The deadliest Squad’s mixtape.
Taking over the box office this summer is the deadliest squad ever: the Suicide Squad. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Suicide Squad may have been the most anticipated film of the summer, featuring big names such as Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jaret Leto. This live-action take on the popular anti-hero DC Comic series had every comic book fan’s curiosity reaching its peak with great interest on how the characters were to be portrayed. This dark crime fantasy places an emphasis on Harley Quinn – the cute but mischievous lover of the infamous Joker.
In a world where the lines of bad and evil are blurred, the Suicide Squad OST does quite a remarkable job in matching the ghostly atmosphere of the movie content. The 14-track album is a collection of artists from all genres mixed up in a very interesting manner. Although many tracks were previously released singles on their own, there are a few original numbers created for the film that are must-listens.
The album kicks off with “Purple Lamborghini” a unique combination featuring dubstep king Skrillex and rapper Rick Ross. It’s an engaging number with a heavy battle between the energetic rap from Ross and the sound bursts from Skrillex; although the dubstep seems to be on the lighter side for Skrillex. “Sucker for Pain” may be a personal favorite and the take-away from the album. The artists collaboration for this original number is a match made in heaven with Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign and the X Ambassadors. Not only is this unlikely combination of well-known artists one for the books, so is the song. Imagine Dragon’s lead vocalist Dan Reynolds takes the spotlight with his raspy yet strong pleading voice singing the chorus, “I’m just a sucker for pain.” Lil Wayne, Logic and Ty Dolla $ign bring their own rap styles per verse adding color to the track. The X Ambassadors finish the track in a gradual fade out with deep vocals singing, “More pain…Got me begging…” It keeps to the haunting atmosphere of the movie while gracefully and smoothly tying in as well as bringing out the sounds of the different artists. (The music video for this number is also a must-see!)
Twenty One Pilots does it again with “Heathens,” producing a haunting vibe to match perfectly with the ghostly atmosphere the movie embraces. It’s catchy with a steady beat, yet also perfectly spooky. Tyler Joseph accompanied with a high-pitched robotic female voice effect in the background of his rap adds taste to the track.
“Standing In The Rain” by Action Bronson, Mark Ronson and Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys is a cool vintage rock mix complemented with the contrasting sound of Action Bronson’s intense and direct rap. The percussion in this number is quite overpowering yet enjoyable.
Kehlani, known for her soft voice, shows her darker side in “Gangsta,” beginning the track with a cute but evil giggle. It’s a gradual progression into the song starting with Kehlani’s falsetto singing into a switch with heavy beats and a slight rap-style touch to her singing. “Know Better” by Kevin Gates switches off between a pop R&B (sounding very similar to Flo Rida) with heavy rap.
A very interesting mix of music genres in one track is “You Don’t Own Me” by G-Eazy and Grace. As G-Eazy sticks to his original rap style, Grace uses her vocals to the max, showing off her very full and strong vocal style to the 1963 “You Don’t Own Me” original by Lesley Gore; an old fashioned American feminist tune with a modern touch. “Without Me” by popular rapper Eminem may be a number known by many, as this track was released in his 2002 album The Eminem Show. Truly a head bobber, it brings back the memories of the days when this album was the talk of the town.
“Wreak Havoc,” a Suicide Squad original by Skylar Grey is composed so gracefully and smoothly that Grey’s vocal style and range of highs and lows are utilized to their fullest. Starting off with the intensity of gun shots in relevance to the film, Grey raps as well sings high notes in the chorus, bringing a good balance to the track. However the gun shooting sound effects do get to be a bit much throughout the song to make it a daily listen. “Medieval Warfare” by Grimes suits the character of Harley Quinn oh so perfectly. With a very cute appearance, Harley Quinn is known to be quite the super villain with her twisted mindset similar to her boyfriend, the Joker. Grimes brings out this twist through her girly vocals combined with rock guitar riffs.
The ultimate classic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” originally by the band Queen is covered by popular pop rock band Panic! At the Disco in this OST. Brendon Urie with his wide vocal range does the number well and adds his distinct pop rock touches making the track his own.
“Slippin’ Into Darkness” is a total change from the other tracks listed on the album – it’s a ska-beat infused 70s hit by War. This oldie has great rhythm, almost similar to Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up.” It can be assumed that this number was chosen for the Suicide Squad OST for the lyrical meanings. “Fortunate Son” is another surprising genre change with a country rock number by Credence Clearwater Revival. The album finishes off with “I Started A Joke,” featuring Becky Hanson who has a voice like an angel. The string accompaniment to her vocals in this number creates a very mysterious feeling for the listener, as it is able to produce both a musical world of both light and dark.
Despite Suicide Squad’s rather negative reviews by both critics and movie-goers, the Suicide Squad OST does a good job of embracing the ghostly atmosphere of the movie. Although the balance between original tracks and previously released singles seemed a bit forced, it does come together as an album. The Suicide Squad original tracks definitely stand higher than the rest, as they are well thought out and put together to match the movie. With this collection of songs, it wouldn’t be surprising if the actual Suicide Squad existed and rolled up with this mix tape playing. Who knew super villains had such good taste in music?
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