's own overlay created by instruments specific to the setting of the story allow us to make a subconscious connection to a familiarized, preexisting meaning for a specific sound while maintaining relevancy to the storyline taking place on screen.
Glad I am came across this, rest in power Chadwick 🖤
my boy dropping another excellent video
I love your enthusiasm and technicality about everything. I watch the film with my parents and sis and we marvelled at the score. Thanks for your analysis. On the “victory” bars playing, I feel that it was more representative of the victory the father’s wanted for their sons. T’challa becoming king. And Killmonger seeing the most beautiful sunset in the world, finally recognized as royalty on home soil.
I hope this video trends on youtube. Blew my mind. I didn't even recognize all the subtle pieces to this movie's score, when I watched Black Panther. Really makes you appreciate the craftsmanship! Love your videos, please keep them up! :D
Now I am no musical expert, but when I listened to Killmonger's theme, the thought that came to my mind is how this is a mix of tribal african sounds, and modern hiphop sounds. Like it's supposed to symbolize Killmongers wider worldview. He has the African heritage, but he grew up in american cities, thus he gets a combination of tribal and hip hop as his theme. I honestly felt like this is what his theme was trying to tell me.
Thanks so much for following up on my request Ethan, I'm really thankful someone's appreciating this movie on an orchestral level! Wakanda Forever!
Awsamazing Eden hold up... are you telling me sideways's real name is ETHAN
fabiha chowdhury Yea, i'm pretty sure he says it in either a video or on Twitter at some point (psst, sideways if I'm wrong please forgive)
Awsamazing Eden HOLY SHIT! I KNEW BY HIS NAME IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT!
10:39 When he crawls through the fire and stands, does the Pimp lean then clenches his fists... I knew in spite of my lifelong adoration of Spiderman, Superman and finally Batman... a new Hero was challenging the throne of my adoration. This one shot hits so many marks it almost tells the whole story of the film cinematically, performative, and musically. A resurrection, King through trial by fire, and the pimp lean... a distinctly black cultural body movement foreign to a hero of this magnitude in costume. Brilliant analysis Sideways!!
To me, watching for the first time in the theater, the scene with Tchalla's father reminded me of the Lion King, where Simba sees Mufasa's ghost in the clouds. And with the "Father Theme" being so prominent there, it sounded very similar to the "Remember Who You Are" theme from the Lion King. Now, trying to compare the two themes (without looking at the score), it is hard to quantify what the similarity is, but they still strike me as similar.
Maybe it is context related (similar scenes of sons speaking to spirit fathers), but anyone able to help quantify that for me, or comment on it, would be welcome.
Also one of my favorite musical moments of the movie, btw. Great video, Sideways.
I just listened to them back to back; they might as well be from the same film. I think when we're just talking music, they're scored very similarly, possibly in the same key (although "Ancestral Pane" is mostly in a minor key while "Kings of the Past" is major so they might be parallel, i.e. they have the same tonic), and have similar overall structures and major features, including an African harp-type of instrument at the beginning leading into a cello lead melody. Both are beautiful, regardless.
Ludwig Goransson's work on Creed and Black Panther was really great. Very simple leitmotifs which are used to great effect.
I didn’t believe I could love this soundtrack more than I do but here I am
you know the leitmotif stuck when in infinity war, they're trying to find a place to investigate the removal of the mind stone from Vision, and the camera zooms in on Cap, and t'challa's talking drum plays before he even speaks. Cap goes: I know a place. HORNS! the theater goes wild.
i honestly think this is the reason why i love this movie so much. when you're a musician and/or lover of music, sometimes things like this movie just subconsciously connect to you and you don't know why. this video just brings that to light even more.
not to mention the amazing cultural aspect of it. people will say it is overrated and was hyped up too much but in the end it was just cool to see our (african and african-american) culture be represented as correctly and proudly as it was. and the fact that the score almost showed a more traditional side of music while the black panther album showed a more urban side just shows how planned and thoughtful each person who played a role in making a film was.
Sad coming back and watching these videos about black panther after chadwicks passing
The first Marvel movie with a noteworthy and memorable score! So good.
I would disagree with you on that one. Just about every Marvel movie has something noteworthy in the music... be it the tortured screams of the Winter Soldier theme, the militaristic slapping of the Avengers march, or the myriad brilliant ways Danny Elfman took apart and manipulated Silvestri's themes in his Age of Ultron score. I'm not really sure where the whole "Marvel has bad music" thing came from. Maybe that "Every Frame a Painting" video?
