Hollywood demonstrates again that anything is possible on the big screen. A Star Is Born has successfully embraced the challenge of developing a singer from an actor and vice versa, bringing together the astonishing duo of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. This romantic drama requires a powerful soundtrack, which has lived up to the expectations of the audience. Lukas Nelson, alongside Gaga, Cooper, Mark Ronson, Diane Warren, and Jason Isbell, has created a collection of emotional songs, which fit entirely within the dramatic atmosphere of the plot. 

The soundtrack moves chronologically through the film and the lyrics foresee small details of the story. It opens with ‘Black Eyes’, a powerful rock’n’roll song performed by Jackson Maine – Cooper’s character. The solo guitar in this song, as well as in ‘Alibi’, is simply extraordinary. The playing style is inspired by Neil Young which, together with Cooper’s natural performance, creates a masterpiece out of the scene.  Subsequently, Gaga’s opening performance with ‘La Vie en Rose’ is equally impressive. Both songs prepare the way to ‘Shallow’, where the duo is introduced for the first time. With the lyrics ‘I’m off the deep end/watch as I dive’, this emotional song gives a hint of what is about to come. This sequence shows the unarguable equilibrium and complicity between both actors. The climax of the soundtrack comes at the end of the film with the piano ballad ‘I’ll Never Love Again’, a heartbreaking masterpiece which positions Gaga close to Whitney Houston’s style.

Cooper, himself, affirms the key role of the music in the movie’s plot:, “The music really became a character in the movie. There’s no lyric that’s ever in any point of the movie that doesn’t have exactly to do with where one of them is or hopes to be or regrets being”. With great acceptance from the audience, the emotional soundtrack fully suits this drama about addiction, the importance of unconditional love and the influence of music.

Rating: 5/5

Lydia Puntas Salas