Marvel has released the soundtrack for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which is executive produced by Asian-American label 88rising.
The 18-track album, released today (September 3), is packed with tracks by artists from the label, along with notable international collaborators. 88rising mainstays Rich Brian, NIKI, Warren Hue, Masiwei, Guapdad 4000 all appear, with NIKI’s recent single ‘Every Summertime’ included.
A hefty number of non-88rising artists are also involved in the album: US artists Anderson .Paak, 21 Savage, Jhené Aiko, and Rick Ross have all locked in features, alongside South Korean stars DPR Live, Seori, DPR Ian, Zion.T, and BIBI, the latter featuring on ‘Never Gonna Come Down’ with GOT7‘s Mark Tuan.
Notably, Singaporean Mandopop singer JJ Lin has one new solo track included, ‘Lose Control’, and Shang-Chi star Simu Liu contributes to penultimate album track ‘Hot Soup’.
Listen to the ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ soundtrack below.
For the soundtrack, 88rising CEO Sean Miyashiro worked closely with Shang-Chi director Dustin Daniel Cretton to translate the film’s themes into songs that range from explosive trap to sunny R&B.
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“These are songs dedicated to the first dances our parents shared together when they were young, as we continue to celebrate their love stories and everlasting youth,” Miyashiro said in a press statement.
“This album is for their sacrifice, their grit, and their endless endurance to give us the platform to be great. We wanted to make music and write songs celebrating all of that, while marrying the themes of the film of cherishing family, being fearless, and realising your destiny.”
Cretton was responsible for bringing 88rising into the Shang-Chi fold. According to The New York Times, the seeds for the soundtrack were planted when Cretton attended an 88rising concert in 2019 and met Miyashiro.
“When I go to an 88rising show, I’m seeing a reflection of myself not only up onstage, but also in those giant crowds of Asian faces,” Cretton told The New York Times.
“There’s an exhilaration and a release that almost feels like a buildup of generations who’d lacked that. It’s very exciting to be at a point where new artists are being celebrated across all cultures.”
In NME’s four-star review of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Nick Levine writes that the MCU Phase 4 film is “a smart and satisfying superhero romp that suggests Marvel is nowhere near ready to relinquish its hold on the genre.”