Aida, your rigth but he meant both noteworthy and memorable within the whole score, and while i think many of your examples are subjectively memorable, most people forget them and remember only the themes (as seen in the theme video)
That is what I meant, Sebastian. :)
hmmm, I'd say there are many Marvel scores that remain praiseworthy throughout the entire score. For example, the brilliant, layered score to the incredible hulk. I'd love to see sideways break that one down
I recently watched all the MCU films, and I have to say that _Black Panther_ was the only one where I could identify and remember most of the main themes on my first viewing. (Granted, maybe there's just a _bit_ of bias in being so hyped for that movie.) Most of the other films have their distinct elements, motifs or general styles (rock music for Iron Man films) that I remember liking in the moment, but aside from the main Avengers theme, the first Captain America film, _Spider-Man: Homecoming,_ and the _Thor_ movies (surprisingly), I couldn't hum a single bit back to you from any of those other films' scores. (Seriously though, the only music I distinctly remember from any of the _Iron Man_ movies are the Christmas songs from the third one.)
When the father motif swells while T’Challa is in the ancestral plane, I swear I get chills every time.
Amazing breakdown! You're one of the few that does not include that father motif (well, I prefer to call it The Royal theme) in Killmonger's theme. It plays a lot of times with his theme but I think that's a way of telling us that he is part of the royal family.
This is my favourite score of the whole MCU, and I would even say that from a superhero movie in general. I hope Gorannsson gets to do more scores of this kind because he is amazing with leitmotifs and themes.
Great job!
I love the layers in the score so much, the intricacy. Though my favourite is whenever T’challa’s theme is played legato rather than staccato and it’s like C, D# F...C G G# and it’s beautiful with the chords going F major, E flat major and C sharp. Ughhh it’s so good man, so simplistic and heroic. You hear it when he emerges from the crashed ship, at the end of the United Nations scene, before M’baku interrupts at his mountain hideout, during the opening jungle fight and during the Oklahoma scene riiiight at the end. It’s amazing, hats off to Ludwig Gorranson.
About the "closure" motif at the end - couldn't it also signify a transition of power? It plays the first time when T'Challa becomes king (therefore the mantle is passed from T'Chaka to T'Challa), then again when Killmonger/N'Jadaka takes the throne from T'Challa, and the last time when Killmonger dies, and the mantle returns to T'Challa.
I’m here after watching the Avatar film score critique you posted a few hours ago. Really helps to reinforce what really went wrong with the score in that project and what it could have been had the composers had the same level of creative input/collaboration as Göransson.
Also, on a personal note: I love nothing more than a score that can potentially spoil the story. Because it just means it is that much tighter and as integral to the storytelling process!
I love how you include the reference video to further explain more clearly, as always great video, thank you!
When I went to go see Black Panther the second time in theaters, I actively paid attention to the music and leitmotifs because of this channel. It's changed how I listen to movies.
Great video dude
Rest In Peace Chadwick Boseman. A true hero to us all, rest easy king 👑🙏
You really are teaching me to care about the music in stories in more ways than just "this sounds nice."
The string theme that plays when T’challa talks to his father evokes something Shakespearean , I can’t describe it but it feels epic.
This video let me recognise so many little points in wakanda forever, how purposefully the black panther drum was used, Killmongers theme. I appreciated the movie so much more because I knew this stuff.
The entire starting bit made me think of the anime movie "Your Name" where the composers, an actual band named Radwimps, worked together with the director every step of the production. So they actually changed some themes to fit specific scenes better and changed/cut scenes to fit the music better.
hey, just want to say that I;m doing an exam in my HSC music class and my topic is superhero theme music and I just want to say that this video literally couldn't have come at a better time and it helped me a lot, so i thank you you're the greatest
ahh man this breakdown be making me teary with even more feels of the black panther movie
I love this analysis. It goes to show how much depth that Görannson went to to get this music down. The music still gives me chills in a lot of moments! While Wakanda is based in South & East Africa (at least in the MCU & recent comic iterations), a lot of the instrumentation was done with West African instruments and vocals (specifically Senegal and Ghana). It’s a subtle nod to the OG Wakanda as well as a hint to the whole concept of Wakanda which is that the nation is a Panafrican one. You’re not supposed to be able to pin down a place; Wakanda is the whole of Africa and - with Killmonger’s philosophical reforms in T’Challa - the diaspora all around the world. It’s bigger than what it appears. A metaphorical iceberg if you will.
I’m coming back to this video because of my positive memories of the movie and grieving the loss of Chadwick Boseman. May he rest in power and with the ancestors. ❤️ Wakanda Forever.
Im so late to the party, but the fact that the exposition is done to the kora is symbolic of the kora’s place as the instrument of the griot oral history storytelling tradition. So cool
R.I.P Chadwick
I just want to say that when I first watched Black Panter the music straight up made me cry. Like you said, the amount of effort put into this is astounding. At this moment it has the most beautiful instrumentals I have ever heard, my favorite being Ancestral Plain.
RIP, King T'Challa 💔
I love your videos because you're just so...*salty,* and you absolutely deserve to be.
The first minute and a half of this video is unsubtle shade, and it's absolutely beautiful. Sassy SIdeways is the _only_ Sideways.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the strong similarities between Father's theme and the music from the scene in Lion King where Simba talks to his dad in their ancestral plane hahah...
