It's only proper that a cute and energetic animated movie be accompanied by some fun, boppy music. With Pokémon Detective Pikachu hitting theaters May 10, some new tunes featured in the movie are hitting the airwaves as well, along with a score from one of today's most popular composers. The Detective Pikachu soundtrack will keep you in Ryme City long after you leave the movie theater.
Detective Pikachu is a combo live-action and CGI animated film that follows the adorable, fuzzy Pokémon character as he tried to uncover his past and solve a mystery. Justice Smith plays Tim Goodman, a detective's son who comes to a place where Pokémon and humans live together in harmony to take care of matters after his father dies in an accident. Tim teams up with the electrically-charged Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) to find out what happened to his dad. But the best part is probably Pikachu's adorable little Sherlock Holmes hat.
The movie's first single, "Carry On," by Rita Ora and Kygo, was released last month along with the official video. Ora also makes an appearance in the film as a scientist studying Pokémon. The song is a fun EDM bop that Pursuit of Pop described as "A slow burner that gradually builds into an anthemic, hands in the air style breakdown chorus that Ora’s sweet vocals glide right over." EDM.com thinks the song is going to "kill both radio play and live shows." Give it a listen below.
It looks as though the only official album that'll be released in conjunction with the film is the score, composed by Henry Jackman. Jackman's work can also be heard in some of the past decades biggest movies, such as Captain America: Civil War, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and X-Men: First Class.
The Detective Pikachu score album, which drops the same day that the movie is released also goes the fun route. The instrumental tracks have some pretty wacky titles befitting the film, like "Mewtwo Awakes," "The Interrogation of Mr. Mime," and "Shock to the System." Get it? Shock? The electronically-infused score references both Pikachu's own electrical charge and the EDM influence of the futuristic setting. It was clear that Detective Pikachu was going to have an EDM ambiance when the DJ, Producer, and EDM artist Diplo appeared in the movie's trailer. He later tweeted, "Playing myself in the Pokémon detective movie is the first time my kids have ever thought I’m cool."
The movie and soundtrack's devotion to all things electric even continues into the film's closing credits, which uses a song called "Electricity" by rapper Lil Uzi Vert and Japanese hip-hop supergroup Honest Boyz(R), from producer Pharrell.
"When I first heard from [music producer] Verbal about this collaboration between Honest Boyz(R) and Pharrell, I immediately saw the connection with the movie, because they're also a gifted fusion group that ventured out globally from Japan," producer Cale Boyter told Billboard. "This will also be a great opportunity for our movie to reach the group's worldwide audience."
The song isn't yet available online, and the Honest Boyz(R) haven't yet hit big in the states, with "Electricity" marking their global debut. But by collaborating with Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell, and depending on the success of Detective Pikachu, they might be looking at a big summer in the U.S.