I said after the movie that I loved the music and how it was used in the movie, but you just explained it perfectly.
R.I.P Chadwick Boseman.
I am deeeeead. lmao. I live and breathe for this level of sarcasm. And yes, love the score.
The soundtracks are amazing. Both of them. The level of quality was so high up there it was almost jarring on my first watch at the movies. From the very first scene I was like "What is that? Is it music? Good music? Whaaaat?!". Now I just leave it on loop all day while working. Back to back to back.
That opening rant was honestly all I needed.
I'm rewatching this video for the millionth time cuz I love it and I just realized: did Goransson use the Fula flute, a west african instrument, for Killmonger because his ancestors on his mother's side were likely west african? I saw some people get confused about Killmonger's last line before his death about "his ancestors that jumped from the ships" but he wasn't talking about his ancestors on his dad's side, but on his mom's side. cuz damn that would be a beautiful detail.
What's great about this analysis is that, because I started watching this channel a ton when I discovered it a few months back, when I saw this movie I picked up a lot of these musical arrangements in connection with character thematics solely based on what I've learned from this channel. So, thanks for that education : ) !
You just made the soundtrack even more stunning, which I didn’t even thing was possible
RIP the king
SIDEWAYS FOREVER! 😂
I low-key want to see the 4 hour cut.
i only saw this film once in the cinema, and i didn't take to it much. im not a huge superhero movie person, but now i can see how i was just not paying attention. not only is the score fantastic, but even just the positive impact this film has on society, and the very overdue poc representation. i was so blind to how important this film is and i have an insane amount of respect for it now. im so excited to watch it properly.
Desperately need this channel to make a comeback to break down Wakanda Forever
Killmongers theme always gives me chills
7:00 I all ways thought of that theme as black panther being haunted by his and his fathers mistakes and how it affects the rest of the world but only in that scene
only 30 seconds in, and this video is already pure gold!
The music, regardless of country of origin, is very geared toward the black community. The dramatic sound of the music when T'Challa visits his father for the first time on the ancestral plane, is something you'll hear often in films that are oriented toward a black audience. We see it the most in emotional scenes that depict familial relationships. The hip hop beats are a bit more obvious, they have a classic feel but they do appeal to a younger generation. The West African instrumentation is a VERY smart and well educated choice. I'm not familiar with Fulani culture, but since I'm a 1/4 Igbo I can speak about the arguments over tradition between the Yoruba and Igbo tribes. Long story short, Igbo are mainly progressive, Yoruba stick to tradition quite intensely. Given the way Shuri "scoffs at tradition", and given that more women from the Igbo tribe play the djembe these days (including myself), it's great that they represent her musically and vocally through these hip hop focused beats. Black Panther really told the story so well in regard to the tension between the Yoruba and Igbo tribes, and it would be nice if we came together the way that the Jabari united with the royal family. That being said, you could go as far to say the Border Tribe somewhat represent the Igbo considering that they are fighting for a cause and going against the grain, although historically my ancestors fought for independence, not a tyrant king. Either way the inspiration is pretty obvious to me and I relate to this film more than any other I've ever seen.
He didn’t point this out. But I’m pretty sure when Killmonger and T’Challa start fighting you hear a mixture or fusion of T’Challa and Killmongers theme. I loved the scores in this movie they were clever. Even in infinity war when Cap went to Wakanda you hear the Avengers Theme and Black Panthers theme mixed. I liked when themes are mixed together, it really portrays what’s happening in that scene.
Somehow I'm watching this for the first time now. Liked solely off the opening.
I loved the music too... It felt like a supporting character in the movie... It got me everytym.. The entry to wakanda, the warrior falls when TChalla hit the water, the death of killmonger, and the final scene when everything was back to normal... Those musical sections made me cry, smile so hard and felt proud... Goransson is a Genius
this movie and score is so good it somehow makes me cry even in 5 second clips with a neckbeard talking over it
An interesting tibit that I just noticed. T'Chaka and Killmonger are literal polar opposites in their worldviews, Killmonger opting for violence and outwards support, and T'Chaka in his isolationism and diplomatic approach. In the same way, their instruments do the same thing. At 6:51, you can hear T'Chaka's theme with violins in the background, and in Killmongers, when he takes the throne room, you can hear the bass in the background. Violins and basses are about as far apart as you can get in the orchestra, soundwise
Okay that first minute or so of sass was fantastic.
I was looking forward to this analysis, and you (Sideways) had the humility to direct us to the genius video while giving your personal insight on details : that shows "intellectual earnestness" so to speak. Well done !
Did anyone notice that the Father's theme sounds exactly like Mufasa's theme from the Lion King?
Mark Bada-Bing remember who you are
"avenge my death Simba, I mean T'chala"
Im sorry, the panther section is over there